Tag Archives: Jonesboro City Council

Copenhaver addresses City Stars concerns

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Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Don Burton

February 4, 2026

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver.

 Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver addressed previous concerns and responded to new complaints about the City Stars booster club during the City Council meeting.

Public and council interest in City Stars remained high at the Tuesday, Feb. 3 city council meeting. Discussion began with Copenhaver’s response to Public Facilities Board Chairman Matt Modelevsky’s presentation at the last meeting.

Copenhaver’s response

“ My responsibility as mayor is to administer city-operated programs, which City Stars was not, in accordance with city council-approved budgets,” Copenhaver said. “I presented verifiable facts, not feelings, not understandings or beliefs like many of the documents presented at the previous city council meeting contained.”

At the previous meeting, Modelevsky said Copenhaver failed to respond to past concerns he raised about City Stars and Danny Kapales, the now-resigned parks director who ran the program.

The City Stars booster club, a youth sports program, was created in 2001. Copenhaver said the original agreement between Jonesboro and the booster club was approved by the council in 2004. He said this contract established mutual agreements, such as the shared goal of providing athletics at no cost for Jonesboro youth.

Despite a shared vision for youth athletics in Jonesboro, Copenhaver said City Stars operated independently.

“Their revenue was their money, their business, not the city’s,” Copenhaver said. “ Fiduciary duties fall to the boards and management of private nonprofit organizations and cannot be delegated, giving them full and exclusive authority over their own money and how it is handled and how their chart of accounts is organized and how their accounting entries are made. Look it up.”

Copenhaver said he asked the management of City Stars to voluntarily undergo an audit, to which they agreed. The Thomas Speight and Noble firm completed the audit and presented it in June 2025. 

“ The independent auditor’s report expressed the opinion that the City Stars financial statements present fairly in all material respects and assets, liabilities, net assets of the City Stars Booster Club,” Copenhaver said. “ In other words, clean audit.”

On Dec. 5, 2025, the City Stars board announced the club will cease operations as a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit and will transfer operational responsibilities, including banking accounts, funds and sports equipment, to the city of Jonesboro.

Copenhaver said now should be an exciting time for the program and the upcoming generations who will make use of City Stars. 

“Moving forward means moving beyond the past, and now we need to focus,” Copenhaver said.

However, in the public comments that followed, several citizens expressed a desire to stay on the topic of City Stars. 

Public comments

Jeremy Terrell, who ran for Jonesboro mayor in 2024, addressed Copenhaver and said he does not understand why some act like the investigation is not a big deal. He said the mayor has the responsibility to ensure taxpayer money goes to organizations that act in the best interest of the public.

“This is about the responsibility that you hold and that the city council hold to make sure that taxpayer’s money is being dealt with in a manner that is proper and legal,” Terrell said. “So those of us that are asking questions, we deserve answers, period.”

Bill Campbell, who previously served as the mayor’s communication director, said citizens should exercise patience and not jump to conclusions during a federal investigation. 

“I don’t know what the answers are. I do know that you have a mayor who has had clean audits every time,” Campbell said. “So I think I would lean on that and we can’t pretend we know something different.”

Dean Macdonald, a Jonesboro native, said he agrees with Terrell that any allegations of misconduct are serious and should be investigated. However, he said some of the discourse surrounding the investigation has broken down recently. 

Following comments from the public, many city council members voiced support for Copenhaver, but agreed communication must be improved.

Council member comments

LJ Bryant, Ward 5, Position 1 council member, said the public clearly cares and the situation should not be dismissed as something minor. 

“Despite any of the gaslighting going on tonight, the FBI didn’t show up for no reason. So we’re in a very serious situation and as the stewards of the taxpayer’s resources, I feel like we have to take action,” Bryant said.

Joe Hafner, Ward 5, Position 2 council member, said while he supports Copenhaver, the mayor should not have let concerns go unresolved for so long.

“I think that’s one thing that definitely needs to be improved and that’s let something fester, it turned from a little snowball into a big avalanche,” Hafner said. “And now that we got the public here with eroded public trust, just frustrated, the problems have escalated. I don’t take that lightly.”

