Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Public Services Council Committee Meeting - February 17, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, February 17, 2026

BodyJonesboro, Arkansas

SessionMeeting Portal

DateTuesday, February 17, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 32:33

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

I am showing 4 30, and I think everyone that's gonna be here is here, so I'm gonna go ahead and call the public services meeting to order.

0:07

First item of business is roll call.

0:10

Please mark your attendance.

0:19

Next item of business is approval of minutes.

0:21

I'll give you a moment to review minutes 26008 and 26015.

0:28

I'll make a motion to approve unless there's any changes to be noted.

0:32

I have a motion, second, all in favor.

0:35

Please mark your vote.

0:46

Next item of business is new business resolutions to be introduced.

0:49

Resolution 26014, a resolution authorizing the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to enter into a platform service agreement with Cubic Transportation Systems Inc.

0:59

following a competitive request for proposals process sponsored by the Jets.

1:03

Lee, do you want to give us a background on this just real quickly?

1:11

Absolutely.

1:12

So this is something we have talked about and we have been working towards.

1:16

What this is is a way for us to be able to collect fares in the buses with uh credit card, debit card, tap to pay, phone payments, things like that, but also it will allow for customers uh to be able to purchase those cards that are refillable, reusable, and to give more formats for them to be able to purchase their fares.

1:42

So whereas right now we have a simple ticket that is sold at collections and only at collections, this ability will actually allow retail stores to be able to load your fare so that way someone's at Walmart buying groceries, maybe they use the bus to get there and they realize I need a little bit more money on my card, they can actually put five, ten, twenty dollars on their card there at Walmart.

2:07

Have they given you any projections on how much this might increase ridership just out of curiosity?

2:13

I I honestly haven't seen any types of projections, but I do know that what this will allow in conjunction with some of the other items that we have that we're gonna be moving forward to is this will allow those that maybe don't normally use the bus system or those that are coming from out of town to have an easier and more convenient way to utilize transit.

2:35

So this will in essence allow for that increase, but as far as some raw statistics, I I have not seen anything like that.

2:44

Okay, thank you.

2:46

Chairman.

2:47

Yes, sir.

2:48

I had a question if you don't mind.

2:49

Lee, I noticed in here in the RFP that they had submitted that on the reloadable transit cards, and I know this is a lot of one-time cost that's coming into effect here, but it was showing that each card costs roughly $14.15.

3:03

I just know how easy it is to misplace those things and how expensive the plastic is from the banking industry side of it.

3:10

But do we have any plans or anything else as far as our schedule of fees and how we're going to negate five dollars necessarily walking out every day?

3:19

Absolutely.

3:20

So we have actually considered this.

3:22

We have also thought of some processes to put in place.

3:25

We've looked at some other transit agencies on what they do.

3:29

Um we have some ideas, but we don't have anything fully uh finalized yet.

3:34

Um, it will be something that will be in the discussion process once we get this fulfilled and we start this enactment of the cubic process.

3:44

Um I'm sure they'll have some feedback on that for uh you know, history standards, things like that that other agencies have done.

3:51

Um of the things with that refillable card is what we use now, we actually also pay honestly, and I don't have the numbers, apologies, but I can't get that if anyone is interested.

4:04

Those refillable cards or I'm sorry, the one-time use cards that we have, they have to be pre-pan pre-printed and they are proprietary.

4:13

We have to order them in like bunches of 5,000 at a time.

4:18

They are not cheap either, and they are literally intended to be thrown in the trash.

4:24

So there's already a cost for those.

4:26

But with this, the the process is what we're thinking anyway, is that will allow a consumer to be able to come in and say, I would like to purchase a refillable card.

4:39

There will be a fee for that card that gives them that refillable card.

4:44

Then once they have the card, they will be able to put their fares on the card.

4:49

So if initially that first time purchased for the card or for a replacement of their card, there is a fee associated already with getting the card, uh, and then the fare would be added to the card after that initial purchase of the card if that makes any sense.

5:00

Uh, and then the fare would be added to the card after that initial purchase of the card, if that makes any sense.

5:08

It does.

5:09

If you want to talk about the GoJo app, the the appeal to your report to do that.

5:15

Okay.

