City Park to get new playground equipment

City of Alexander council members approved a plan to buy playground equipment for the city park. The new equipment will occupy the same space as the existing monkey bars, slide and swings.

The purchase plan was proposed by Mayor Crystal Herrmann and added to the agenda under New Business. Herrmann wants to take advantage of this time of year when outgoing models are on sale.

Timbertopia VI model by Infinite Recreation

“And now is a very interesting time of the year where they really start putting the playground equipment on sale,” Herrmann said. “I think, I guess multiple people had mentioned we looked at a train in the past, but they're so expensive for a themed train playground area. But we also started discussing, okay, well, the city was founded on a logging trail. So we thought it would be kind of fun to have a tree-like, a log-type theme, which is more affordable.”

The mayor is asking to spend $73,000.00 from the general fund. Although it’s actually a reimbursement owed the parks fund.

“The streets and parks guys did all of the repair work in the park, in our city park, from the floods,” Herrmann explained. “With that being said, the city was reimbursed through the FEMA rates. And because they (city employees) did all the in-kind work in the park themselves and we didn't have to hire somebody else out to come do it, we were reimbursed FEMA rates. And that was like $123,000. It is in general funds because that's how they (FEMA) reimbursed it back to general funds.”

The mayor has been trying to purchase new playground equipment through the state’s FUN Park Grant program. The FUN Park Grant is provided by the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The grant would have funded 100-percent of the purchase with no matching funds provided by the city.

“You'll know that we have tried multiple times for the Fun Park Grant to try to save the city money, but they made it so competitive,” Herrmann said. “We've not been chosen for that in the last two cycles. Because we have this opportunity, I thought it would be a good time for the parks to be able to afford a brand new playground system for the kids.”

Herrmann selected the Timbertopia VI model by Infinite Recreation. The price listed on their website is $93,893.00.

Herrman said she has already ordered new swings to replace the current set. The merry-go-round has been rebuilt and the play equipment for the new trail, around the playground, is ready for installation. She’s wanting to install everything at the same time.

According to Herrmann, estimated delivery time is 11 to 14 weeks. The actual cost of the playground is $72.251.00.

In other news at the April 20 meeting

Permit ordinance gets first reading

Additions to the existing permit ordinance received a first reading. The added language includes a permit and regulations for new fences, a road cut permit and regulations covering the rental and placement of permit boxes.

The cause of the delay in passage is concern over the description of the types of fences to be allowed. The section describing allowed fencing materials states, “[W]ooden fencing materials and chain link.”

Council Member Joy Gray said it sounds as if people will be limited to wood or chain link. Other types of possible fence material mentioned were vinyl and brick.

The amendments to the permit ordinance are expected to receive their second and third readings, with changes to the fence material language, at the May council meeting.

Grant application to fund transportation study approved

The city council approved giving Mayor Crystal Herrmann the authority to apply for grants offered by the Federal-aid Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) or Recreational Trails Program. The first step will be to fund a transportation study that locates areas that can benefit from sidewalks, trails and how to make school bus stops safer.

Dispersal of the Federal funds for the TAP grant are overseen by Metroplan. The Arkansas Department of Transportation handles the bidding and monitoring of construction.

Funding for TAP grants is split 80/20 on a reimbursable basis. The city will have to fund the entire study, and any resulting construction, before being refunded 80%.

This is not the first study approved this year. In January the council approved applying for a grant to conduct a storm water study in the Pulaski County portion of Alexander.

Meeting ends in accusations

During the Public Comment section of the agenda Alexander resident Brandon Jacks levels accusations at Council Member Juanita Wilson. Jacks lives on Kent Dr. next to the property that was rezoned from residential to neighborhood commercial earlier in the meeting.

“I feel that it's absolutely inappropriate that a city council member are going to call me to basically try to inform you, of something I've already been informed of, that they turn around and bash the mayor, bash the police chief and so forth,” Jacks said. “How do you got my number? You lose it. Don't ever call me either.”

While he was speaking Jacks was looking at Wilson. To make sure everyone knows who he was speaking to Council Member Joy Gray asked some questions.

“Sir, question,” Gray began. “What's your name for the record?”

“Brandon Jacks. Brandon Jacks,” he responded.

“Do you live in Alexander?” Gray continued.

Jacks responded, “Yes.”

“And which City Council member, are you talking about?” Gray asked.

“Miss Wilson,” Jacks said.

In a telephone conversation the next day, Wilson explained she contacted Jacks to inform him of the proposed rezoning since his property abuts the property being rezoned to neighborhood commercial. She said she had no way of knowing if proper notification of surrounding property owners had been done.

