New ordinance specifies how votes are to be counted: Those are NOT speed bumps

A new Alexander ordinance establishes how votes are counted when electing council members. In another matter, a resident of 4^th St. tells the mayor and council members the new “Speed Bumps” aren’t speed bumps at all.

After the 2024 elections, it was discovered two Arkansas counties had used the wrong method when counting votes for council members in two separate cities. Votes may be cast in two ways. Either the entire city votes for all the council candidates, no matter which ward they reside in, called voting at-large. Or, residents of each ward vote for the candidates running in their ward. Alexander uses the at-large method.

City Attorney Chris Madison, who is also chairman of the Arkansas Election Commission, was tasked with investigating what had happened in the two elections. He determined that each county clerk had used the wrong method to count the votes. In one county the at-large method was used rather than counting by ward. The other county counted by ward in stead of at-large.

Madison said he contacted other county clerks and asked how they know whether a city is counted at-large or ward by ward. He said in one instance he was told, “We just know.”

Madison worked with the Arkansas Municipal League to get legislation written and approved during the 2025 Legislative Session. Under state law, voting at-large is the default method for a Class-2 city. To use any other method requires passage of an ordinance.

Even though Alexander is a Class-2 city Madison suggested, to be on the safe side, the council adopt the proposed ordinance. Once it is registered with the Saline County Clerk there can be no question how votes are to be counted and how petitions are to be completed to run for city council.

Besides voting at-large, the adopted ordinance specifies that candidates must live in the ward they wish to represent. They must specify, on the election petition, the ward number and whether they are running for position one or position two. All eight council seats are up for election every two years.

During the Public Comments section of the agenda, city resident Robin Schmidt presented evidence to council members that shows the new “Speed Bumps” installed on 4^th St. aren’t speed bumps at all. Instead they are used in construction zones to protect power lines and hoses running on the ground. Much the same way a wire protector is used on a floor to prevent tripping.

Schmidt provided information and photos showing what was used on 4^th St. and the intended purpose based on company literature.

“These are electrical cable ramps,” Schmidt said. “And they are only to be used in a controlled setting such as a construction site. They're not designed to be a durable traffic calming device, which is what they call speed bumps.”

Citing engineering protocols Schmidt continued, “And these devices require (an) official traffic study. When you want to put in a speed bump, there should be a minimum of 500 to 1500 vehicles a day.”

The “speed bumps” were installed on 4^th St. after the September council meeting at the direction of Mayor Crystal Herrmann. Since school started, Police Chief Timothy Preator has been providing monthly reports concerning drivers who want to get around school buses using Highway 111 in the morning. According to Preator drivers move to 4^th St., speed down to Alexander Rd. trying to get in front of the buses. Preator has told council members drivers speed past him on 4^th St. while he’s holding a radar gun.

Four of these devices were placed on 4^th St. between Vine St. and Alexander Road. The first is between Vine St. and A.C. Wallace Avenue. There are two between A.C. Wallace Avenue and Main Street. The fourth is between Main St. and Alexander Road.

After her three minutes had expired Schmidt summed up by saying, “It's been, well, these need to be removed. They're not legal. They're not.”

Earlier in the meeting, Mayor Crystal Herrmann reported she is working with Metroplan to fund a traffic study. She said the report resulting from study will include proposed locations for trails, sidewalks and possible ways to improve traffic patterns.

Hearkening back to her earlier report Herrmann said, “We are going to be working on improvements as far as upgrading.”

Other business during the October 20 meeting

Council approves replacing pickup truck damaged by flood

The Alexander City Council approved adding the necessary funds to replace a street department pickup truck that was damaged earlier this year by flood waters. The insurance company reimbursed the city $29,100.00. The truck will be purchased using a state contract. Mayor Herrmann reported the cost of the new truck should be up to $45,000.00.

The Dodge truck will be replaced with a Ford F250 with a diesel engine and extended cab. Herrmann told council members the Dodge had a gasoline engine and a lower weight capacity than the F250.

Creek eroding ground under Central Firehouse

During the past several administrations the creek that carries storm water past the Alexander Central Firehouse, along South Alexander Road, has been slowly eating its way towards the building’s foundation. According to Fire Chief Ryan McCormick the creek is now under the north side and the building has begun to tilt towards the creek. McCormick told council members the solution for now is to excavate dirt from the north side of the creek and move it to the south side to prop up the building.

Fortunately, in November, 2018, the city council approved purchasing the two lots next to the fire house for $8,000. So the city already owns that side of the creek. The council accepted the low bid of $19,975.00 submitted by Josh Penn Excavating in Benton.

Monthly Reports

Planning and Zoning Report

South Alexander Sewer Plant to double capacity

Mayor Crystal Herrmann reported on a public hearing she attended October 4^th. The hearing was held by the Saline County Water Works Sanitary Sewer (SCWWSS) Public Facilities Board as part of the process to apply for, “a grant,” and develop a, “funding package to upgrade their sewer plant.”

Herrmann said they are basing the sewer expansion on the number of, “undeveloped properties” in their service area of South Alexander. She said the SCWWSS is calculating, “the lot sizes being at a half acre.”

“So when those improvements happen,” Herrmann said. “(W)e will have to revisit the lot sizes and make adjustments in our zoning map for that.”

Streets and Parks Report

Fall Fest report

“Beginning I guess Fall Fest went over really well,” Herrmann began. “I think a lot of folks had a good time.”

Prior to the council meeting Herrmann said Police Chief Timothy Preator had estimated the crowd size between 1,500 to 2,000.

Council Member Angela Griffin reported the new locations of vendors and food trucks wasn’t a problem.

Griffin said, “I didn't get any negative feedback from them.”

Parking became a problem this year. Herrmann thanked Council Member Wayne Smith for allowing his property, next to the City Park, to take the over flow.

Police Report

Monthly activities report; Police cars jumping tracks

With Police Chief Timothy Preator out on vacation, Sergeant Myers provided the September police report.

