title
MINUTES FOR THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING ON APRIL 15, 2026
body
Date: April 15, 2026
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 - 8:39 a.m.
Charles Coleman
David Handwork
Jeannie Gillis, Co-Chair
Kim Schrantz
Jeff Steiling - 8:35 a.m.
Pam Alexander
Rick Wyatt, Chairman
Officials & Staff:
Harold Copenhaver - Mayor
Derrel Smith - Director of Planning & Zoning
Craig Light - Chief City Engineer - 8:45 a.m.
Roger Gibson - Stormwater Manager
Marvin Day, Craighead County Judge
Melissa Dooley - ASU
Beverly Parker, Keep Jonesboro Beautiful
Ken Kelso - Construction Outreach Coordinator
Tracey Cooper - Secretary
Others in Attendance:
Darryl Dromgoole - CWL
Jocie Baker, ArDOT
Shannon Luke, ArDOT
Carroll Caldwell
Chance Copeland
I. CALL TO ORDER
Wyatt called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
II. ROLL CALL
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• Minutes for February 18, 2026, Stormwater Management Board Meeting
Motion to approve the minutes was made by Gillis and seconded by Bevill. The minutes were unanimously approved.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
Wyatt introduced Jocie Baker and Shannon Luke from ArDOT. Baker is a Senior Engineer and is charge of the new ArDOT facility located in downtown. Luke is a District Construction Engineer. Baker stated that she is currently the one person in the new downtown office but after renovations are completed there will be some in the office daily from 8:00 - 4:30 beginning in August/September. If anyone would like to meet with her, please schedule an appointment. Wyatt stated that the Boad is interested in ongoing projects. Luke will give an update on ongoing ArDOT projects in Jonesboro. The following projects were discussed. Wood said the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive extension is approximately 70% complete. Most of the work is north of Pacific on the part. Utility work is expected to continue through the end of the year. The new completion date is late 2028. The Airport Road Overpass is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. The bridge is complete. Traffic will start driving over the bridge in two to three weeks. After traffic is on the bridge, the tie ins at each end will be completed. The Hwy. 351 North and South Intersection Improvements are progressing because of the dry weather. The project is expected to be completed in 2027 due to signal installation. Coleman questioned if there would be speed zone change due to the improvements. Luke stated that if the City has concerns regarding speed after it is up and going, a request for review can be submitted. The Hwy. 49/Parker Road Intersection Improvements are complicated due to traffic. Currently, earthwork is being done and it could take all year to finish due to the traffic. Attached is a summary of the work to be done and a drawing of the area. The Harrisburg Road widening is just getting started. It is the same contractor that is doing the Hwy. 49/Parker Road Intersection Improvement so they will be moving back and forth. The earthwork will begin this year. The Hwy. 351 Connector (Aggie Road) has not been awarded. There has been some ongoing discussion about the intersection for Hwy. 49 and Aggie and the backups that happen on Aggie. There is an ongoing discussion about trying to get funding to see if we can integrate the upgrade of that intersection with this job. Because of the way it's worked out right now, the roundabout is kind of right in the middle of where the backup happens. If that does happen, then the roundabout can't function properly if traffic is backed up into it. Due to these discussions, the letting date has been pushed back until January 2028.
V. OLD BUSINESS
VI. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Bevill made a motion for adjournment. Gillis seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 9:48 a.m.