Ward 2, Position 2 City Council Member Chris Moore said many issues would be absent today if Copenhaver addressed concerns sooner. He said trust should be restored between the council, mayor and community.

Hafner said the relationship between the mayor and council is built on trust. He said they must be transparent with each other.

Copenhaver said he understands many people had honest questions about the City Stars operation. He said while he never meant to come off as dismissive of these questions, the city council never had the answers. 

“Those questions should be properly directed to its own officers and board of directors, which had the full fiduciary responsibilities and duties. The mayor’s office did not have answers about the accounting or handling of money of City Stars,” Copenhaver said. “Part of all the confusion has come from people asking questions or emailing or texting complaints and concerns about City Stars to the wrong place.”

Anthony Coleman, Ward 6, Position 1 council member, said while he appreciated Copenhaver sharing his side at the meeting, he believes the council does have a responsibility to ask questions and look into City Stars. 

“ Maybe not handling a lot of it fiduciarily, but we do have a responsibility to share, to talk, to ask questions, to make certain that we are doing what’s right for our children,” Coleman said.

Chris Gibson, Ward 3, Position 2 council member, said the council has a good platform to build on moving forward and the future is optimistic.

Copenhaver said he appreciated the input from the council and is always up for constructive criticism.

“I apologize to this city council because the last thing I ever want to do is draw a wedge between us because that does not benefit our community,” Copenhaver said. 

Looking ahead, Copenhaver said he is excited for the future of City Stars under the leadership of Jim Stearns, interim director of parks and recreation. 

Other business

In other business, Copenhaver announced InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprise Inc. will construct a frozen food manufacturing facility in Jonesboro. He said this development will create about 200 jobs.

The council also read the following ordinances:

  • On first reading:
    • Ordinance 26:004 would amend a zoning ordinance providing for changes in zoning boundaries from R-1 to RS-7 for a property at 1306 Charles Drive. 
  • On second reading:
    • Ordinance 26:001 would change the zoning boundaries from R-1 to C-3 general commercial district for a property at 2620 Alexander Drive.
    • Ordinance 26:002 requested approval of a private club permit for Monarca’s Mexican restaurant.
    • Ordinance 26:003 requested approval of a private club permit for Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

The Jonesboro City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Jonesboro Municipal Center. Meetings are also livestreamed on the City of Jonesboro Facebook page.

Jonesboro City Council passes resolution for data tracking

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City hires company to compile citizen data

Delta Digital News Service

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024

Brayden Morse | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Jonesboro City Council passed a resolution for data tracking on Tuesday that may concern citizens.

The resolution entered a contract with Placer Labs Inc. for data compiling software to provide vital information for grant writing efforts. 

The data will be valuable for community development, advertising and promotion in the city. The contract will begin in February 2024 and terminate in February 2025.

Dr. Anthony Coleman, councilman for Ward 6, Position 1, wanted clarity on citizens having their phones tracked without their consent. 

Dr. Charles Coleman
Ward 2, Position 1

“This software potentially gathers information from our citizens to know where they are and their location. Is this a violation of the rights of a citizen to know where they are and what they are doing? I’d like someone to address the questioning regarding the concern to have a person’s phone tracked without their consent,” Coleman said. 

“This software potentially gathers information from our citizens to know where they are and their location. Is this a violation of the rights of a citizen to know where they are and what they are doing? I’d like someone to address the questioning regarding the concern to have a person’s phone tracked without their consent,”  

Dr. Anthony Coleman, Councilman for Ward 6, Position 1

Turns out, the software does not track personal data. Placer Labs Inc. cannot gather any personal information. The company uses third party apps on mobile devices that have been given permission to utilize. 

The contract is $20,000 annually for five users that is 12 months long and renewable.

City Attorney Carol Duncan responded to a city chamber’s concern of the data and tracking within the city. 