“145 calls for service. 42 reports. 297 traffic stops. 119 of those citations. 178 warnings.” Myers began. “We had ten warrants served. 3-D-W-I arrest. 13 felony drug arrest and 10 misdemeanor arrest. That's some pretty impressive numbers.”

Council Member Juanita Wilson asked Sergeant Myers about two separate instances when two different police cars were seen driven over the railroad tracks on Highway 111 fast enough to cause the cars to “bottom out.”

“But when you get these police cars, and then we have to start replacing them, and those were gotten with the grant,” Wilson said.

Mayor Herrmann interjected, “I think that sounds more like a complaint, Mrs. Wilson, and maybe you should visit with the chief on that one.”

Fire and Rescue Report

Monthly report; FEMA grant; I don’t want to

“So we responded to 65 incidents and calls,” Fire Chief Ryan McCormick said. “We did complete a 40-hour in-house road rescue check for six of our members. That was a very more of an aggressive, growth class that we did.”

McCormick continued, “We had one member in Camden and a Chief Officer Development class for 40 hours of this week.”

“Over 400 hours of training as well for this past month that we conducted in-house,” McCormick said.

“Exciting news,” Chief McCormick announced. “We were awarded a FEMA grant. And so the award was $22,534.”

“And that goes towards equipment,” he explained. “Purchases is outlined in the grant that as fire hoses, fire nozzles. And one other thing was an air monitoring device for different types of carbon monoxide. It's a four gas monitor.”

Providing more details McCormick said, “It's normally a 5% match for any type of FEMA grant. Our basically, for $20,000 we have to pay $1,073.05. It's less than $5% to take care of. We are waiting at the moment because of the government shutdown to proceed.”

Council Member Juanita Wilson told Chief McCormick she has been asked by some residents when the new fire chief’s pickup truck will be lettered the same as the other fire department vehicles.

“We're not going to,” McCormick responded.

“Why,” Wilson asked.

“We're not going to,” McCormick insisted. “This is an administrative vehicle.”

Code Enforcement/Animal Control Report

Attended code enforcement and animal control classes

According to Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer Joshua Dodson the major accomplishments this past month was attending two training classes. One involved how to conduct code enforcement, “on nuisance properties.” The other involved animal control.

Dodson said the class on nuisance properties included, “(H)ow to properly handle them, the proper procedures, the legal side of it, what you have to do to take care of those.” Dodson reminded council members the process includes the council voting on whether a property is a “Nuisance.”

Dodson also attended a class given by the Arkansas Association of Animal Patrol Officers for chemical capture. The 8-hour class involved training on the use of tranquilizer guns.

Financial Report

Treasurer Jennifer Hill provided the monthly financial report. The report includes the end-of-month fund balances for September and the total amount collected for the three one-cent city sales and use taxes.

“Okay, so for the month of September, your general fund reconciled at $1,917,989,” Hill began. “Your police fund reconciled at $446,649.16. Fire is $308,934.45. Parks is at $261,380.77. Streets is at $308,676.13. Your payroll reconciled at $117,209.66. And your events (fund) was at $587.07. Your fall-fest raffle brought in $311.00. That goes to that events account. And your dunking booth that the police department did for the Shop With the Cop did $245.”

It was noted the dunking booth broke down ending what would have been a very financially successful day of dunking Police Chief Preator.

On the revenue side Hill reported the three 1-cent city sales taxes, “(F)or August … well they were all, $76,316.00 (each) for (a total of) $128,948.39.”

Moment of Silence

After the meeting was adjourned a moment of silence was offered in recognition of the passing of former City Council Member Harold Timmerman. Harold died Friday evening Oct. 3, 2025. He served on the Alexander City Council from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2024. Harold was also a founding member of the Alexander American Legion Post 28.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, November 17, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.

No comments at Brownfield public hearing

Another step has been taken, in the application process, to acquire a Brownfield Grant that will be used in the razing of the former Alexander Human Development Center (HDC) hospital building. The Alexander City Council held a public hearing before its October 20 regular council meeting. The purpose of the hearing was to receive public input concerning potential uses for the HDC property once the cleanup is completed.

Despite not receiving any public comment or suggestions during the hearing, Mayor Crystal Herrmann said, “We did a survey on our Facebook (page), and then we did a survey at Fall Fest. We have a lot of feedback, especially from the Fall Fest numbers.”

“Well, and the thing is, with that property is (sic) so large you can do multiple things,” Herrmann continued. “So, it's not like you have to stick to one thing or the other. But we've got green space, retail commercials, housing, municipal center, and other uses.”

Apparently, one person suggested a casino. “We couldn't legally get a casino even if we wanted to,” she said.

“Although, we should do Bingo,” Herrmann suggested. However, someone explained that only a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, such as a chamber of commerce, can conduct bingo in Arkansas.

Herrmann has been attempting to acquire a Brownfield grant in order to make the former HDC property safe for development. The grant program is funded by the EPA and is used to clean properties where the presence, or potential presence, of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes development difficult. The expectation is the hospital building contains asbestos, lead paint and potentially other unknown hazards.

The HDC property, located along Highway 111 in South Alexander, was originally purchased to build the first tuberculosis sanitarium for African-Americans in Arkansas. Eventually it was converted into a home for adults with special needs that required care and training from professionals.

When the Arkansas Department of Human Services no longer had a use for the property it was deeded to Alexander in 2018. Under state law the property could not be sold to an individual. It could only be taken over by another government entity such as a municipality or county.

Public hearing scheduled before Alexander October council meeting; Only three New Business items listed

The Alexander City Council will hold a public hearing before its October 20 regular council meeting. The public hearing begins at 5:30 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public hearing is another step required to receive a Brownfield Grant. Members of the public are invited to attend.

Mayor Crystal Herrmann has been attempting to acquire a Brownfield grant in order to make the former Alexander Human Development Center (HDC) property, located along Highway 111 in South Alexander, safe for development. The grant program is funded by the EPA and is used to clean properties where the presence, or potential presence, of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes development difficult. The expectation is the hospital building contains asbestos, lead paint and potentially other unknown hazards.

