Pine Bluff is forging a sister-cities relationship that reaches across the Atlantic and into northern Africa.
Mayor Shirley Washington on Monday received authorization from the Pine Bluff City Council to execute a memorandum of understanding with Dakhla, a city of more than 106,000 in the kingdom of Morocco.
The resolution, approved unanimously by the council, states the scope of the "cooperative cities relationship" with Dakhla "to promote exchange and cooperation in culture, art, academia, development, environment and tourism promotion."
Washington connected with Consul General of Morocco Abdelkader Jamoussi during his visit to Little Rock last year. Jamoussi acknowledged in a June 29 letter to Washington an interest she showed in partnering with "a Moroccan city" and invited her to the country the following October, although neither she nor any city officials visited because of the impact of covid-19, she said.
"I am confident that a Sister Cities agreement will provide a framework and an instrument for an enhanced friendship and a sustainable cooperation for our local governments in diverse areas of common interest such as culture, environment, youth and women empowerment, education and development projects," Jamoussi wrote. "This dynamic will give vigor to the well-established and longstanding relationship between our two countries, the United States of America and the Kingdom of Morocco."
Asked about the planned partnership Monday, Washington said: "It helps us to connect with their city and it helps them to connect with us. We get an opportunity to see how life is there, how industry is there, and I think it makes both communities stronger. The collaboration, the partnerships, the visits that would take place and the partnerships that would be formed as we moved forward."
Miloud Bahadi, a native Moroccan who works as a Realtor in Pine Bluff, acts as a liaison between the city and the consulate general. Bahadi grew up in an area outside of Dakhla, but said that city is similar to Pine Bluff in that both cities are going in the same direction of upward development.
"The sister cities are going to build a bridge of friendship, a partnership of different fields of education, tourism and trade and everything," he said.
Any particular good or service at the center of trade will be identified as the two cities strengthen their relationship, Bahadi said.
"Once that bridge is built, things are going to start coming out," he said.
Pine Bluff previously was a sister city to Iwai City, Japan, which led to the establishment of a Japanese garden at the civic center in 1989. Iwai City and Sashima merged to create the city of Bando in 2005.
Among other city business:
• The council waived the competitive bidding process and will hire SAK Construction of O'Fallon, Mo., to make emergency repairs to a malfunctioned pipe at the Lake Saracen splash park that has caused sinkholes. The quoted installation cost of a 36-inch cured-in-place pipe is $97,920.
• Five new legislative staff positions within the office of the city clerk will be created to assist council members and will serve in a part-time capacity. A legislative administrative assistant will work closely with the deputy city clerk in preparing for committee meetings and maintaining accurate records of those meetings, as well as provide clerical support and act as a receptionist and office clerk, among other duties. The salary range is $35,500 to $46,500. The other four positions will be interns.
• Summit Utilities Arkansas Inc., which succeeded CenterPoint Energy Arkansas Gas Co., will pay an occupation tax, or franchise fee, equal to 4.25% of the annual total revenue of its operations in Pine Bluff. The tax for each year will be passed on to the customers, along with the cost of collection.
• A resolution sponsored by Council Member Ivan Whitfield that would increase the pay of city employees who make less than $30,000 per year to at least that amount was pulled, as Washington and other council members queried where the extra money would come from. The measure may be brought back to the full council at a later meeting.
• A bar that will serve alcohol at the old Hot Rods Bar at 201 Main Street was approved. The city launched no objection to the application of Gabrielle Mixon and Sylvia Grady for an alcohol permit from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.
• The 100 block of North Redbud, 100 block of North Hemlock and portions of two north-south alleys located between the streets will be closed to allow applicant Steve Meeks to expand a salvage yard.
• The code of ordinances was changed to no longer prohibit reappointment of a member of the Aviation Commission.
• A monthly "free dump day" to encourage residents to lawfully dispose of waste and promote a clean community was also pulled, as resolution sponsors Whitfield and Steven Shaner were asked to list the cost of the project. The resolution would have established such a day on the first Saturday of every month starting April 2 and allowed residents to dispose of waste in dumpsters provided by Waste Management of Arkansas at Hestand Stadium.
• Mary Ann Lee and Thomas E. Brown were reappointed to the Historic District Commission.