Carol Duncan, City Attorney

“If you’re on Facebook, you’ve agreed to let them collect your data. They already track you and everywhere you go. All this does is collect the data. It won’t tell me it’s you, but it’ll say you went to the park. We can use that data to say look at all of the people who came to the park and we should deserve this grant,” Duncan said. 

“…All this does is collect the data. It won’t tell me it’s you, but it’ll say you went to the park. We can use that data to say look at all of the people who came to the park and we should deserve this grant,” Duncan said. 

City Attorney Carol Duncan

The zoning ordinance provides changes in zoning boundaries from residential and commercial to commercial for property located at 915 Southwest Drive as requested by G.S. Brant Perkins.

Chris Gibson, councilman for Ward 3, Position 2, shared his concerns on the rezoning for the property.

“Safety is a big concern of mine. That is the worst area in Jonesboro in terms of traffic control, as we all know. I don’t know where my head is on this one, but that’s my biggest concern,” Gibson said. 

“Safety is a big concern of mine. That is the worst area in Jonesboro in terms of traffic control, as we all know. I don’t know where my head is on this one, but that’s my biggest concern,”

 Chris Gibson, Ward 3, Position 2
 Chris Gibson, Ward 3, Position 2

According to the Jonesboro Police Department, 53 motor vehicle accidents off 915 Southwest Drive occurred in 2023. Even though the accident total was provided, the council approved of the ordinance. 

The council approved four ordinances for permits as well. A microbrewery restaurant private club permit for Defending Advancement Inc. and Lebowski’s Inc. will be located at 1514 Southern Ridge Blvd. 

The Arts Annex, Inc. will relocate to 330 S. Main, as well as 1812 Pizza Company with no location set yet. The council also approved Southern BBQ Hilltop for a private club permit. 

Four resolutions for properties located at 315 Welch, 405/411 McDaniel, 812 Creath and 1025/1029 Hope from Redbird Investments LLC were passed with only one discussion from the council regarding the purpose of attaining the properties. 

Redbird Investments LLC will be used as inventory. If anyone in the area is interested in developing, the company will look into it. 

The Jonesboro City Council will meet again February 20 at 5:30 p.m.

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Brayden Morse 

Brayden Morse is a junior in the multimedia journalism program in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

Cottage house ordinance tabled by jonesboro city council

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Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service

If passed, the ordinance, will allow cottage housing in Jonesboro. According to the city’s website , “The cottage house development is an alternative type of detached housing providing small residences for households of typically one to two individuals without undergoing the subdivision process.” 

Before the floor was open to discussion from the council members, Mayor Harold Copenhaver made a statement in regards to the ordinance.

“I would like to thank the West End community to allow our staff to attend the West End neighborhood meeting on Sunday where they listed a few concerns regarding this ordinance,” Copenhaver said. “As a result of that meeting, Mr. Smith has some amendments he would like to propose to help address the questions he received.”

Director of Planning and Zoning Derrel Smith then spoke about the amendments in the ordinance.

The amendments include: 

  • Only two houses can have the same design or layout.
  • The character of the cottage homes must blend in with the rest of the neighborhood.
  • All houses will be up to code in every aspect.

“The ordinance was first introduced in May 2020 after talking with realtors and developers in Jonesboro,” Smith said. 

Council member representing Ward 2, position 1, Dr. Charles Coleman then motioned to postpone the ordinance temporarily to the first city council meeting in April. “So that some of these items can be addressed to the community because they still are not satisfied with the information,” Coleman said. 

The council will need to vote on the amendments and then vote on the amended ordinance. The motion to postpone the ordinance was a 7-3 vote.

During the mayor’s report, Copenhaver spoke on the recent death of Sanitation Department Director Donny Gibson. 

“Donny died in a tragic accident Feb. 17. He had people that really adored him and loved him in the city and in the staff. We continued to keep him and his family in our prayers … We will miss Donny,” Copenhaver said.

Copenhaver announced there will be a “mass vaccination” held at the Arkansas State University in the First National Bank arena from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. Copenhaver said, “I want to thank all of our healthcare partners, our hospitals, NYIT, health department, Arkansas State University and others.”