5:16

Any other questions regarding the resolution?

5:21

What's the desire of the committee?

5:24

Move department to full council.

5:26

Second.

5:27

Have a motion and second.

5:28

All in favor signify by saying aye.

5:30

Aye.

5:31

Any opposed locked oh, sorry, please cast your vote.

5:34

Old habits die really hard.

5:38

Three years into this thing, Chris.

5:40

This is not the only board meeting I can do.

5:44

We took a break for a little while.

5:47

I'll give them some slack.

5:49

Uh next item of business is pending items.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parks and Recreation████████████████████████████████32%

Transportation Safety███████████████████████23%

Technology and Innovation██████████████14%

Community Engagement█████████████13%

Procedural██████████10%

Youth Programs████4%

Economic Development████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Public Services Council Committee Meeting

On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 4:30 PM in the Municipal Center, the Public Services Council Committee met to discuss fare collection technology, transit system updates, and a potential Sports Tourism Advisory Council. Members present: Chris Gibson (Chairman), Joe Hafner, Ann Williams, Brian Emison, and Janice Porter. Absent: LJ Bryant and Anthony Coleman.

Consent Calendar

MIN-26:008 – Minutes of the January 13, 2026 Special Called Public Services Committee meeting were approved unanimously (4-0).
MIN-26:015 – Minutes of the February 3, 2026 Special Called Public Services Council Committee meeting were approved unanimously (4-0).

Discussion Items

RES-26:014 – Resolution to enter into a Platform Services Agreement with Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.
- JETS Department Director Lee Wells explained that the system would allow fare collection via credit/debit cards, tap-to-pay, and phone payments. It will also enable riders to load value onto refillable cards at retail locations (e.g., Walmart).
- Chairman Gibson asked about ridership projections; Director Wells stated he had not seen specific statistics but expected increased convenience to attract new and out-of-town riders.
- Councilmember Emison noted that each reloadable card costs approximately $14.15 and expressed concern about lost cards. Director Wells responded that the department has considered a fee for initial card purchase and replacements, and that current disposable cards are more expensive and wasteful.
- Motion to recommend the resolution to the full City Council passed 4-0.
COM-26:005 – JET Transit System Update
- Director Wells reported:
  - A-State Trolley Partnership: Routes are working well; students are discovering efficient connections.
  - Shelter Project: 28 of 45 shelters installed; remaining installations await concrete work, with 2-3 shelters per day possible once surfaces are ready.
  - Route Expansion: Staffing increases will soon support full 5-route service plus 2 trolley routes operating 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
  - Streets Project (Tripspark): Resolving tracking bugs; features include real-time tracking, on-bus annunciators, and message boards.
  - Multimedia Project: Message centers at the transfer center and shelters will display real-time arrival information.
  - Mobile App: In beta testing with selected users, including Councilmember Ann Williams. The app will provide trip planning, real-time tracking, and updates to Google/Apple Maps. Williams praised its ability to offer alternative trips with walking options.
- Chairman Gibson commended Director Wells for progress since the system’s early days.
COM-26:006 – Parks & Recreation Update
- No Parks staff were present. Chairman Gibson led a discussion on the future of the Parks Advisory Committee and a proposed Sports Tourism Advisory Council.
- Gibson recommended keeping the existing committee unchanged and considering a separate Sports Tourism Advisory Council. He noted that the A&P and Public Facilities Board have requested positions on the new council, but their legal counsel had not responded by 3:00 PM that day.
- Councilmember Hafner agreed with two separate groups but stressed the need for better coordination of facility scheduling (e.g., soccer fields) and an accessible calendar established far in advance.
- Councilmember Williams emphasized the critical shortage of swim facilities, noting that the National Parks and Recreation Association recommends one pool per 25,000 population, while Jonesboro’s population approaches 100,000. She also raised concerns about children not learning to swim and the need for lifeguard training.
- Public comments were taken from Jay Clevenger (4842 Leesburg Drive) and Craig Rickert (A&P Executive Director). Clevenger questioned whether the Sports Commission would oversee baseball, RAC events, and external vendors, and proposed hiring a single A&P employee to vet vendors rather than forming a large committee. Rickert clarified that all events at the Ridge Athletic Center will be booked through Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), and that SFC will hire the positions Clevenger referenced. He affirmed that committee input would be welcome but the primary booking authority rests with SFC.
- City Attorney Carol Duncan confirmed that the current advisory body is a committee (formerly a commission) and that any naming changes are subject to future decisions.

