A new Alexander ordinance establishes how votes are counted when electing council members. In another matter, a resident of 4th 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 4th 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 4th 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 4th 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 4th St., speed down to Alexander Rd. trying to get in front of the buses. Preator has told council members drivers speed past him on 4th St. while he’s holding a radar gun.
Four of these devices were placed on 4th 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 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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
“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
Next Meeting
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