Jonesboro council approves Brackett contracts for 9-1-1 center and Winter Wonderland renovations

Jonesboro’s City Council on Aug. 5 voted to approve two separate resolutions authorizing contracts with Brackett, Kennerich & Associates PA to provide architectural services — one for a new 9-1-1 and real-time crime center and another for renovations to the city’s Winter Wonderland attraction.

The mayor read the 9-1-1 resolution into the record, saying the selection committee determined Brackett was the most qualified firm and that funding would come from capital improvement revenue bonds. Resident Patty Lack urged the council to delay action, saying the contract appears to have been signed by the architect on June 12 and raising a figure of $5,200,000 she said was associated with the project. She told the council she did not know the center’s proposed location and asked that the bond task force meet before approval.

Mayor Harold Copenhaver announced the council vote on the 9-1-1 resolution was tied, 6–6, and that he cast the deciding vote to approve it, making the final tally 7–6 in favor. The council later approved the Winter Wonderland architectural agreement; Patty Lack told council she reviewed the Winter Wonderland contract, noted similar language and asked where the listed $1,800,000 cost would come from.

Council and staff described the agreements as architect services contracts only and indicated project funding was identified in capital-improvement budgets or revenue bonds. The resolutions authorize the mayor and city clerk to execute documents necessary to effectuate the agreements.

What happens next: the contracts proceed to execution and project design; several public commenters asked the council to clarify site selection for the 9-1-1 center and to confirm how bond proceeds and construction budgets will be allocated before design moves too far forward.