Key Outcomes

RES-26:014 was recommended to the full City Council by a vote of 4-0.
No formal action was taken on the Sports Tourism Advisory Council; the committee expressed general support for a parallel sports tourism focus while maintaining the existing Parks Advisory Committee. Further legal clarification on A&P and Public Facilities Board participation is awaited.
The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time (motion by Emison, seconded by Hafner, passed 4-0).

Meeting Transcript

I am showing 4 30, and I think everyone that's gonna be here is here, so I'm gonna go ahead and call the public services meeting to order. First item of business is roll call. Please mark your attendance. Next item of business is approval of minutes. I'll give you a moment to review minutes 26008 and 26015. I'll make a motion to approve unless there's any changes to be noted. I have a motion, second, all in favor. Please mark your vote. Next item of business is new business resolutions to be introduced. Resolution 26014, a resolution authorizing the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to enter into a platform service agreement with Cubic Transportation Systems Inc. following a competitive request for proposals process sponsored by the Jets. Lee, do you want to give us a background on this just real quickly? Absolutely. So this is something we have talked about and we have been working towards. What this is is a way for us to be able to collect fares in the buses with uh credit card, debit card, tap to pay, phone payments, things like that, but also it will allow for customers uh to be able to purchase those cards that are refillable, reusable, and to give more formats for them to be able to purchase their fares. So whereas right now we have a simple ticket that is sold at collections and only at collections, this ability will actually allow retail stores to be able to load your fare so that way someone's at Walmart buying groceries, maybe they use the bus to get there and they realize I need a little bit more money on my card, they can actually put five, ten, twenty dollars on their card there at Walmart. Have they given you any projections on how much this might increase ridership just out of curiosity? I I honestly haven't seen any types of projections, but I do know that what this will allow in conjunction with some of the other items that we have that we're gonna be moving forward to is this will allow those that maybe don't normally use the bus system or those that are coming from out of town to have an easier and more convenient way to utilize transit. So this will in essence allow for that increase, but as far as some raw statistics, I I have not seen anything like that. Okay, thank you. Chairman. Yes, sir. I had a question if you don't mind. Lee, I noticed in here in the RFP that they had submitted that on the reloadable transit cards, and I know this is a lot of one-time cost that's coming into effect here, but it was showing that each card costs roughly $14.15. I just know how easy it is to misplace those things and how expensive the plastic is from the banking industry side of it. But do we have any plans or anything else as far as our schedule of fees and how we're going to negate five dollars necessarily walking out every day? Absolutely. So we have actually considered this. We have also thought of some processes to put in place. We've looked at some other transit agencies on what they do. Um we have some ideas, but we don't have anything fully uh finalized yet. Um, it will be something that will be in the discussion process once we get this fulfilled and we start this enactment of the cubic process. Um I'm sure they'll have some feedback on that for uh you know, history standards, things like that that other agencies have done. Um of the things with that refillable card is what we use now, we actually also pay honestly, and I don't have the numbers, apologies, but I can't get that if anyone is interested. Those refillable cards or I'm sorry, the one-time use cards that we have, they have to be pre-pan pre-printed and they are proprietary. We have to order them in like bunches of 5,000 at a time. They are not cheap either, and they are literally intended to be thrown in the trash. So there's already a cost for those. But with this, the the process is what we're thinking anyway, is that will allow a consumer to be able to come in and say, I would like to purchase a refillable card. There will be a fee for that card that gives them that refillable card. Then once they have the card, they will be able to put their fares on the card. So if initially that first time purchased for the card or for a replacement of their card, there is a fee associated already with getting the card, uh, and then the fare would be added to the card after that initial purchase of the card if that makes any sense. Uh, and then the fare would be added to the card after that initial purchase of the card, if that makes any sense. It does. If you want to talk about the GoJo app, the the appeal to your report to do that. Okay. Any other questions regarding the resolution? What's the desire of the committee? Move department to full council. Second.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com