Other items on the agenda include: 

  • Resolution to construct the Veterans’ Village community center; passed
  • Resolution to distribute funding through the Coronavirus aid, relief and economic security (CARES); carries to the next meeting 
  • Ordinance to place various traffic signs at designated locations as determined by the traffic control committee; passed 
  • Ordinance for the transfer of location of a private club permit for North Hills Social Club; passed

Jonesboro City Council Holds First Online Meeting Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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By Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Amid a global pandemic and the aftermath of a natural disaster, the city of Jonesboro had somewhat of a return to normalcy with a remote city council meeting Tuesday night.

The meeting was the first held since the state of Arkansas declared a national emergency regarding COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. It was also the first meeting held since an EF3 tornado tore through Jonesboro on March 28.

“Before we get started, I’d like to take a moment to praise the people of Jonesboro and the workers for the City of Jonesboro. We’ve been through a lot as a citizenry and a government,” Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said in his opening statement. “The citizens of Jonesboro have been strong and come to each other’s rescue. We are a loving people.”

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The Jonesboro City Council held their meeting virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The new format led to a unique viewer experience, though. it had its faults as well. Screenshot by Chase Gage.

It was far from a typical city council meeting, though, as the members were forced to meet online via video chat in response to social distancing policies in effect across the state and nation. The meeting was then broadcast on local television and Facebook Live so citizens could attend and participate from home.

Residents had several communication options for the meeting, including a special phone line and email address to contact as well as live comments on Facebook during the meeting.

The shift came with a handful of downfalls, as technical difficulties plagued some segments of the meeting. Resident participation was also relatively limited compared to in-person participation, but the council seemingly did the best they could with their available options.

“The coronavirus and tornado have created a new landscape, and our duty is to adjust. I ask for patience as we do so. This is not a new future, it is simply a temporary fix,” Perrin said on the shift to online meetings. “It isn’t going to be perfect. Any change this drastic is going to have glitches, so please be kind and patient.”

Councilman Gene Vance said several improvements needed to be made for the council to continue to hold online meetings, adding that he struggled to hear other members even with his volume cranked up.

Virtually all members of the council were adamant in praising the emergency response of both city employees and the public in the aftermath of the tornado that struck just over a week before the meeting. Miraculously, there were only 22 injuries and no deaths due to the storm.

“The citizens of Jonesboro have been strong and come to each other’s rescue. We are a loving people.”

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin

Perhaps the most impactful topic of the night dealt with the mayor’s power to enact a city-wide curfew in times of declared state emergencies. Previously, a curfew could only be enacted for 48 before the city council had to meet to approve any extension.

However, the members voted unanimously to overturn that precedent, allowing the mayor to enact a curfew for up to 120 days — or until the next scheduled meeting — the maximum number of days allowed under state law.

As a direct result of the motion passing, Perrin will meet with city officials including Chief of Police Rick Elliot and Jonesboro Chief of Staff Mike Downing on Wednesday to iron out the details of a forthcoming curfew. Perrin said a curfew is “coming soon,” and that citizens should be prepared to follow it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want everyone to wear a mask. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. This is no time to worry about appearances. You look better with a mask. Please help your city by being responsible,” Perrin said.

Ironically, the first order of business was to pass a motion allowing the online meeting to happen, overturning an in-person requirement in times of a state emergency. Of course, the motion passed unanimously.

Several other issues brought up were related to re-zoning, but most were postponed to be discussed at a later date. Councilman David McClain insisted suspending a vote on ORD-20:010 until citizens could participate in person to discuss the details.

Unlike typical meetings, resident interactions were very few throughout the evening. There was one call-in and only a handful of emails and Facebook comments.

The viewer count peaked around 100, but dipped as low as 50 viewers toward the end of the meeting, likely much lower than in-person attendance would have been under normal circumstances.

A decent number of comments related to how well the city has handled not one, but two emergency situations in the past month.