The agenda for the regular October council meeting, which follows the public hearing, has only three items under New Business and no items listed under Old Business. The three New Business items are:

1. Election Ordinance,

2. Streets/Parks Truck purchase,

3. Larry with raised garden beds.

The regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, October 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public is invited to attend.

Increasing rent on city-owned cottages tabled until October: Is low rent a tax liability for employees?

An old topic, concerning how much rent employees should pay to live in the city owned cottages, has resurfaced. What started out as a way to provide low cost security for the former Alexander Human Development Center (HDC) property and give city employees a way to live in Alexander without a major cost to them, may take another hit on the perks side of the original agreement.

The plan was first adopted when former Mayor Paul Mitchell was in office. In 2022 the former HDC property was being vandalized after Pathfinders, Inc. moved to a new location outside Alexander. Pathfinders provided specialized services to those with physical and mental needs. The cottages were used to house the patients. They are located in the southeast corner of the property along Highway 111.

With no one on the property at night, vandalism began to become an expensive problem. Mitchell decided it would be beneficial to allow city employees, who live outside Alexander, to live in the cottages in exchange for providing both security and keeping the grass mowed. At the time, no city employees lived in Alexander.

Those living in the cottages generally worked for either the street or police departments. This arrangement provided the extra advantage of having city employees nearby in case of emergencies,

With the election of the new mayor, Crystal Herrmann, a change to the lease agreement was offered at the end of 2023. The amendment involved occupants paying the gas and electric bills and being charged $1.00 per year rent. The new Cottage User Agreement was adopted September 16, 2024.

The latest proposed change will increase the $1.00 annual fee to $100.00 per month. Herrmann says this proposal is made at the suggestion of state auditors after conducting the annual Arkansas Legislative Audit for 2023.

City Attorney Chris Madison is concerned that it may not be as easy as picking a dollar amount and raising the rent.

“My concern relates to whether this is taxable income,” Madison began. “So it costs me $500 a month to live in 1,000 square [feet] of a manufactured house, but if I'm an employee of the city, I can live in 1,000 square foot of cottage for $100 a month. That means I'm getting a $400 a month benefit.”

After pointing out to council members he considered this a problem the first time around he said, “So the key issue for me is to make sure that if there is a tax consequence for it, that it's recognized on the front end for a resident as well as on the city. If there's a way that we can minimize or eliminate or reduce the tax consequences, then cool, that's what we need to do.”

Herrmann said it’s been difficult to get an opinion at the state level. It seems all of the certified public accounts (CPA) are busy. The council decided to table the new agreement to give the mayor another month to find a CPA who can answer this question.

Other action items at the September 15 meeting

Saline County/Alexander Hazard Mitigation policies adopted

Council members approved the Hazard Mitigation Plan submitted by Saline County. The county-wide plan is a joint county/municipal plan required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and covers a range of emergency preparedness. The plan covers items like providing safe-rooms in existing and new public buildings and having an emergency generator system for fire and police departments.

The plan was first adopted in October, 2017. Mayor Herrmann said it must be renewed every three years.

Alexander to sell lot

Mayor Crystal Herrmann reported to council members a property owner wants to purchase an adjacent lot owned by the city. The parcel sits in the center of three lots behind the Sharon Baptist Church of Alexander.

The lot is approximately 59-feet by 180-feet (0.24 GIS acre), a similar size and shape of the other two lots. While one of the end parcels abuts Vine Street, the remaining two parcels, including the city’s, are landlocked with no access to a street or alley.

Most of the parcel is located in Saline County with one corner in Pulaski County. According to Saline County records Alexander acquired the property May 20, 2002.

The property owner, who contacted the Mayor, is Tommy Madison. His property faces E. Third Street (Hwy. 111). The parcel owned by the city abuts his backyard. According to Saline County records the parcels on either side of the city lot are owned by Edna M. Dickerson.

Herrmann said she explained to Madison she would first need approval from the council. Then, the parcel would have to be advertised that it’s for sale. She also explained the steps needing to be followed.

“But, I will also have to go through getting this surveyed and then get market value, the appropriate value for property, before we could post it for sale,” Herrmann said.

Council members approved a motion giving Herrmann permission to have the parcel surveyed and appraised in preparation to be sold.

Department reports

City truck washed away

Mayor Herrmann reported one of the street department trucks was lost during the recent flood.

“In the flood, we've lost one of the street trucks,” Herrmann said. “It was swept into the flood waters. We have received the insurance check warrant of $20,000.”

Herrmann said she will be taking bids to replace the truck. She also plans on making an inventory of trucks including models and mileage.

Police concentrate on early morning speeders

Police Chief Timothy Preator provided council members with a brief report on “Calls for service” since the August council meeting. He also reported on attempts to slow down morning drivers when school busses are running.

“August numbers, we had 174 calls for service,” Preator began. “Forty-Eight of those were reportable.”

When it comes to morning speeders, when school busses are traveling through North Alexander, Preator said the worst areas are Second and Forth streets.

“I know I personally made over 80 traffic stops in a week,” he said. But, we're just on 4th street.”

“And I mean, like, literally, I stay on the side of the road” Preator explained. “I don't hide. My vehicle is sitting there. I stand on the side of the road with the right arm gun in my hand in the wide open and make traffic stops.”

“It's like nobody registers in their head that these kids are out here at these bus stops,” Preator said. “And I'll be damned if I wait until one of them gets ran over before we start making a change.”

Trek Tech comes to police work

It’s not a Universal Translator, but it’s close. Chief Preator demonstrated a new device that could put human translators out of business.

Preator said the device is being offered as part of an upgrade to the department’s body camera system. It will detect 56 different languages.

“This thing is legit,” Preator said. “I'm on a free trial right now to the end of November.”

