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Minutes for the Land Use Committee meeting on August 7, 2014
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Members present: Bill Hall (Chair), Dr. Jim Sanders, Mark Enos, Pamela Alexander, Councilman Todd Burton, Shawnie Carrier and Terry Bare
Members absent: Darren May, James Dunivan, Carroll Caldwell, Eric Scarbrough, Jerry Halsey, Jr., Kevan Inboden, Nadine Straitt and Wixson Huffstetler
Dr. Sanders motioned, seconded by Mr. Bare, to approve the minutes for the July 17, 2014, meeting. All voted aye.
Mr. Enos explained he was trying to get a discussion started concerning strategies in terms of the Land Use Plan. Some of them are being discussed and considered. A lot of the decisions have an impact on the Jonesboro taxpayers, so he would like some of the things that could be negatively impacted by their decisions (such as schools, fire stations, etc.) be thought of during the process so they aren’t negatively affected. If they see an area lacking in infrastructure, then they should be careful about what developments are allowed since they will impact the infrastructure. He added if the city isn’t prepared or able to adjust to the changes, then a lot of what they’re doing could be a moot point.
JETS Director Steve Ewart agreed with Mr. Enos. He explained they are trying to put in a fifth route with JETS so they can serve northeast Jonesboro. Grant funding is based on population and population density. Jonesboro is gets less funding due to the smaller population density than most cities with the acreage of Jonesboro. He noted they have a real challenge with the development of the land in Jonesboro. It costs about $200,000 per line for JETS. They have been trying to save money in order to fund the fifth route to accommodate the new NEA Hospital. But, when services, such as DHS and the Veterans Office, get moved JETS is not included, yet those are the areas where service is requested. He further discussed the challenges with planning routes around key areas and services in the city.
Mr. Enos add...
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