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MINUTES FOR THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING ON NOVEMBER 15, 2023
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STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING MINUTES
Date: November 15, 2023
Location: Municipal Center
First Floor Conference Room
300 South Church
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Opening:
In Attendance marked in bold
Members:
Susan Merideth
Jeremy Bevill
Janice Porter
Charles Coleman
David Handwork
Jeannie Gillis, Co-Chair
LaGanzie Kale
Clint Jackson
Jeff Steiling
Pam Alexander
Rick Wyatt, Chairman
Officials & Staff:
Harold Copenhaver - Mayor
Derrel Smith - Director of Planning & Zoning
Craig Light - Chief City Engineer
Roger Gibson - Stormwater Manager
Marvin Day, Craighead County Judge
Melissa Dooley - ASU
Beverly Parker, Keep Jonesboro Beautiful
Tracey Cooper - Secretary
I. CALL TO ORDER
Wyatt called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
II. ROLL CALL
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
*Minutes for the August 16, 2023 Stormwater Management Board Meeting
Motion to approve the minutes was made by Porter and seconded by Handwork. The minutes were unanimously approved.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
Light stated the City is submitting a pre-application to Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) as a Letter of Intent to submit a grant application for a grant for the first phase of Corps of Engineer study, Lost Creek/Big Creek Watershed which is the lower end that starts at Hwy 349 and comes into the town. Basically, opening up the ditch and widening it. It is a deep ditch and an outlet for a 1/3 of the City. Need to find a way to dampen it before sending the water out into the County. The construction cost of Phase I is estimated to be a little over $10 million. It is a nationally competitive grant so it is not guaranteed you will be funded for the project but ADEM called and said there is some non-competitive money for planning purposes and was pretty much assured the money could be gotten to move the project forward. That money is 90/10 money. Cost of design, ROW acquisition, environmental, etc. is a little over $1 million so the City portion would be around $100,000. We have submitted that request to them. We have a meeting set up to talk about getting the application out. There is a good chance the City will get the money to design the first phase of the project. From that, we can take that same application and project and go to the next BRIC cycle and ask for money for construction and we should be ready for construction by then.
Wyatt ask if it was a City project or City/County project. Light stated a City project.
The more that project is extended the higher the cost of the project and larger match for the City. Don’t want the match to be a burden so we don’t want to bit off too much.
Light stated the Corps has done the hydraulics and sized the channel. We just need to make sure what we do is consistent with the model. Handwork ask if storage is built in or is it all channel flow. Light stated it is basically storage.
Day ask what areas of flood concerns are you mitigating. It draws down Lost Creek and Christian and we need an outlet point to send it to.
Light stated we have done other grants through ARNC and ADEM. ADEM is the applicant and the City will be the sub.
V. OLD BUSINESS
Wyatt ask for a timeline for the adoption of the proposed 2022 Flood Maps. Gibson stated there is not a firm date, possibly June.
Light stated they have been dealing with this for seventeen years and have not been happy with what they do. There are legitimate concerns with what they are mapping.
Wyatt stated if there would be a Public Service Announcements that some residents will have to get flood insurance after the adoption of the new maps. Light stated the maps will be on the City’s website and they will have to go to City Council to be adopted so it will be publicized during that process.
Coleman committed on how much he likes the new web page.
Wyatt stated on the tour, he noticed the number of culverts compacted with leaves and other debris. Coleman stated he toured the area with the Mayor and they discussed getting Code Enforcement involved.
Parker questioned the green space and what is on that agenda and why we cannot move forward. Smith stated a couple of Commissioners want to make some changes and cannot get enough attendance to move forward at the pre-meetings. There is some confusion when designs are being done in reference to green space and open space and variances are requested. They are going to try to make it where there is not such a gap between green space and open space. A meeting will be held after the first of the year.
Parker wanted to know if she could make a motion. Wyatt stated she is on the Board to represent Keep Jonesboro Beautiful.
She wants to further the discussion between the relationship between litter and flooding and do education. Wyatt stated he does not know if that would be part of the SWMB. Coleman stated that the Public Safety Committee might be who needs to be addressed. He will ask the Committee Chair. Coleman does not think the SWMB is the body to handle that issue. Handwork stated there could be some partnership with the Chamber. He stated litter is terrible is Jonesboro. Radio stations could be contacted about doing Public Service Announcement for free of charge. Light stated the Communications Department does PSAs annually about leaves in the ditches. The Communications Department is a good resource to get things like this out. It would have to be approved by the administration.
Wyatt stated that education could be done through that school system.
VI. OTHER COMMUNICATION
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Wyatt adjourned the meeting at 9:25 a.m.