Alexander Council interviews applicants for six positions; Appointments expected at April 6 meeting

Aldermen for the City of Alexander spent a little over an hour interviewing six residents for six vacant positions. One is for the position of city treasurer and the other five are for the newly established planning commission. The interviews were held during a workshop meeting Monday evening March 23.

Former Alderman Kenneth Miller and Kaye Richeson submitted resumes for city treasurer. Submitting resumes for the planning commission were Robert "Bob" McKeon, former Alderman Michael Huck, John W. Reeves, Sr., Deanna Reeves, current Alderwoman Andrea Bearden, and former Alderwoman Ceola Bailey.

Both Bailey and Richeson did not attend the workshop. No one knew why Bailey wasn't there but former Alderwoman Juanita Wilson was present and told council members Richeson told her she decided to let Miller take the treasurer's position because it appears she will be out of town at times dealing with family business.

Before the interviews began City Recorder Sharon Bankhead had to take over for Mayor Paul Mitchell who was unable to attend the workshop. Alderwoman Melissa Ratliff was appointed by the council to act as city recorder.

Kenneth Miller was first to speak to council members. During his opening statement he said the treasurer serves as the city's financial officer.

"I do hold an Associate's Degree in Business Management, Investment and Finance," he said. "I've done this for about 20 years."

Miller served 25 years in the United States Army, owned and operated a computer sales and service business and is now retired. He also served as Secretary/Treasurer for the Benton "Golden K Kiwanis" for two years.

"I've a clean record and bondable," he added.

He has experience with accounting software. "I've worked with systems like QuickBooks, and so forth, which are very close to the Center Point software we have in the city," Miller said.

"I would make sure that all records, accounts payable and receivable, would be properly maintained," he said.

Miller plans to, "Work closely with the personnel."

"I've good people skills, I can work with people but maintain what needs to be done to get the job done," he added.

In the military Miller had a security clearance, "four levels below the president," he said. "If they can trust me ... [I guess] I can be trusted with anything that's going on in the city."

"I'd like to look at any way that we can save the city some money."

Miller mentioned he has been repairing computers since the first of the year, "Free of charge."

During a question and answer session after his comments Miller told council members he can start immediately after being appointed. He will work without pay and considers one of his duties will be to manage the bookkeeper.

During a "Special Regular" meeting held Monday, October 27, 2014 the Alexander City Council appointed Miller to the Ward-2 Position-1 seat by a four to three vote. The position was formerly held by Brad Scott. He then lost to Stephanie Beck in the November, 2014 General Election.

First up for one of the five positions on the newly formed planning commission was Robert "Bob" McKeon. In his opening statement he said, "The City of Alexander is in a unique position in time and history to be able to develop both commercial and residential property for the benefit of its residents without cost or loss in the infrastructure; which is streets, water, sanitary sewer, etc.."

"These developments should be planned and built so they will last year's to come without any future cost to the city while improving the property values," he added.

McKeon was one of the main individuals driving the petition in early 2006 to get what was Woodland Hills annexed into the City of Alexander. He also helped develop the city boundaries during the annexation process. While working with Saline County he discovered they had collected enough signatures to add around 350 undeveloped acres to the city's new boundaries.

That's approximately, "350 undeveloped acres in the city that need further plan and development," he said.

What's even more important is where most of the 350 acres is located. Around 300 of the 350 acres makes up the southwest corner of Alexander contiguous to not only the City of Bryant but the Saline County Regional Airport as well.

McKeon said, "Highway 111 and South Alexander Road will be the major travel corridor for access to this airport in years to come from I-30."

Later, in the discussion period of his interview, he said, "The reason that Highway 111/South Alexander Road is going to be widened and going to be an access to the airport is because FedEx has to move out of Memphis within the next four to five years."

FedEx is already building a new distribution center near the intersection of Alexander and Vimey Ridge roads. When construction began it was announced that center will replace the two smaller FedEx distribution centers in Little Rock.

Speaking about Highway 111 and Alexander Road during his opening statement McKeon said, "The City of Alexander needs to develop a simple long-range plan for commercial and multi-use areas along this corridor."

He said there are six areas being developed along South Alexander Road. All are commercial developments except one.

"I am familiar with infrastructure and development," McKeon said. "I have worked with city, county and state boards on infrastructure for development, both residential and commercial."

"If appointed I will work closely with the city council to ensure the residents, both old and new, are not adversely affected by the future planning of commercial and residential development areas," he added. "I will work with the city council to ensure that any planning ordinances are not restrictive in a developers ability to develop."

McKeon has lived in Woodland Hills, now Alexander, for 46 years. For many years he has been the manager of the Saline County Water and Sewer District.

Alderwoman Andrea Bearden asked about a new zoning map. Alexander does not have a zoning map that includes Woodland Hills after the annexation.

"Do it in maybe stages," McKeon suggested. "It's probably too overwhelming, in my opinion, to do the whole thing at one time. [Zone] what needs to be developed first. Set it aside for multi-use. If we get some streets in there we might go commercial."

