Alexander council members and former mayor file incident report against city employee

(Correction: 9/19/2024 5:50PM)

Near the end of the September council meeting Alexander Council Member Harold Timmerman handed out to council members copies of an incident report filed with the Saline County Sheriff's Office. The report is a joint complaint filed by not only Timmerman but Council Member Juanita Wilson and former Alexander Mayor Paul Mitchell.

The incident occurred on Thursday, September 5 on West Azalea, in front of Mitchell's home around 2:00 PM. According to Timmerman the cause apparently began minutes earlier while driving on Highway 111 near the former Human Development Center property. Timmerman said he and Wilson were in her car putting up election signs.

Timmerman said Alexander street department employee Rodney Hendrix, "[W]alked across the road (Hwy. 111) about a hundred fifty-two hundred feet ahead of us. He comes over to the west side, he gets up and walks up the white line. He did not step off the road for oncoming traffic."

Timmerman said he and Wilson proceeded to Mitchell's home on West Azalea to ask permission to place election signs on his property. While the three of them were standing along West Azalea Timmerman said Hendrix pulled up.

"(A) City pickup truck pulled up by the mailbox out there about 8-10 feet from me and a gentleman driving the truck, Mr. Hendrix, started calling me all kinds of filthy names," Timmerman said. "I'm not going to repeat the names ... he called me."

"I mean four or five times he called me these filthy names," Timmerman continued. "The mayor (Mayor Crystal Herrmann) was sitting right in the truck beside him. Right in the truck beside him. She did not tell him to say anything to him after about two minutes and I said I wasn't driving; and she said shut up and don't go on and they left."

Timmerman then laid down an ultimatum.

"If that man is not fired in the next 48 hours I'm going down and filed charges against him and the mayor," he said.

"I'm going to file some personal harassment charges against a couple of folks myself," Herrmann shot back.

Forty-Eight hours should be end of day Wednesday, September 18.

Hendrix has been with the street department since 2023. He was hired not long after Herrmann became mayor.

Taking the report (#2024-2695) was Saline County Sheriff's Detective Jennifer Tarvin. At the end of the report she wrote, "I will send a review file to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for a charging decision on Disorderly Conduct, 5-71-207."

Plenty of Old and New Business on Alexander agenda

The Alexander City Council has four Old Business items and five items under New Business on its Monday night agenda. The meeting is September 16 at 6:00 PM in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex.

Listed under Old Business is the third and final reading of two ordinances:

* "An Ordinance adopting Animal Control regulations;" and

* "An Ordinance adopting Stormwater regulations."

There will be further discussion of, "An Ordinance appointing a City Treasurer" which was tabled at the August meeting.

Finally, the second reading of, "An Ordinance amending the Zoning Regulations."

Under New Business is:

* "A Resolution authorizing the sell (sic) of property;"

* "An Ordinance vacating and unconstructed (sic) alley way;"

* "An Ordinance levying a tax on all personal property;"

* "A Resolution adopting the amended lease agreement for the employee housing;" and

* "A Resolution adopting the attached Personnel Manual."

The ordinance "levying a tax on all personal property" is the annual approval of the millage rate for the next property tax collection cycle. The tax rate will remain at 0.0015 mills per dollar valuation.

Alexander Planning Commission tables variance request

The Alexander Planning Commission decided to table a variance request at a special meeting held Tuesday, September 10. The variance permit was tabled to allow property owner Eric Montoya more time to receive written comments from neighbors concerning his request.

The lot is located at 14916 Regency Drive in south Alexander. It sits at the corner of Regency Drive and Charles Street. Under the proposal the width of the property will be divided into two; from 120-feet to 60-feet for each lot. Under Alexander zoning the minimum allowable frontage width is 60-feet.

The minimum lot size allowed is 8,000 square feet, Splitting the lot provides one half with 6,916.5 square feet and the other will be 6,901.5 square feet. The variance request is to allow the smaller square footage.

Montoya must bring written approval from the property owners and/or residents adjacent to his property. This includes properties across the street. The letter explaining the variance request and asking for a written response was sent to the property owners and/or residents by certified mail as required. As of the meeting he hadn't received any responses.

Present was City Attorney Chris Madison who suggested mailing the letters again using standard mail. He said some people are inclined to not take mail that requires a signature.

Commission members did take the opportunity to get many of their questions answered. The plan is to build two matching homes. Each one will be a single-floor design with three bedrooms, two full baths and an attached two-car garage. The heated/cooled area is 1,491 square feet. The minimum requirement is 1,000 square feet.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander Planning Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8. The meeting will be held in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall) at 6:30 PM.

Special planning meeting announced during Alexander council meeting

Members of the Alexander City Council heard a preview of a special meeting scheduled by the Alexander Planning Commission. The special meeting involves a review of a variance request, which if approved will allow one lot to be divided into two lots without the required 8,000 square-feet minimum.

Alexander Planning Commission Chairman Michael Huck announced the special meeting during the council's August 19 meeting. Huck explained the property owner wants to take one large lot, divide it into two and build a single-family site-built home on each as rental units.

