Robert Davis, left, is sworn in as Arkadelphia’s Ward 4 city director by county Judge Troy Tucker at a city board meeting Tuesday, March 4.
PLUS: Mayor urges decision to keep or quit tornado sirens
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Arkadelphia native Robert Davis was elected to fill the city board’s vacant Ward 4 position.
“I have always believed in contributing to the betterment of our city,” Davis wrote in a letter of interest dated Feb. 6. “I am confident that my experience, dedication and love for our city make me a suitable candidate for the position.”
Davis — a military veteran, foster parent, mentor, advocate and assistant pastor at Greater Pleasant Hill Baptist Church — addressed the Arkadelphia Board of Directors in a meeting Tuesday, March 4, 2025. He was the sole applicant to show interest in the position, which was left vacant when Reo Cummings left the city for a job opportunity in Texas.
Following Davis’s introduction, directors met in executive session for about five minutes to discuss the nomination, then reconvened to make the unanimous decision to elect him to the seat. Clark County Judge Troy Tucker formalized the appointment with a swearing-in ceremony, then Davis took his seat with other directors to conduct the remainder of Tuesday’s business.
City Manager Gary Brinkley introduced new department heads Wes Lemons, who replaces David Green as Utilities Manager, and Ryan Arnold, who replaces Kenny Myers as Street Department superintendent.
Directors gave approval to continue Todd Knight and John Knight’s terms on the city’s Airport Committee, and Diedra Middleton and Bill Phelps to the Planning Commission & Board of Adjustments.
The public will have 30 days to view the following records before the city destroys them, upon passage of an affidavit for record destruction allowable under state law:
Bank statements, 2013-2014
General fund A/P invoices, 2011-2014
Street fund A/P invoices, 2013-2014
Bids, 2012-2014
Telephone records, 2011-2014
Audio & video meetings, 2022-2023
Directors also heard from a representative of the Halff firm that will lead the city through its next 20-year Comprehensive Master Plan. Based in Little Rock, Halff has worked with the city to design the future MLK Memorial Park and developed a Unified Development Code. The firm has developed similar plans in 16 municipalities in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The master plan is expected to include regulations regarding zoning, land use, housing, utilities and other aspects, and the process from adoption of the plan to initiation should take about one year, the Halff representative said. That year-long process will include a public kickoff, focus groups, formation of an advisory committee and more.
Assistant Mayor Roland Gosey, noting city board and administration turnover over a period of two decades, voiced concern that any plan the board adopts should have longevity. The Halff associate said the plan includes a process to revisit the plan on an annual basis.
The board on Tuesday gave administration the nod to negotiate a contract with Halff, then return to the board later for its consideration of approval.
In routine business, Mayor Scott Byrd urged fellow directors to give strong consideration to whether the city should keep its emergency alert sirens or switch to an automated phone notification system. Testing conducted prior to the recent 911 dispatch merger, he noted, revealed that only one of the city’s three tornado sirens, at the 26th Street fire station, is fully operational.
The mayor said there would be pros and cons with either system, and noted a “tremendous” price gap between continuing the antiquated sirens and launching an automated phone system.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