Explaining how it works Preator said, “I can click this thing and tell it to translate to Spanish and I can start talking and it's going to say everything that I say, is going to put it in Spanish to the person I'm talking (to).”

It will then take the verbal response from the individual and translate it into English.

Preator said the cost for three years is $3,600.00 per year. He added it will be included in the 2026 budget.

9/11 Memorial, Activity report, Inspections and Water Outage

Fire Chief Ryan McCormick provided a quick run down of activities during the past month. Six Alexander firefighters attended a 9/11 conference.

McCormick said, “I was proud to be able to send six members to a conference locally that represents the 9/11 and what has occurred.”

According to McCormick the department has racked-up 340 hours of training. Also, the department was dispatched to 62 incidents in the past month.

In their spare time they’ve been inspecting businesses for safety violations.

“We're going to each individual business and we're just inspecting it versus showing, showcasing what's wrong with it,” McCormick said. “We find a violation, and then we give them another year to make (changes).”

In the future the first half of September, 2025, in South Alexander, may be referred to as the time without water. A crew laying optic cable for AT&T was constantly cutting the waterline, even though it had been located and marked. McCormick noted the outages could have been a disaster if there had been a fire.

“We have had many days and hours of no water in our city,” McCormick began. “Water for your homes, water for in the fire hydrant, all that kind of stuff.”

One day the crew managed to cause four breaks in four hours.

“We had one day where we were out,” McCormick said. “The construction companies, they (sic) did four different times within four hours, and we were out for most of the day. ... There was no water in the city. If we had a fire, we would have to be requesting additional tankers from outside our area and also additional resources.”

After calling everyone involved to a quick meeting the construction crew offered a solution they could have been using from the beginning.

“They had a better way of trying to locate some of the water lines that they were hitting as they were boring,” McCormick explained. “They weren't using it. So they started to use it, and I don't believe. We haven't had a water main break since.”

Junk yards, silt and a place for animals

Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer Joshua Dodson reported, “We did 13 calls for animal problems this past month (and) four calls for code violation concerns.”

“And, I continue to hand out warnings for new violations, same things, just getting a place that is trash,” Dodson said. “There's a lot of houses and properties around here that have, that look like a car lot that has been ran (sic) since the 90s.”

Dodson said he is monitoring construction sites for having and maintaining silt fences.

“People not having their silt fences up on construction sites (causes) claying, construction debris coming into the streets, into the storm water drainage system,” Dodson said. “It's clogging the ditches, it's clogging the culverts.”

Dodson is still researching the costs and options to allow the city to operate its own animal shelter.

Dodson said he is looking into, “[S]helter pricing, what it would take to run our own, how much that would be, and there's a building we can use that we already have, how much a new building would be, and other options.”

Financial Report

Treasurer Jennifer Hill provided the monthly financial report. The report includes the end-of-month fund balances for August and the total amount collected for the three one-cent city sales and use tax.

“For August, your general fund had $1,855,525.52,” Hill began. “Your police fund has $83,729.07. Your fire is at $350,634.66. The park is at $257,701.01. Streets is at $310,897.62. Payroll is at $37,294.08. And your events (fund) is at $195.40.”

“The SUT, the sales and use tax this month, they were all the same,” Hill said. “They were $71,387.42 for a total of $214,162.27.”

Storm damaged roofs

Mayor Crystal Herrmann began her monthly report with results from insurance adjusters inspecting the damage to six roofs suffered earlier this year by storms. The roofs are on five of the cottages in the southeast corner of the former Alexander Human Development Center and Community Center Number-1.

“The adjusters came out and I guess because all of the storms and the storm season, it has taken them a very long time,” Herrmann said. “They finally got back with us and sent us a check for the roofs. Let's say we were talking six roofs, six roofs, they sent us $14,000. Which won't even touch a fraction of the roofs that we need to do repairs on.”

“Meanwhile, I am collecting multiple quotes which we would need anyways,” she continued. “Once I get all those gathered up, I am going to send that back over to the adjuster and see if they will revisit, uh, the amount of funds that they had sent us for the repairs.”

Herrmann said, “I think a couple of the cottages wouldn't even be considered because the age of the roof, the depreciation was so bad. ... I mean at some point they're not going to cover it. … But on the little community center I don't, I don't see that.”

Fall Fest October 4

Council Member Angela Griffin said she’s been talking to potential vendors for the Fall Fest. The annual Fall Fest is Saturday, October 4 at Alexander City Park (15665 Robert Evans Rd.) from Noon to 6:00 PM.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, October 20, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.

Alexander council continues discussing amendments to manufactured home ordinance

The Alexander City Council heard more details from City Attorney Chris Madison concerning what he says are needed changes to the ordinance that controls manufactured homes being placed within the City of Alexander. Commonly referred to as the Used Manufactured Home Ordinance, it actually covers both new and used manufactured homes.

The ordinance, adopted September 21, 2020, establishes standards concerning not only the placement of manufactured homes in general, but also the physical condition and age of a used manufactured home. It replaced a 2010 ordinance, that did not include the age requirement, in order to match the new zoning ordinance adopted in 2019.

The ordinance states prior to being moved into Alexander, or moved from one location in the city to another, the owner must apply for a permit. If not a new manufactured home it must be inspected for items such as loose or missing roof shingles and siding, broken windows, damaged flooring, windows, cabinets etc.. The ordinance also limits the age of a manufactured home to no more than 20-years in the year it is set-up. For example, this year, any used manufactured home set-up in Alexander can’t have been built before 2005.

The ordinance also establishes the end of using the term “Mobile Home.” When the Department of Housing and Urban Development established standards for factory-built housing in 1976 the term “Manufactured Home” was coined to differentiate between the old mobile homes, or trailers, and the new standards. And that’s where Madison began.

“The first thing we need to do is make sure our language is correct,” Madison said. “So mobile homes are a type of structure that was built prior to 1976. Following 1976, the term [is] manufactured housing. And that distinction is important because if a structure is built as a manufactured house, it meets Federal standards. And the cities are limited in what you can do related to rules by manufactured housing.”

