Public Services Council Committee Meeting - June 16, 2026

The Public Services Council Committee of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 4:30 PM at the Municipal Center, 300 S. Church Street. City Clerk April Leggett confirmed roll call via electronic attendance. The committee received departmental updates from GOJO (transit) Director Lee Wells and Parks and Recreation Director Jim Stearns, approved three sets of meeting minutes, and heard no public comments.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes MIN-26:019 (Public Services Committee meeting, February 17, 2026), MIN-26:039 (Special Called meeting, April 21, 2026), and MIN-26:043 (Special Called meeting, May 5, 2026) were approved as listed on the agenda.

Discussion Items

• GOJO Transit Update (Lee Wells, GOJO Director): Wells presented a fare capping proposal. The standard fare is $2 per ride, with a $5 one-day pass. Riders who enroll in the pass ticketing program would pay no more than $20 per week and no more than $60 per month, regardless of trip frequency. Riders can load $2–$3 onto a card at a time or link a credit card, and a mobile phone option is available. The new system requires enrollment so rides are counted toward the cap, and it supports the transition away from cash. Wells noted the fare machine cannot make change ("they just literally drop it in"), and the cashless implementation is targeted for August. He also reported that one transit shelter remains uninstalled and that Message Point Media is handling the technology. The related public notice proposal includes three items: (1) making a pilot route permanent, including Arkansas State University (A-State) service; (2) adjustments to current routes; and (3) a new special event route extending transit into the Nettleton, Lowberg, and Matthews area—a part of town previously unserved by public transit. Wells noted the citizens advisory board has already discussed these proposals.
• Council Discussion on GOJO: A councilmember questioned the advantage of the weekly $20 cap, asking what happens if a rider who does not buy the weekly pass reaches $20 in individual fares. Wells responded that riders cannot pay more than $20 per week if they are enrolled in the pass ticketing program, and that the system is designed to reduce passenger loading and unloading wait times. Another councilmember advised monitoring ridership closely, noting GOJO's revenue is a small portion of the city budget—"about two percent of our revenue"—and expressed concern about any negative ridership impact.
• Parks and Recreation Update (Jim Stearns, Parks Director): Stearns reported a new youth shooting sports program, including trap shooting and .22 rifle competitions held every other weekend in May, June, and July, with a new trap shooting competition record. A full-week Miracle League kickball season is planned. Community centers have transitioned to a keyless entry system ("If you don't have one, you're not getting one"). Cleanup at Craighead Forest Park has concluded. Signage is being developed to notify the public of the existing no-smoking rule in parks (passed under the previous mayor), with signs planned first for Craighead Forest, then sports fields, then all parks; the department is coordinating with the ranger group and public safety. Stearns also discussed a project to install gates at Craighead Forest Park to close access at 10:00 PM, though he was uncertain whether past grant funding or budget proposals covered the gates and mentioned possibly using AI to search historical records. Councilmember Street expressed continued support for the Craighead gates, noting he has advocated for them over nine years on the committee. In response to councilmember requests, Stearns provided participation data but no spectator data—noting the new ticketing and cashless systems now enable that tracking, but no prior data exists. A councilmember observed that youth sports deposits were previously made as one large deposit, never separated by event or field, and requested revenue comparisons to the prior year. Councilmember Janice Porter asked how usage is divided at Joe Mack Campbell, and Stearns confirmed a 50/50 split between the two sports.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes from the February 17, April 21, and May 5, 2026 meetings were approved.
• No new business or pending items were brought before the committee.
• No public comments were offered.
• No formal votes were taken; the GOJO fare capping, route, and public notice proposals were presented for discussion, with the expectation that they will proceed toward public notice.
• Parks and Recreation will provide the committee with revenue comparisons to the prior year and will proceed with the no-smoking signage and Craighead Forest gate-related efforts.
• The meeting was adjourned after the chair confirmed there was no additional committee business.