The lot is located at 14916 Regency Drive in south Alexander. It sits at the corner of Regency Drive and Charles Street. Under the proposal the width of the property will be divided into two; from 120-feet to 60-feet for each lot. Under Alexander zoning the minimum allowable frontage width is 60-feet.

But, the minimum lot size allowed is 8,000 square feet, Splitting the lot provides one half with 6,916.5 square feet and the other will be 6,901.5 square feet.

"How does the property taxes work on that since it's one lot but two homes," asked Council Member Angela Griffin?

"No, it would be two lots," Huck said.

"Is that the only area that we're trying to do a variance on," Griffin asked? "Because I'm worried about it being an open in a can of worms. Are we willing? That we allow one resident to do it on a small."

"Well, first of all, his front is 120 feet wide," Huck explained. "Not all of the lots in that area are 120 feet wide. There are various generally smaller size lots. There are 100 (feet) or 60 (feet) already."

Explaining the process further, Huck said the property owner must bring written approval from the property owners and/or residents adjacent to the property to be divided. This includes properties across the street. These letters are to be brought to the special meeting.

Assuming no one opposes the plan, Huck said the planning commission would probably recommend sending it to the council for approval. Under the rules for approving variances, if the council accepts the recommendation then a public notice will be posted throughout the city notifying residents of the requested variance. If after 30-days no one submits a complaint the variance automatically goes into effect.

The special meeting of the Alexander Planning Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10. The meeting will be held in the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall) at 6:30 PM.

Church ready to present construction plans

Huck also announced the Bryant Church of Christ will be presenting construction plans at the planning commission's October regular meeting. The church has purchased the property at 100 Cornerstone Road. It's located across from the Circle K along Highway 111.

Huck noted the goal is to have the project approved and ready so when the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (LRWRA) approves Alexander's Master Development Plan in 2025, the council will be able to approve the church's sewer connection. Then the construction plans along with a letter from the Alexander Council will be sent to LRWRA and construction can begin. The LRWRA provides sewer service to the Pulaski County area of Alexander.

Other reports during the August 19 meeting;

Donations and more grants

During the police department report section of the agenda, Police Chief Robert Burnett announced receiving two donations.

"So, today we actually got two donations," Burnett began. "We had a gentleman donate a sign, bigger sign for the PD, (to) put up on the road, which was nice. We also got a 500 dollar donation from RBD Hale Steel."

The sign was donated by the Hwy 5 Sign Company.

Assistant Police Chief Jessica Burnett stepped up to report on grants. One grant program is taking the hard part out of spending the grant funds.

"It's a small grant, but it's really nice because it's not one where they send us the money. We have to buy a product, report the spending," Jessica Burnett said. "They actually buy the product and send it to you."

"So, we asked for 14 IFA K-Kits, which are response kits for active shooter situations," she said. "They're very compact."

The kits include a tourniquet, wound packing gauze, and a chest seal vent.

A new type of warning lights has been donated to the Alexander Police Department.

"We also got 14 guardian lights," Burnett said. "So, they sit up on their (officers) shoulder and they just wink blue like their car lights. So, if they're out and about on scene and they're walking around and it's dark, they don't have. The flashlight sometimes is not enough after. So, that blue light gets everybody's attention while they're walking around. Those will be donated to us. They come in at, save, the city $3,659.69."

ISO review and Seeking outside help on fire hydrant issue

Fire Chief Ryan McCormick provided an update on the annual ISO rating process. Also, McCormick and City Attorney Chris Madison, met with the Arkansas Rural Water Association to discuss the problem of getting non-functioning fire hydrants in south Alexander.

"ISO came last month (July)," McCormick said. "We did all of our paperwork and went through all the processes that they were looking for. We're, we have a six month or so waiting time and they come back to tell us what our rating is again."

"So we met with the Arkansas Rural Water Association," Madison began. "I'm trying to get some information on how the Rural Water Association's worked and what the rules are. It was a good meeting."

"I'm in the process of crafting a letter to the water department (Saline County Water Works and Sanitary Sewer) based on stuff that we've had conversations with from them," Madison continued. "And I was requesting, I had asked for some of their ANRC (Arkansas Natural Resources Commission) pack work and stuff that we have for you. I was able to actually get it through the water association."

Alexander and Saline County Water Works and Sanitary Sewer (SCWWSS) have been debating over maintenance of the fire hydrants. Alexander claims fire hydrant maintenance is the responsibility of SCWWSS. While, SCWWSS claims the city has been responsible for fire hydrants since the annexation of Woodland Hills into Alexander in August, 2006.

Dog kennels and property cleanup

Code Enforcement and Animal Control officer Daniel Wyatt continues to report on what's being done now while waiting for the city council to put the new Animal Control Ordinance into effect. The ordinance has had two of the three required public readings.

"We did get some portable dog kennels and they look pretty good," Wyatt said. "So hopefully in the near future, we'll be able to actually impound some animals that are either vicious or I know we have plenty of stray dogs around here."

Wyatt also promised to bring a list of properties for condemnation. He said these are properties in which owners have not responded to cleanup orders.

Property in probate

An offer to sell the City the property at 15420 Alexander Road has now been put on hold indefinitely. Mayor Herrmann reported the property is now in probate. Property owners must now wait for court approval to sell the property.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday September 16, at 6:00 pm in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.