By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
In a matter of weeks, Arkadelphia voters will decide whether to keep a 1-cent sales tax collected for general improvements to the city. The tax would sunset in 10 years if continued.
City officials last week outlined the projects it has tackled since the 2019 passage of the tax. This week, City Manager Gary Brinkley discussed with arkadelphian.com the plans in store should voters approve the tax.
If the tax passes
Improvements to the city’s drainage system are among the first issues that come to Brinkley’s mind when detailing future goals. While the tax has helped fund the makeover of three major drainage systems, “We have just scratched the surface” of drainage issues in Arkadelphia, Brinkley admitted. Two drainage projects scheduled for 2024 are the second phase of Haddock Street and a project at 12th and Main streets.
To date, the city has spent $2.5 million on drainage improvements.
In a move that will require land acquisitions, the addition of retention ponds to the west side of town is imperative, Brinkley said. The ponds would slow the flow of rainwater into lower elevations within the city. But adding the ponds doesn’t halt the need to replace the existing century-old drainage pipes beneath the surface. Voter approval of the tax would allow the city to continue its annual $400,000 investment in replacing the dated or collapsed storm drain pipes and cleaning each open system on a four-year basis, Brinkley said.
A continuation of the tax will also allow the city to initiate a street milling program wherein portions of some major thoroughfares would be milled to their original height and repaved. Examples Brinkley gives are North 26th Street and W.P. Malone Drive between High School Drive and Pine Street. These are areas “we struggle to keep in good shape,” he said.
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A new fleet of police cars and a new fire engine have been bought with the additional tax revenue, and Brinkley said the city would be able to continue a replacement schedule for emergency response equipment. Other departments would be able to replace equipment on a schedule, also.
When talking about the tax, Brinkley is quick to point out that it has been an imperative funding source when it comes to seeking federal and state matching grants. “We have been able to acquire several grants because of the tax initiative,” Brinkley said. “
Another long-term goal Brinkley has is adding curb and gutters along Walnut Street. Once that is done, more areas will become evident, he said.
Unfinished projects
Asked what projects have been started but remain incomplete, Brinkley refers back to drainage projects, particularly the ones on Haddock Street and Walnut Street. “As we worked to make repairs to the system, we found other issues that need to be addressed,” he said. “The biggest lesson we’ve learned is how far behind we were and how long it takes to address deferred maintenance issues. I would have loved to have achieved 100% of everything we discussed [at the onset of the original tax campaign], but time, money and an unforeseen global pandemic did not allow it.”
While a portion of the 2.5-mile Feaster Trail has been rehabilitated from Baptist Health Medical Center to North 26th Street, the second phase will improve the trail from 26th Street to North 10th Street.
“The more we fix, the more that needs fixing.”
— Arkadelphia City Manager Gary Brinkley
Replacing street and traffic signs is another unfinished project. The absence of many street signs becomes an issue for travelers using GPS to navigate — at some intersections there is no marker indicating what street the traveler is on. Brinkley said the street sign replacement is only about 20% complete, with downtown and south of that district being where most signs have been replaced.
The addition of wayfinding signage, too, has yielded to other projects. These types of signs point travelers in the direction of some of the city’s major landmarks like the universities, hospital, parks, etc. Brinkley said that project was scheduled for 2024 but has been delayed due to other urgent projects like drainage and equipment replacement.
If the tax fails
The voter-approved tax measure passed in a 2019 special election with 66% of the voter turnout in favor. This time, however, the tax measure is on the March 5 primary election ballot, along with a slew of national, state and local races. While the tax campaign has no organized opposition, if more uninformed voters take to the polls there is a chance for less support of the tax. While Brinkley remains optimistic that voters will continue the Move Arkadelphia Forward tax, he fears the worst if it should fail.
Asked for specifics as to what city services would be cut, Brinkley said sanitation pickups would be limited to once per week rather than the twice-weekly routes. Residents would not receive the roll of trash bags that are available twice a year. Large-item pickup, which is currently done on an on-demand basis, would be limited to once per year.
Parks and Rec programming would be cut back “substantially,” Brinkley added. A hiring freeze would be likely except for critical positions. The city’s drainage and special events departments, comprised of four total employees, would cease to exist. There would be no major purchases for any city department. The city would halt the pursuit of grant funding except for fully funded grants. Brinkley fears police officers would leave for departments that offer higher salaries.
“Essentially, all of the progress we have made in the past four years will be given back within a two- to three-year period,” Brinkley said.
Is the city saving any money?
The city has created an Emergency Reserve Fund, which currently has a balance of $226,000.
Brinkley said he would like to see more added to the account but “have not had the opportunity as of late due to rising costs of repairs and services.” Brinkley touted the fund as a “valuable investment as we have had to dip into the fund a few times over the past year.”
Pine Street, the city’s main east/west thoroughfare, is currently owned and maintained by the Arkansas Highway Commission/Department of Transportation. Once ARDOT widens the street to include a turning lane, ownership will be given to the City of Arkadelphia, meaning the street department will be responsible for repairs within the city limits. In past meetings Brinkley has cautioned the City Board of Directors to create a separate emergency reserve fund specifically for the street department “to ensure we are prepared for any surprises.”
While it’s no savings account, an additional $800,000 from the general fund, earmarked for the street department, has allowed the department to double the amount of slurry seal laid on streets each year, and to buy equipment for the department.
Final thoughts
Brinkley likens the operations of a city to being a homeowner tackling a project.
“The more we fix, the more that needs fixing,” he said. “When you paint your living room, you notice the hall needs paint. When you paint the hallway, you notice the kitchen could use a fresh coat.”
He concluded: “The beautiful thing is, our community has so much potential and a team in place that can get the job done. We hope our residents see that and trust us to keep moving Arkadelphia forward.”