Changing decades of using the term “Mobile Home” as a catch-all term for homes built in a factory was a tall order. Throughout the discussion during the September 15 council meeting, the mayor and council members were constantly correcting themselves when using the term mobile home instead of manufactured home.

Moving on to the age issue Madison said, “The biggest thing is related to the question of whether you can limit its age. ... I want to move a stick built house into the city. Does the rule limit me from bringing in a house that's 100 years old? The stick built. No, it doesn't. So you can't single out manufactured housing with that same kind of rule.”

Madison then went on to list regulations that can and should be established to control the placement of manufactured housing, both old and new. All of which are already included in Alexander’s 2019 zoning ordinance.

“Now, the other thing you have to do with manufactured housing is you are required to have a zoning district that allows manufactured housing,” Madison said. “So you have to have some zoning because that's how we control the structure and the structures in the city.”

Madison also listed, “(S)etbacks and sizing and those kind of like, it has to have [a] skirt, it has to be on [a] concrete pad, it has to be anchored down.”

“One of the things I noticed that I did not see in the ordinance, when I was looking at it, was we can require that any manufactured house that's moved into the city be moved by a licensed mover,” Madison noted. “I.E. someone who is permitted by the state to move manufactured houses.”

The requirement to use a licensed mover is not only lacking in the ordinance being discussed, but also does not appear in the 2019 zoning ordinance.

Madison continued, “Similarly, with the code enforcement and our rules, we can require that they apply for permits to move the manufactured house into the city to get a set-up [permit] so that we can do site inspection. Make sure it meets the setback requirements, make sure they put the skirting on it, make sure they have the concrete pad for it, all of these other requirements that we are capable of.”

Section-3 of the current ordinance states, “Inspection shall be made as required by each authority having jurisdiction during the placement of all Manufactured Homes to be located within the City of Alexander or within subdivisions regulated by the City. Following requirements do not apply to mobile home parks.”

At the time of its writing the term “(E)ach authority having jurisdiction” was intended to require the various utilities to handle the inspection of their own connections. While Alexander didn’t have an official building inspector at the time, inspection of how the manufactured home was set-up was expected to be done by someone from the city.

Section-6 of the Manufactured Home Ordinance does require applying for a permit prior to moving any manufactured home into the city. It also includes a fine if setting up a home without a permit.

Section-6 states, “A Set-up Permit must be applied for and issued prior to placement of a Manufactured Home on any site in the City of Alexander, Arkansas. Permit fees have been established by a separate ordinance. In the event a Manufactured Home is moved on site prior to the issuance of a permit, such fees are doubled.”

The same penalty for not having a permit is also stated in the ordinance that establishes permits for construction of residential and commercial buildings and manufactured homes.

The current zoning ordinance established the Mixed-Use Residential District (R-2.MU) to provide a mix of both site built and factory built homes. This zoning classification was established specifically to cover the mix of residential housing types found in the area known as South Alexander when the zoning ordinance was adopted in 2019. R-2.MU allows for Single-Family (site-built), Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, and Prefabricated Homes.

Unlike other cities, Alexander dos not employ the use of an occupancy permit. That may change.

“And we need to look into our code enforcement rules that if a manufactured house is moved in, it does not comply with these [rules],” Madison said. “They didn't use a licensed mover, they don't have it set up right, they don't have the security [anchors] on it, they don't have the setbacks right, then you can actually issue a, you don't get your certificate of occupancy. Which means you can't live in the house until we've blessed it to do so.”

After Madison had set the stage for a discussion on what to do with the manufactured housing ordinance and the age requirement, Council Member Christopher Prowse broke the rhythm by asking how the change in names, from mobile home to manufactured home affects insurance.

“So, in regards to manufactured versus mobile homes, there's a separate insurance for manufactured house versus a mobile home,” Prowse said.

Trying to answer the question, Council Member Juanita Wilson said, “State Farm insures mine just like it would any house.”

“I work in insurance and we have separate policies for mobile homes [manufactured homes],” said Council Member Angela Griffin.

Mayor Crystal Herrmann stepped in to point out that unlike your typical manufactured home installation, using concrete blocks for support, Wilson’s manufactured home sits on a concrete slab and appears to be a typical house.

“Yes, she has a structurally sound foundation,” Herrmann said. “She can get a loan on her home. But if you don't do that, then you can't get a loan to, like, if you wanted to buy it.”

Herrmann also suggested it would be better for Alexander if going forward manufactured homes brought into the city were set down on concrete foundations.

“If it's not set up like Miss [Juanita] Wilson's, those people can't get loans,” Herrmann continued. ... “So if somebody wants to sell it, it's not going to become a burden in our neighborhood. It's going to be vulnerable.”

“So those are the things of like having the foundation and the blocks,” Madison said. “Those are rules that you can absolutely be [sic] in place.”

As for insurance Madison explained, “So the reason I use that term has nothing to do with insurance. (I)f it was built after 1976 from a company that builds these things, it's a manufacturing [sic] house.”

Madison also said requiring manufactured homes to be attached to a more traditional foundation will be a limiting factor on the age of the home being brought into Alexander.

“And then if you have it set up on blocks, really, if you wanted to move it, you put some axles under it, put some wheels on it, disconnect the water or sewer, electrical and tow it out,” he said. You can legitimately do that. Whereas if you go to the issue of discerning or the foundation portion of it, when it's there, it's there. So the requirement that it be permanently affixed, or on a solid foundation, or on a solid concrete pad, and those are all costs. Because what you're really trying to do is prevent the cheap 30-year-old manufacturing houses being brought in and being rented for $300.”

Mayor Herrmann relayed the story about a woman who didn’t bother to ask about permits before moving a manufactured home onto a lot.

“We even had a lady in the past couple of months,” Herrmann began. “Unfortunately, she bought a lot that didn't have an existing tap. She did not stop by city hall for a permit for us to be able to notify her that, that lot doesn't have [an] existing sewer tap.”