Next up was former Ward-3 Alderman Michael Huck who said he observed how planning commissions function when he worked as a reporter in Illinois prior to moving to Woodland Hills (Alexander) in 1997. He would occasionally report on planning commissions at both the small town and county level.

"So, I'm somewhat familiar with the duties of a planning commission and working through zoning hearings, variance hearings," he said.

Huck agreed a new zoning map is needed that includes what was Woodland Hills. He also pointed out that Alexander needs to add a third residential zone classification. He said currently Alexander has R-1, which includes site-built houses and mobile homes, and R-2, which includes R-1 plus multi-family housing.

"R-1 should be strictly sight-built homes only," Huck said. "St. Joseph's Glen and the new Meadows Edge, those areas should be zoned R-1 sight-built homes only, single-family; not and mobile homes."

He then explained R-2 should be site-built homes and factory-built homes. A new R-3 category would include R-2 plus multi-family housing.

While establishing a new zoning map Huck said that would be the time to decide what type of development the city wants in the open areas, such as the 350 acres mentioned by Bob McKeon.

Huck said, "As we're doing the zoning map ... we can start pre-selecting these open areas [and decide] what we want there as opposed to what someone wants to build there."

Asked about pre-zoning for business by Alderwoman Andrea Bearden Huck concurred and said, "For instance, the east side of [Highway] 111 opposite Meadows Edge the mayor ... would prefer some kind of sales tax generating business on that opposite side."

He also suggested, "The planning commission might want to take a look at everything the previous planning commission did on St. Joseph's Glen and find out once and for what is what."

"What did they approve, what didn't they approve; right now it's all, 'Well I thought it was'," he added.

During the past two years there's been discussions between St. Joseph's Glen residents and the city as to who is responsible for street maintenance.

Bearden asked when the previous planning commission was in existence. Huck said it last met in 2010.

According to his resume Huck was employed as a graphic artist by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism for 15 years and is now retired. He was appointed as alderman of Ward-3 in November, 2006 after the annexation of Woodland Hills was made final. He resigned from that position in 2011.

John W. Reeves, Sr. is asking to be appointed to the planning commission. Reeves said planning needs to consider how any development will affect current residents.

"I've lived here since 1978," he said. "I've seen a lot of changes good and bad. All the planning, that's good bring more business. Good they're going to widen [Highway] 111. My concern is, if I'm elected to be on the planning committee, I'm going to be concerned about the people who live here now. What impact are we going to have on the people that are here now. What impact is the traffic going to have when you widen [Highway] 111? I'm all for progress, I hope the city does good. That's what I'd like to see everybody prosper but my concern is with the people. "

Using the construction of the Meadows Edge subdivision along Highway 111 and the additional traffic it will generate as an example he said, "What impact does that have to me getting my kids that just got off the school bus?" "I think that's some things we need to be looking at."

Reeves is a Journeyman Electrician/Foreman for Thompson Electric. He's been in the construction business for 20 years.

Deanna Reeves is an Administrative Service Manager for Vision Information Technology Consultants in Little Rock. Among her many duties she manages 16 employees located in North Carolina, Louisiana and Arizona. She has lived in Alexander 10 years and is married to John W. Reeves, Sr..

Deanna Reeves says the experience she has acquired from her current employer may help Alexander acquire grants. Vision Information Technology Consultants provides professional information technology consulting and products to the federal government. 

"I would like to put my experience from that towards the planning [commission]," she said. There's a lot of stuff [funding] that is out there that nobody uses."

"We work with the military mainly but there's also several things [grants] as far as construction," Deanna said.

During a discussion about grants Reeves admitted no one is automatically approved but they are available for local government.

Current Ward-3 Alderwoman Andrea Bearden spoke last. She also submitted a resume and has asked to be considered for appointment to the planning commission.

"I have an idea for the City of Alexander to grow," Bearden said. "I do care about the impact to existing [residents].

About development along Highway 111 and South Alexander Road Bearden said, "I'd like to see good reputable businesses brought out here, as far as on the main corridor."

Bearden is a long-time resident of Alexander. She is a Maintenance Technician for the Arkansas Department of Military at North Little Rock.

On October 21, 2013 Bearden was appointed to the city council filling a vacancy created by the resignation of Ward-3 Alderman Dan Church. She ran unopposed in the November, 2014 General Election.

State law allows elected and appointed officials to also be appointed to a planning commission. The law requires no more than one-third of a planning commission members can be elected or appointed to other positions in the main governing body.

The council is expected to fill the six vacancies at a "Special Meeting" scheduled for this Monday, April 6. The meeting was scheduled in place of the regular March meeting because Mayor Paul Mitchell couldn't attend and the council never had the opportunity to schedule the workshop meeting to interview the applicants.

The "Special Meeting" will be held at 6 PM in city hall. The public is invited to attend.