“I appreciate that the city is continuing to operate in this fashion. Different and dark times require creative solutions,” Jonesboro resident Scott McDaniel commented on the live stream. “Keep it up.”

Watch the full meeting here.

JONESBORO RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR A CURFEW

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By Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Jonesboro City Council passed an ordinance April 7, allowing Mayor Harold Perrin to impose a curfew of no longer than 120 days in response to the COVID -19 pandemic.

Perrin chaired the meeting with council members participating via webcam.  Accompanied by City Attorney Carol Duncan, they both wore filtered face masks and practiced social distancing by seating several feet away from each other.

“This is not a time to look good, you just look good in your masks,” Mayor Perrin said as he began the meeting.

The agenda for the meeting did not contain any special presentation as members voted to postpone several items to a time when the council would meet physically.

Several members also complained that the audio system wasn’t clear enough to allow proper participation via webcam.

Dr. Charles Coleman requested the council postpone to the first meeting in June, a proposal to change the single-family residential to family residential, on a property located at 1130 Jonesboro Rd. Coleman said the postponement would allow several members of the public to physically be present at the meeting to participate in the discussion.

Members also voted to postpone other zoning codes, including the ordinance to amend Section 117 of the zoning code to the next city council meeting.

Some of the items the council passed included a unanimous vote to purchase a property at 409 North Fisher St. at $2,243 plus regular closing cost. A unanimous vote was attained to condemn property at 304 Walnut St.

Also, an ordinance to place traffic signals at determined locations as determined by the Traffic Control Commission.

Mayor Perrin said, so far, the city’s revenue exceeded expenditure, but because of the COVID-19 and the Tornado that recently swept the city, they are watching the finances for any significant deviation.

He said the city received $7.8 million for emergency services for COVID-19 and tornado damage relief and because a few homes in tornado affected areas did not have insurance, the city will clear the debris but will charge a fee for re-building.

Councilwoman Anne Williams commended KAIT 8 News for warning the public in time about the tornado.

Councilmen John Street and Joe Hafner thanked the mayor, police department and fire department for their swift action during the tornado.

“You did your best under the circumstances, no deaths,” Street said to Mayor Perrin.

Street and Hafner both said the hand of God played a role in saving the lives and properties during the tornado.

“People as far as Conway and Little Rock came to help. I see the hand of God in this- everybody, hang in there,” Hafner said.

Councilman David McClain also thanked JPD for keeping patrol around the community to ensure no looting of property.

Perrin asked members of the public to send in their comments via email through councilcomment@jonesboro.org, via phone (870) 336 7248 or via Facebook live on the city’s Facebook page.

Members of the public participated by sending messages via email and Facebook live to the meeting.

Dr. Paul Vellozo, a physician in the Jonesboro area, requested the council pass a resolution for food handlers and grocery workers to wear masks.

Several members of the public sent in requests. A woman requested to have all churches closed because a particular church in her neighborhood was still holding meetings and posing a threat to her safety. Another complained that the park equipment and basketball court were still open. Someone requested the city council to close child-care centers during the pandemic because the centers put the health of children and workers at risk for lack of social distancing and a physician requested that all Jonesboro residents wear masks in public.

The North East Arkansas Bicycle Coalition said there is an increase in the number of cyclists and pedestrians during the pandemic and requested the public through the council to increase public outreach to motorists to be aware of cyclists and pedestrians using roads.

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

City council meets remotely due to COVID-19

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By Krishnan Collins
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO –The Jonesboro City Council met April 7 in remote fashion during a time of uncertainty due to COVID-19 and the city is still healing after a tornado swept through the center of Jonesboro March 28. 

   The meeting diverted from the original agenda right at the start as resolution 20:044 had to be approved for the meeting to officially be able to take place remotely. Since restrictions surrounding COVID-19 limits the number of people that can be in one place, the resolution was proposed and passed. 

   Among many stipulations in the resolution included that members on the council must conduct meetings in ways where the media can still view due to freedom of information laws, electronic means can be used for video call or chat that is recordable and audible to all parties watching and participating in the meeting, and the mayor, city clerk, city attorney and commission chair must be physically present at the meeting place where it is being held. 

  Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin started the meeting by complementing first responders, the community and city employees as wells as reminding citizens to follow social distancing and health guidelines.

   “We’ve been through a lot,” Perrin said. “Our employees in all of our departments deserve your appreciation. They have worked tirelessly and hours with a remarkable attitude. Jonesboro residents have been strong and came to one other’s rescue. We are definitely a loving people in Jonesboro. The coronavirus and tornado have created a new landscape. Our duty is to adjust. I ask for patience as we adjust with each other. This is not a new future, it is simply a temporary fix. So please be kind and be patient. We are doing the work of the city and we cannot stand still. Life doesn’t work that way. But we are not weak. COVID and the other obstacles that are ahead of us, we must be smart, and we will definitely work together.”

   Perrin stressed the importance of wearing a mask when out in public. 

   “This is no time to worry about appearances,” Perrin said. “You look better with a mask.”

One issue on the agenda caused significant debate on the night, Ordinance 20:011. 

   The ordinance, submitted by Ditta Enterprises, proposed the rezoning of an area at 400 E. Highland Dr. The Ditta family wants to build a hardware store in the area. The hardware store received public support, with only a single dissent.

   Janet Gehring said during a past meeting that an ordinance had been passed in 2007 that stated no business could ever be built on that plot of land except for a bank. The plot of land is in a neighborhood surrounded by residents. Gehring said she would not want to live next to a hardware store and asked what was the point of making an ordinance if it was just going to be changed later. 

   “And, I think, I might ask you all, would you like to live by a hardware store and call that your neighbor?” Gehring asked. “Mr. Rogers probably would. Mr. Rogers probably would say won’t you be my neighbor, but I would say, please don’t be my neighbor. Please don’t be my neighbor.”

   It was pointed out that the ordinance had been passed in 2007 to stop a 24/7 fast food restaurant or convenience store from opening at the time and was argued that such an establishment would cause disturbances to residents in the neighborhood being that it would be open at all times of the night as well as the day. 

   It was also argued at the time a convenience store on Highland Drive would mean children would have to cross a major road to go to the restaurant or store and therefore could easily be struck by traffic. 

   However, it was argued at the meeting that zoning ordinances are not meant to be frozen in time and can change with the times of the city. The original ordinance was not meant to stop a local, family-run hardware store from being installed in the area. 

   According to Jim Gramling of Gramling Law Firm who represents Ditta enterprises, the Ditta family hosted a couple of neighborhood meetings where it invited residents who lived within 400 feet of the planned site to come and voice their objections to the family. 

  According to Gramling, the Ditta family made many adjustments from feedback at the first meeting and hosted a second meeting. 

   The ordinance was passed to allow rezoning. 

   Technical difficulties during the meeting along with lag times in public comment through social media, phone lines and email provided some challenges for city officials. 

   “It’s not going to be perfect,” Perrin said. “Any change this drastic is going to have glitches.”

Editor’s Note: Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

Housing development delayed by city council

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By Crystal Carter Harrell
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Jonesboro City Council motioned to postpone a zoning request at 1130 Greensboro Rd. on April 7 and left an African-American entrepreneur waiting another 60 days for his project to get the “green light.”

The rezoning request, made by Jackson’s Construction CEO and licensed realtor Rickey Jackson, managed to garner 86 signatures on a petition causing the delay according to Councilman Charles Coleman.

Coleman said the citizens on the petition do not have any problem with the request, but they want to appear in person to voice public opinions on the matter.

“When it comes to things like that, I would rather people be in front of me to voice their opinion. If I was in that area, I would feel the same way,” Coleman said. “I’m very impressed by Mr. Jackson trying to do something with the area. I understand, but I’m only going to vote with my conscience.”

Councilman Chris Moore said he had also received considerable objections to the request. He moved to second the motion of postponement for 60 days. Restrictions because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic prevented the public from attending the meeting in-person at the time.