Herrmann said she didn’t come to city hall until after the home was moved onto the lot. The mayor doesn’t know when the manufactured home was moved in.

According to Madison the city can’t issue her a permit because the lot doesn’t have a sewer connection and one won’t be installed any time in the near future because of a moratorium on installing new sewer lines.

Herrmann said she has nothing against manufactured housing.

“I've had a manufactured home, I've lived in it, I've had a family that live in a manufactured home,” Herrmann began. “It's just our city is not very organized and uniformed in the way that it is laid out with some of the manufactured homes. And some of them are literally stacked on top of one another and we could be more uniformed going forward if we were to look at the zone map and clean it up a little bit. And then that could open certain properties in the traffic, the high traffic areas. If the mobile home comes off, then it can be, whatever’s there could be grandfathered in. But if that mobile home ever came off of there, then it could be utilized for commercial, or for duplexes, or stick built, or whatever.”

Herrmann asked about establishing a registration system for manufactured housing.

“Could we legally do a registration, a registered program for the, for mobile homes, manufactured homes in the city limits that do like a yearly registry?” Herrmann asked.

Madison replied, “I don't think you could do that.”

To clarify Prowse asked, “But just to be clear, this in no way will affect the current residents now, correct?”

“Correct,” Madison replied.

By the end of the discussion it was decided to schedule a workshop, which will provide council members more time to have a deeper discussion concerning any needed changes to the zoning ordinance, the land use map and other legal methods to guide future development in Alexander. It was noted since voting is not allowed at a workshop, that isn’t an issue creating an urgency to make a decision.

Three New Business items on Alexander September meeting agenda

The Alexander City Council has three items listed under New Business on their September agenda. They are:

1. Resolution for Saline County Hazard Mitigation,

2. Vine/Hwy 111 Property discussion,

3. Cottage User Agreement.

Also listed is a continuing discussion of the 2020 “Mobile Home Ordinance.”

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, September 15 at 6:00 PM. The public is invited to attend.

Ordinance covering used manufactured homes under scrutiny

Alexander Mayor Crystal Herrmann has proposed a review of an ordinance that sets standards for setting up used manufactured homes within the city. The ordinance, adopted September 21, 2020, establishes standards concerning the physical condition and age of a used manufactured home before it can be set up in Alexander.

Prior to being moved into Alexander, or moved from one location in the city to another, the owner must apply for a permit and the home must be inspected for items such as loose or missing roof shingles and siding, broken windows, damaged flooring, etc.. The ordinance also limits the age of a manufactured home to no more than 20-years in the year it is setup. For example, this year, any used manufactured home set up in Alexander can’t have been built before 2005.

The ordinance also establishes the end of the name “Mobile Home.” When the Department of Housing and Urban Development established standards for mobile homes in the 1970s the term “Manufactured Housing” was coined to differentiate between the old mobile homes, or trailers, and the new standards for factory-built housing.

Before the August 18 meeting began, Herrmann discussed the ordinance with City Attorney Chris Madison. Madison hadn’t been given the time needed to research the legal aspects of establishing requirements for used manufactured homes.

“I think Mr. Madison is going to do some research and see better of what is allowed,” Herrmann explained before the discussion took a turn into a legally questionable proposal.

Council Member Angela Griffin asked about the possibility of, “[L]imiting the number of the same type of businesses. … Like we don't have 50 gas stations, back-up or churches.”

Madison said zoning is only used to establish what can be built and where. Not how many.

“[G]enerally zoning is the authority you use to have that,” Madison said. “You zone space for uses, which includes convenience stores, for example. I'm not aware of any limitations the city can impose on the number of places (types of businesses).”

Council Member Joy Gray questioned the use of the word “Eligible” when describing what can be built based on zoning.

Gray said, “You may be eligible, but if you have three or four businesses wanting to have a spot just because they're eligible, how do you go about choosing which one instead of just one saying eligible.”

“So when I say eligible, what it means is you have a defined geographic area that you say these 15 things are allowed,” Madison said. “I come in with one of those 15 things. And if I can make the setback requirements and all the spacing requirements and all the land, then I have the ability, I meet the zoning requirements and you're applying it non discriminatory. So, because what the whole purpose of this is to prevent the cities from saying, I like you, I don't like you.”

Eventually, Mayor Herrmann brought the discussion back to the ordinance. Apparently, some residents think the 20-year age limit is too old.

Herrmann said, “They thought maybe it should actually be newer.”

Herrmann said there are at least two manufactured homes that have been placed without a permit. And, while most owners may go through the permitting process they move in either at night or on weekends.

“And then also we do run into a challenge with the mobile homes,” she said. “People will come in for their permits. They'll move in mobile homes on the weekend or in the even hours.”

Herrmann considers this a problem, which could be resolved by an annual permitting process.

“And in some places, some city municipal (sic) do require for you to register all mobile homes,” she said. “So there's like a yearly registration for the mobile home. And, that way all mobile homes are identified. What age, what lot that those belong to. That way if people are coming in and just bringing in mobile homes without going through the code. Then it would be an easier identification. Right now it's been kind of a wild.”

This item is expected to be on the September agenda.

Also at the August 18 council meeting;

Spending $29K from sale of drug seizure asset approved

The Alexander Council adopted a resolution allowing Police Chief Timothy Preator to spend $29,000.00 the department received from the sale of an F350 pickup truck. The truck was received by the police department as the result of a drug case prior to Preator being hired. Preator explained the steps followed to sell the truck.

“Once we sent it back into the Asset Forfeiture program, they auctioned it off,” Preator said. “Once they auctioned it off, proceeds from the Asset Forfeiture come back into the PD.”

The $29,000.00 was only Alexander’s share of the selling price.

“The money that was received on our portion of it, because a certain portion goes to the state of Arkansas, to the state crime lab, certain portion goes back to the prosecutors office, the rest of it comes to us,” he said. “The money that is received from Asset Forfeiture can only be spent by the PD for training and or equipment.”