According to Wilson, Jacks left out one piece of information. During their conversation Wilson says the discussion switched from rezoning to police driving skills when Jacks describe to Wilson his encounter with a police car that crossed the center line in the s-curve on Hwy. 111. Wilson says she suggested he contact the police chief but not to expect any satisfaction since Chief Preator doesn’t like being told how to run his department.

Next Meeting

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

Alexander council rezones East Azalea property to Neighborhood Commercial

The property at 15004 E. Azalea Dr. has been rezoned from R.2-MU (Mixed Use Residential) to Neighborhood Commercial. The rezoning will allow the construction of a building, which will be used to operate a “Lash/Salon” business. The rezoning ordinance was adopted at the April council meeting.

Prior to the council meeting a public hearing was held where property owner Hannah Clinton provided some personal and business background information.

About the business she said, “It's appointments only. There's a lot of community walk-ins. I do facial, lashes, relaxing, stuff like that.”

About the property Clinton said, “We have ample parking there. And that road (E. Azalea Dr.) gives a huge amount of traffic.”

“I'm very excited and I really hope it all works out there,” Clinton said. “I do have about 20 clients right now.”

Clinton moved to Alexander in January. “Well, first, we lived in Bryant, and then we moved to Maumelle. And I was living on family land, but that house just didn't work out very well.”

“And to be honest, to have an additional small business in our city, I think would be a wonderful thing,” Mayor Crystal Herrmann said. “And I appreciate you actually coming to the city and doing it the right way.”

Explaining the process Office Manager Jennifer Hill said, “We've done everything. We did a certified letters, we did the sign, we did the postings and all of that.”

None of the neighbors attended the public hearing opposing the rezoning. Hill said no one responded to the notification letters. She also said placement of the building will meet the setback requirements.

One question from Council Member Juanita Wilson concerned the speed of traffic on East Azalea Dr. and the danger it will cause to vehicles backing out of the parking area. East Azalea Dr. connects South Alexander Road to Shannon Hills.

“You're, you're sitting really close to the road,” Wilson said. “And down that hill, people drive like crazy.”

Wilson suggested placing a “Slow” sign along E. Azalea.

“We're talking about doing a circle drive. So then they're not having to back up or do anything like that,” Clinton replied.

In other business at the April 20 council meeting:

Change in cottage rent adopted

The Alexander Council adopted a two-option rental rate plan for the cottages in the Southeast corner of the former Alexander Human Development Center along Hwy. 111. One establishes a monthly rate. The other allows renters to take living in the city-owned cottages as a fringe benefit applied to their W-2 form and pay the taxes. The cottages are being rented to city employees only.

The rental rates will be $450 per month for cottages B, C, D, and E and $500 a month for cottage A. Renters are currently paying $100 per month.

Auditors with the Department of Legislative Audit and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have expressed concerns that a low $100 per month will require the city to account for the remaining value of the rent as a fringe benefit on W2 forms. It would then be taxed by the IRS.

Employees will now have two options.

1-They can pay the new higher monthly rate, or

2-They can opt out of the monthly rate and claim it as a fringe benefit at the end of the year on their W2, paying any taxes due.

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.

With no one on the property at night, vandalism began to become an expensive problem. Former Mayor Paul 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 in the cottage area. At the time, no city employees lived in Alexander.

Next Meeting

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

Rezoning hearing before Alexander April council meeting

The Alexander City Council will hold a public hearing in its role as planning commission. The hearing will allow the public to comment on a request to rezone 15004 E. Azalea from Residential-1 to Neighborhood Commercial.

UPDATE: (4/16/26 @ 2:20PM.)

According to documents provided to council members, “The owner would like to put a Lash/Spa shop next to her house. She has ample parking for her client list.”

The public hearing is scheduled for 5:30 PM on Monday, April 20 in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). The public is welcomed. The regular council meeting will follow at 6:00 PM.

There are four items on the agenda for the regular April meeting. Under Old Business; “Cottage Agreement Resolution” and “Ordinance amending the Permit Ordinance.” Under New Business; “Ordinance to rezone 15004 E. Azalea from R1 to Neighborhood Commercial” and “Resolution to apply for TAP” (Transportation Alternatives Program) “grant through ARDOT.”

According to the application form TAP, “[P]rovides funding for programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on and off road pedestrian and bicycle facilities; infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility; community improvement activities and environmental mitigation; safe routes to school projects; and projects or construction of boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways.”