Jonesboro Finance & Administration Committee Meeting - September 8, 2026
Jonesboro Finance & Administration Committee Meeting - September 8, 2026
The Finance & Administration Council Committee of Jonesboro, Arkansas, met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 4:00 PM in the Municipal Center. The committee considered an ordinance to align municipal penalty fines with state law, 14 municipal liens for code enforcement, a new banking depository services contract, a tax-back incentive endorsement for Sany Nutrition Group, and a lease amendment with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. All items were forwarded to the full city council without opposition.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the August 25, 2026 Finance Committee meeting were approved unanimously.
- Municipal Liens (14 resolutions): RES-26:106 through RES-26:119 were each moved forward to full council with no debate. These liens, ranging from $275 to $615, were placed on properties for unpaid code enforcement costs. One council member thanked code enforcement for their work in improving neighborhood appearance.
Public Comments & Testimony
No members of the public offered comments.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 26-036 – Penalty Fine Increase: The ordinance amends Section 1-7 of the Code of Ordinances to increase the general penalty for unspecified code violations from a maximum of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, and $4,000 for subsequent offenses, with a daily penalty of up to $500 for continuing violations. The chair explained that the change aligns city code with Arkansas state law (Ark. Code Ann. § 14-55-504) and does not alter any existing specific fines. The committee forwarded it to full council.
- RES-26:123 – Tax Back Program Endorsement for Sany Nutrition Group: The resolution certifies local government endorsement for Sany Nutrition Group LLC, located at 9401 East Highland Drive (the former Butterball facility), to participate in the state’s Tax Back program. This program allows refunds of local sales and use taxes on construction materials and other taxable items for facility renovation. Stephen Lamb of Jonesboro Limited explained that the state returns 5.5% of its 6.5% sales tax if the city and county also refund their local share. The committee forwarded the resolution after a council member asked for clarification.
- RES-26:124 – Lease Amendment with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC): The resolution approves an amended lease for property used by AGFC for commission services and the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center. The amendment updates the lease to reflect that the building is no longer used as a public nature center; public access to the surrounding land remains. The committee forwarded the resolution after a council member asked about public access.
- RES-26:120 – Banking Depository Services Agreement: The resolution authorizes a three-year agreement with Farmers & Merchants Bank to provide banking depository services for the city through September 15, 2029. The contract follows a competitive RFP process (2026-19) with five bank proposals reviewed by the depository board, which recommended F&M after an interview. The committee forwarded it to full council.
Key Outcomes
- All agenda items were approved by the committee and forwarded to the full city council without any opposing votes.
- The ordinance (ORD-26:036) and all resolutions (RES-26:106 through RES-26:120, RES-26:123, RES-26:124) will be considered by the full council at a future meeting.
- No pending items or additional business were discussed. The meeting adjourned shortly after public comments.
Meeting Transcript
Let's go. All right, good afternoon, everybody. It's four o'clock. I'm gonna call today's finance administration council committee meeting to order. Um next up is please record your attendance by pushing the appropriate button. All right, we do have a quorum moving to approval amendments from the finance committee meeting on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026. Move to approve. Second. Motion second to approve the minutes. Any questions or comments on the minutes as presented? If not, please record your vote on whether or not to approve them. All right, we'll move into new business. First up is ordinance 26036. It's an ordinance to amend section one-seven of the code of ordinances to change general pen penalty to match state law, whereas section one-seven Cest the fine range for code violations not otherwise specified is not to exceed $500 or double such sum for each repetition thereof and allows for a daily penalty not to exceed $250 for each day. The violation unlawfully continues, and whereas this section is no longer consistent with the amount set out in state law in Arkansas code annotated article 1455-504. Whereas it is the desire of the city council for the city of Jonesboro to admend this section to follow the fine amounts authorized in state law, be it ordained by the city council of City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, that section one, the city of Jonesboro hereby amends section one-seven C to remove the current language and read as follows. Um, except as otherwise provided, a person convicted of a violation of this code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars for the first offense, two thousand dollars for second offense, and four thousand for each subsequent offense or violation of this code. If the violation is in its nature continuous and respected time, the penalty for allowing the continuance thereof is a fine not to exceed $500 for each day that the same is unlawfully continued. Section two, any ordinances that can conflict with this ordinance or hereby repeal to the extent of said conflict. Move forward counsel. Second. Motion is second forward to full council. Any questions or comments from the committee? Do you have a question, Chairman? Um I've read this like 50 times, and that's not so essentially what we have at the beginning of our code is a catch-all. If the council has not specifically set a fine for a particular violation, it gives the judges a parameter of what they can set that fine as what they can order if someone's found guilty. And what this does is it increases that to match state law. I it hadn't been changed in the 20 years I've been here that I know of. And for a long time, state law has allowed judges to go up to a thousand dollars should they choose to on a more serious code violation, and this just gives them the parameters to match state law. It doesn't change any existing fines that we have. It's only if the judges want to make a change. Anything else from staff or the public in attendance? If not, please cast your vote on whether or not to forward a full counsel. Um next up or we have several municipal liens. I'm just gonna read those by title only. Um resolution 26106, resolution by the city council of the city of Jones for Arkansas, place the municipal lien on property located at 1104 Pratt Circle, parcel 01-144-082-12300, owned by McDaniel Claude in the amount of 275 dollars. Move forward to full council, second. Motion second forward to full council. Any questions or comments from the committee or anybody else in attendance? Seeing none, please recast your ballot on whether or not to forward the full council. All right, resolution 26107, resolution by the city council, city of Jones for Arkansas place municipal lien on property located at uh 5017 Mount Carmel Road, parcel 01-133-013-01500, owned by Catherine Arterberry in the amount of 615 dollars. Move forward full counsel, second. Motion second forward full council. Any questions or comments on this agenda item? Seeing none, please cast your ballot on whether or not to forward the full council. Resolution 26108. Resolution by City Council, City of Jones for Arkansas to place municipal lien on property located at 910 Markham Drive, parcel 01-143-251-04100 owned by will deceats in the amount of 315 dollars. Move forward full counsel. Second. Most second forward full council.
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