The council approved using the $29,000.00 to buy less lethal bean-bag shotguns and sidearms with laser sites.

Annual property tax adopted

Two ordinances were approved that establish the Alexander property tax rate to be collected in 2026 for the 2025 tax year. One ordinance covers the Pulaski County portion of the city and the other is for Saline County. The tax rate will remain at “one and a half (0.0015) mills.

Contract with Pafford extended another three years

Believe it or not, Pafford Medical Services has been providing ambulance and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) services to the municipal and rural areas of Saline County for three years. Council members approved the resolution that extends the contract another three years. Each municipality and Saline County must approve the new contract.

City can now accept payments from event vendors, sponsors and donations with plastic

Council Member Angela Griffin proposed an ordinance that allows the city to take online payments from vendors, sponsors and donations for events held by the city. The ordinance allows Mayor Herrmann and city hall staff to research Automated Clearing House services and decide whether Alexander or the card user will pay the transaction fee.

Before the ordinance was adopted Griffin said, “No one has checks any more.”

Department reports

Streets and Parks Department

Mayor Herrmann reported pot holes are being repaired. She also addressed the numerous water outages in South Alexander recently caused by boring under the streets. AT&T is installing optic cable in the remaining portions of the city without service.

Herrmann noted an ordinance will be needed to require notification of this type of work before it begins. Contact and insurance information should be provided, “So if there's damages, ... we will have the appropriate information to be able to get our streets and stuff repaired.”

Police Department

Police Chief Timothy Preator reported, “132 calls for service. Did 34 reports on those? We made 212 traffic stops. 88 of those 212 were citations.” Also, ten warrants were served and 124 warnings were issued.

Chief Preator also noted 12 felony drug arrests, “[I]ncluding officer Shaw's traffic stop of 38 grams of fentanyl. So it moves through here.”

School has started; No speeding

With school now in session and busses are adding to traffic woes Chief Preator said there will be, “Zero tolerance on speeding around school bus stops. I made 40 traffic stops in two hours for speeding in a little neighborhood. Off of the 4th Street; 4th Street, 2nd Street, all that.

“People are going through to beat traffic, and they're speeding these neighborhoods and we got kids everywhere,” he continued. “My guys ... they've been instructed to zero tolerance. If you're speeding and your kids are around, you're going to get stopped.”

Fire Department

Since Fire Chief Ryan McCormick was absent Mayor Herrmann read the July fire report.

“They have 38 calls for service,” Herrmann began. “They have one structure fire, one car fire, three illegal firearms, one wild land fire. Two public assist, non-medical assist, seven false alarms, and 10 canceled.”

Herrmann said the firefighters are continuing to train. Also, there are 22 applications for one vacancy.

Code Enforcement and Animal Control

Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer Joshua Dodson reported, “[T]his month we did 14 warnings that was anywhere from dogs at-large, trash in the yard and abandoned vehicles in the yard. It's a big one, and a lot of those.”

Dodson wants to remind anyone who is excavating they must have some type of method to hold back rain water.

“[W]hether it's clay, dirt, sand, gravel, it has to be able to stay,” contained on your lot, “so it does not come into our storm water systems.”

Under animal control Dobson said, “[W]e've also had a few alleged animal cruelty cases that have been brought to me. I'm still working on that one.”

Dobson says he is beginning to research what it will take to have a city-run animal shelter.

“I'm talking with Mayor (Herrmann) and Ms. Jennifer (Hill),” Dobson said. “[W]e're gonna start, I'm gonna start looking into what's gonna (sic) take to have a city-run animal shelter.”

Merry-Go-Round out for renovation

In the Mayor’s Report Mayor Herrmann said the merry-go-round in the city park is being renovated. She said it will be sand blasted and powder coated. At a cost of “$1,000.00” she said it’s cheaper than buying a new one.

Splash pad is legal

Mayor Herrmann provided a letter from the Arkansas Health Department explaining that the splash pad didn’t need a permit because the water system is not designed to clean and recirculate the water.

When construction and completion of the splash pad was announced at the July council meeting Council Member Juanita Wilson asked about needing a permit since the health department’s website says, “The Rules & Regulations Pertaining to Swimming, Spray (Splash Pads), and Wading Pools required that plans be submitted to the Department of Health for review and approval, prior to the initiation of construction, for any new public or semi-public swimming, spray, or wading pool … .” There is no qualifier as to the type of water system being used.

Announcements

American Legion pancake breakfast

The Alexander American Legion Post 28 will have a pancake breakfast on Saturday, September 13 from 8 AM to Noon. The fund raiser will be held at the Alexander First Baptist Church, 15320 Alexander Rd. (Hwy. 111). Donations will be accepted for the breakfast.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, September 15, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.

All New Business on Alexander agenda

The agenda for the Alexander City Council’s next meeting contains, under New Business, what could be considered mostly house keeping items. Three of the items are annual votes, two are finance related and the third is amending an existing resolution.

The following agenda items are listed under New Business.

“Resolution allocating asset forfeiture monies to purchase certain equipment for the Police Department.”

According to the resolution the police department has received funds from the sale of real property as a result of, “their criminal investigations and cases.”

“Ordinance levying the millage for Pulaski County for 2026” and “Ordinance levying the millage for Saline County for 2026.”

These two ordinances are adopted annually allowing the two counties to levy property taxes in the next calendar year. The property taxes collected in 2026 are for the 2025 taxing year. The tax rate will remain at “one and a half (0.0015) mills.”

“Resolution to enter into an agreement with Pafford Medical Services.”

The resolution gives Mayor Crystal Herrmann the authority, “[T]o execute the attached Second Amended Ambulance Service Agreement between the municipal and county governments of Saline County and Pafford Medical Services, Inc.” Pafford Medical Services provides ambulance and emergency medical services to all municipalities within Saline County and the rural areas outside the cities. Pafford also provides services to the Pulaski County section of Alexander.

The new agreement was not provided in the meeting information packet, but is 63 pages long. Anyone wanting a copy can request it through city hall.