The council received a zoning ordinance map amendment application for the 8.84 acres of land in December. Before the application, the property sat vacant for 10 years.

Jackson has worked as a licensed residential and commercial contractor since 2006, building duplexes for private owners and investors for years. He currently holds contracts with the highway department and has plans to develop a new roundabout connecting Harrisburg and Caraway Roads.

The first property solely owned and developed by Jackson, at 1130 Greensboro Rd., is five minutes away from Arkansas State University.

“Instead of apartments, I want to build stand-alone homes that serve single individuals or small families. I only want to place 41 homes in the area. I could go up to 53, but I do not want to congest the area. I’m only asking to build variant home sizes. I only want to help the area, not hurt the area,” Jackson said.

Each all electric unit in the 41-unit housing complex will range from 1,000 to 1,300 square feet. Some of the units will have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garage. Fencing will be put up for privacy in backyards.

The rental cost with utilities could be between $800 and $1,000, but nothing has been set in stone. Jackson plans to break ground as soon as rezoning is approved at the third reading by city council.

“I’ll abide by what the city council decides and take it from there. It is setting me back, but I am an entrepreneur.”

Editor’s Note: Feature photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

Suddenlink Reps Miss Connection with Disgruntled Customers

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By Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The City of Jonesboro held a joint meeting with Suddenlink Thursday night to address numerous complaints by citizens. The St. Bernards Auditorium was at capacity; in fact, it was standing-room-only for disgruntled residents.

Hundreds of Jonesboro residents showed up to voice their complaints to media giant Suddenlink. Complaints ranged from wrongful charges to lack of competent service and were never in short supply.

“Our company has not delivered as it should. I want to apologize that it’s come to this. The crowd is evidence of how serious it is,” Brad Ayers — senior director of governmental affairs for Altice USA, the company that owns Suddenlink — said.

Hundreds filled the St. Bernard’s Auditorium for the meeting. Photo by Chase Gage.

Representatives from both Jonesboro and Suddenlink were available from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to answer questions and complaints submitted by customers. Ayers “promised” the company would address every complaint “within a week” of the meeting. Jonesboro’s communications director Bill Campbell read several of the complaints to the crowd.

The majority of the meeting consisted of Suddenlink representatives attempting to answer specific questions by residents, though they often received “corporate” answers instead of legitimate solutions. The crowd tried their best not to let the company off the hook.

Perhaps the loudest reaction of the night came when the company reluctantly revealed one of their call centers was located in South Africa; multiple complaints included call center employees not speaking fluent English.

“I can never get a real person on the phone, and when I do, they’re foreign and I can’t understand them,” Campbell read from a submitted complaint.

Further unrest ensued when a customer proclaimed “if you’re billing for services that aren’t provided, that’s a problem.” The statement was met with applause and a very audible “amen” from the back of the room.

“I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.” – Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin

State Senator John Cooper was in attendance as well to address his constituents and their frustrations.

“It looks to me like you’re trying to handle this with management. Personally, I would like to see highly trained people here to take care of this. It’s probably a little bigger than what you have here at this meeting tonight,” Cooper said to the Suddenlink representatives.

Cooper suggested a “task force” approach to solving the problems Jonesboro residents are facing.

“You’re welcome to contact me at any time over these issues. I will work with this company to improve the service,” Cooper said. Cooper can be contacted by phone at 870-761-0130 or by email at john.cooper@senate.ar.gov.

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An upset customer voiced their opinion on Suddenlink during the meeting Thursday night. Photo by Chase Gage.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin arranged the town-hall-style meeting after a Nov. 7 meeting with Suddenlink representatives. Prior to the initial meeting, Perrin receiving numerous calls and emails complaining about the company and “immediately” got on the phone to fix them. Perrin assured citizens that their voices were being heard and their issues would be addressed.

Perrin also made sure to point out Suddenlink does not have a franchise with the City of Jonesboro and that any claims otherwise are misinformation. Instead, Suddenlink has a franchise with the state of Arkansas. There are multiple cable and internet providers in the city, though Suddenlink serves the majority of the area.

