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Huntsville council unanimously adopts ordinances allowing specified employees to do limited business with the city
Summary
Council adopted three ordinances (2025-2, 2025-3, 2025-4) permitting named city employees to continue specified commercial or paid roles with the city, citing Arkansas Code Annotated 14-42-107(b); each ordinance included an emergency clause and passed by roll call.
The Huntsville City Council on April 14 approved three ordinances that explicitly permit certain named city employees to continue doing limited business with the city.
Ordinance 2025-2 authorizes Finance Director Carmen Watkins to continue serving as the league director for the parks department at $4,000 a year. Ordinance 2025-3 authorizes Carmen Watkins and her husband, Roger Watkins, to operate the Michigan Park concession stand during baseball and softball season (each paying $2,000 per season). Ordinance 2025-4 authorizes the city to purchase certain local items from Koger Surplus, owned by Council member Betatina Koger, on the grounds of local availability and competitive pricing.
Council cited an Attorney General opinion and Arkansas Code Annotated 14-42-107(b) requiring that any such business be specifically named in ordinance language. Each ordinance was placed on first reading, adopted by roll-call vote (yes votes recorded for Steven Ford, Crystal Lacy, Roger O, Scott Thomas, Guy Roden, Betatina Koger) and included an emergency clause so the measures take effect immediately.
Councilors discussed the ordinances in the context of a long-standing city policy to “do business locally whenever possible and economically” and said the ordinances were intended to comply with state law while preserving local procurement options.
Next steps: the ordinances take effect immediately under their emergency clauses; staff will implement procurement as authorized in each ordinance.