“Resolution to enter into an agreement with Saline County Detention Center for 2026.”

This is another annual bit of house keeping. The resolution sets the cost Alexander must pay Saline County to hold its inmates whom have either been arrested or found guilty and sentenced to be incarcerated within the county detention center. The cost established for 2026 is a monthly payment of $2,564.18. That’s down from the current monthly payment of $3,011.59.

“Ordinance Authorizing the City to accept online or ACH payments for vendor fees, sponsorships, and donations.”

ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, which is a network that facilitates electronic money transfers between banks and credit unions.

There is one discussion item listed. In the reports section of the agenda, under Planning & Zoning, it reads, “Mobile Home Ordinance Discussion.” The ordinance, adopted September 21, 2020, establishes standards for the use of used manufactured homes within Alexander. Besides the standards concerning the physical condition of the home, it limits the age of a manufactured home to no more than 20-years in the year it is setup. For example, any used manufactured home, either brought into Alexander or moved from one location in the city to another this year, can’t have been built before 2005.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, August 18, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.

Alexander resident advocates for autistic awareness: Fireworks ordinance remains unchanged

Under New Business Alexander’s July meeting ended with an odd combination of discussion items. One city resident spoke about the societal effects of autism while the other relented on his attempt to amend the fireworks ordinance.

Alexander resident Patty Henn spoke to the Alexander City Council concerning the need to recognize the issues surrounding those who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. It affects more than just the families of people with autism.

“I'm here to talk about Autism Spectrum,” Henn began. “In our own community, there are likely hundreds of autistic or special needs kids, or people in our own community. They're students in our schools, workers in our businesses, members of our congregations, our neighbors and neighborhoods.”

No matter how old they may appear, Henn says they are still children inside.

“I know they might be grown, but they’re still kids,” she said. “Mentally, they're on a child's level a lot of times.”

Autistic individuals have employable skills. But, even with a job they can feel isolated.

“Many autistic adults are unemployed, underemployed, or isolated due to systematic barriers, not a lack of ability,” Henn said. “This is where the local government starts to matter the most.”

Henn explained autism and how it affects each person differently.

“It's a neurological developmental condition affecting communication and behavioral and sensory processing,” she said. “It exists on a spectrum. Every autistic person is different. Some may be nonverbal, while others are very highly verbal. Some are very social while others are very closed in.”

“It's called a spectrum because it looks different on everyone,” Henn continued. “But what's consistent in the autism is a lifelong condition, not something that can be or should be cured or think in that you can cure it. But rather understand and accommodate for it. … If you have met one autistic person, you have met one autistic person.”

“The key issues for autistic individuals that they have, (they) face in our community housing, there's a lack of inclusive and supporting housing options for autistic adults, especially those who qualify for full-time care, but still not,” Henn continued. “But they still can't live independently, totally independent.”

“Employment is whether or not how functioning they are, if they can function enough to even have a job,” she said.

Henn is quite familiar with the issues facing autistic individuals. Her son is autistic.

“Public spaces, bright lights, loud sound, chaotic environments can make it hard for an autistic person to use the park, city buildings, or attend public events,” Henn explained. “I know some of you may have seen me and my giant (son) out at some of the things at the park and everything. He loves the Christmas lights especially.”

And, then there are times when he’s had too much stimulation.

“When he starts getting overwhelmed, come on buddy, let's go,” she said. “And I'll get him and I'll put him in the car and then he's fine.”

It’s that possibility that concerns Henn. A misunderstanding when interacting with police or other authority figures might cause an unwanted result. Based only on outward appearances, when out in public, onlookers have accused her of kidnapping her own son.

“And they called the cops on me, said she's kidnapping him,” Henn said. “He can't tell you that he's mine.”

“But, I waited until he was nine years old to say mom,” she continued. “So the only way I could say is, hey, let me get him to the car and I'll show you he'll stop. This will all go away. Sure enough, he stopped.”

It’s these potential interactions with authority figures that concern Henn.

“And finally, the first responder interactions, and this is what my main concern is,” Henn explained. “Without proper training, misunderstandings between autistic people, the police and the authorities, fire department, it can lead to dangerous outcomes.”

“Aggression occurs when there is a breakdown in communication,” Henn continued. “Aggression equals behavior, not an identity. It can look like yelling, hitting, punching, pushing you away, trying to run away. My son has no sense of danger. Resisting touch or just appearing non-compliant. You tell him to stop, he keeps going. There's no in between there.”

Henn wants to organize a training program in an effort to reduce the possibility of a police officer misunderstanding a situation and taking actions that can’t be undone.

“I have talked to the (police) chief and have asked him if we could hold some type of court class,” she explained. “Get first responders together. Teach how to decelerate the situations.”

“I'll bring my son in,” Henn continued. “I will set him off for you. And then I will be able to accelerate him to show you. Because 80% of cops have never been around an aggressive autistic, severe, profound autistic person.”

“I don't want my kid to get shot,” Henn said. “Because he's not going to understand, ‘get on the ground or I'll shoot’. I don't want the cops to have that hanging over their head.”

Scott Chaloner accepts results of fireworks poll

South Alexander resident Scott Chaloner decided to drop his push for changes to the city’s fireworks ordinance. Chaloner wanted to be able to have an Independence Day celebration, with fireworks, on Saturday no matter when July 4^th falls during that week. Currently, fireworks are allowed on July 3 and July 4 from Noon to 10 PM.

“I got your poll,” Chaloner told council members. “It's fine. I accept your poll I appreciate it.”

Chaloner made his request during the June council meeting. Between the June and July meetings Mayor Crystal Herrmann conducted an on-line survey to get public input. Out of 49 responses 30 voted to keep, “Same as always, 3^rd and 4^th of July from Noon to 10 PM.” Ten voted for, “The 4^th and 5^th of July.” Four supported, “The Saturday following the 4^th of July.” And, the choice for “Neither” received five votes.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, August 18, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.