Sales-tax measure to be on PB ballot
Pine Bluff residents will go to the polls in June to decide whether they want a five-eighths percent sales tax imposed to fund an initiative to revitalize the city.
The City Council approved putting the sales tax on the ballot in a 5-3 vote at its April 3 meeting. Bruce Lockett, Steven Mays and Thelma Walker opposed it.
The tax, if approved, is expected to raise about $31.5 million over seven years to fund the "Go Forward Pine Bluff" plan. The initial planning phase of the initiative was funded by the Simmons First Foundation. The effort is aimed at improving the city's infrastructure and quality of life and increasing its tax base.
The foundation has proposed to obtain $12 million in grants and raise another $7 million from area business leaders.
The project has three emphases: government and infrastructure, quality of life, and economic development. Plans for walking and biking trails, a permanent food court pavilion, development of the Downtown Historic District, an overhaul of city codes, equipment for first responders, and an innovation hub are all included in the plan for the tax revenue.
PB police to hold citizens academy
The Pine Bluff Police Department will hold the 36th session of the Citizen's Police Academy beginning May 2.
The meetings will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays in room 1022 of the Southeast Arkansas College technology building.
The eight-week course is free for the first 30 residents who register with the Police Department at 200 E. Eighth Ave. or by calling (870) 730-2072.
For library work, bond sale gets OK
The Pine Bluff City Council approved at its April 3 meeting the sale of about $14 million in bonds to build a new library and upgrade the Watson Chapel library.
Voters approved the bonds in November, funding the payments with a property tax of three mills over 15 years.
The bonds should be paid in full by 2032. The bond sale is to close May 9.
Meeting to focus on cattle market
Cattle ranchers will gather this week in Pine Bluff to talk about the market and the production costs for beef cattle.
The meeting, hosted by the Jefferson County Extension Service, will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the extension office located at 500 S. Idaho St. in Pine Bluff.
Robert Stark Jr., a University of Arkansas at Monticello professor of agriculture economics, will discuss surviving low cattle prices with alternative feeds. Anthony Whittington, a county extension agent, will talk about pasture weed control.
Dameion White, a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Cooperative Extension Program associate, will discuss conservation practices for pastures.
More information is available by contacting Whittington at (870) 534-1033 or [email protected].
State Desk on 04/10/2017