“Send any unanswered questions to my office. This is a serious issue we need to resolve,” Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said to open the meeting. “I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.”

The Jonesboro Mayor’s Office is located at 300 S. Church St. and can be contacted by phone at 870-932-1052 and via email at hperrin@jonesboro.org.

In the end, the meeting did little to resolve any issues despite the best efforts of the Suddenlink representatives. However, if their promise is fulfilled, the residents of Jonesboro will be taken care of in the near future.

“We’ve heard you loud and clear,” Ayers said in his closing statement. Whether or not they listened, though, is yet to be determined.

New Overpasses Coming to Jonesboro

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by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The Jonesboro City Council-approved plans for new overpasses off Highland Drive and Nettleton Avenue will commence construction after July 2018.

Arkansas Department of Transportation Area 10 Engineer Brad Smithee said the financial aspect was the main reason for the wait.

“Discussion with Jonesboro, BNSF Railway, (Arkansas Department of Transportation) and other parties involved have been around for a number of years regarding this project,” Smithee said. “More direct project developments began when a funding mechanism was identified and the city of Jonesboro received a (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant for $1.2 million to perform environmental and design work on the project back in 2014.”

Smithee said the overpass will bring many changes to the community, many of which would affect safety.

“They would increase access to industry, increase safety for school-age children and increase the traffic flow that is currently congested by the railroad crossings,” Smithee said.

Aside from the businesses affected, the Nettleton School District could see some changes in the near future.

Nettleton graduate Jacquelyn Young said she believes construction could require more police supervision.

“I think that the overpasses will help after-school traffic and provide a new way to get around the school, but it also might make the traffic before school more hectic,” Young said.

Since the project is very complex and in a populated area of town, Smithee said there is not an exact time frame for completion. They must consider the cost of construction items and the number of possible construction days to figure up a bid. This is then paired with a building schedule figured up with a construction cost so that they can determine how many workers they will need.

The new overpasses will not only cut back on train and vehicular incidents, but will cut back on the traffic around the tracks.

A Plan for Downtrodden Properties

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by Miranda Reynolds
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The Jonesboro City Council recently hosted the Little Rock Land Bank Commission to learn how it can positively impact the city.

Mayor Harold Perrin said he kept up with the Little Rock Land Bank Commission for two years and thinks that it could benefit the city.

“The biggest thing is that you are trying to clean up your entire area or neighborhood and concentrating on them. That’s the key,” Perrin said.

In 2008, the city of Little Rock started the Land Bank Commission in hopes of increasing home ownership, stabilizing property values, improving the health and safety of neighborhoods, and maintaining the architectural fabric of the community. The Commission sent Doug Tapp as a representative to inform Jonesboro’s City Council of its goals.

“The goal of the Land Bank in Little Rock is to take these properties that have issues, acquire those properties, have them cleaned up and get them back on the tax rolls,” Tapp said.

Tapp said the properties the Land Bank Commission prefers to have cleaned up include those with city liens, unsafe and vacant structures, vacant lots and properties that are being cleaned by the city.

Target areas in Little Rock include blocks with several properties or lots that need attention. Targeting specific areas allows for those communities to have a better selling point for potential buyers.

Neighboring houses to Land Bank Commission properties that are scheduled for demolition are offered to neighbors in the community for $500. Tapp said adding lots together can increase property values. If the property is between two neighbors, each neighbor can buy half of the property.

Selling these properties to neighboring citizens comes with regulations. Tapp said buyers must maintain the properties once they are bought to ensure that the properties do not fall into despair again.

“When we go in and do work on homes, we see neighbors see that and start doing the same thing,” Tapp said.

Crowley’s Ridge Development Council agreed to work with Jonesboro. Perrin said further research is needed and will then be presented to the council for further discussion.

Editor’s Note: The featured photo depicts a representation of nearly 3,450 vacant commercial and residential properties in Jonesboro, based off records from Craighead County. (Courtesy of City of Jonesboro)