City to tout town while hosting annual workshop

Officials from across Arkansas in town for planning meeting

Arkansas Municipal League is holding its annual planning meeting today through Friday at the Arkansas-side Convention Center, and Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell plans to show delegates everything Texarkana, Ark., has to offer.

The city government support organization's officers, executive committee and boards of trustees, more than 60 people in all, will meet to discuss plans for its various services, AML Communications Director Whitnee Bullerwell said.

"We will be preparing agendas for our bigger meetings," including AML's winter conference and 83rd convention, both to be held in 2017, Penney-Bell said.

Penney-Bell has served on AML's executive committee for more than a year, and the organization approached her about holding the meeting in Texarkana.

"We're excited to host them. The people of Texarkana have been phenomenal in helping us sponsor this," she said. "We are going to highlight our city as best we can."

Plans for meeting attendees include an economic tour featuring Cooper Tire and Rubber Co., Maxwell Industrial Park, University of Arkansas-Texarkana and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Southwest. They will also tour the Municipal Auditorium and its Walk of Fame Park, as well as downtown Texarkana.

The city will treat AML delegates' spouses to an arts and history tour including stops at the Perot Theatre, Texarkana Regional Arts Center, local museums and historical homes.

All the visitors and local officials will eat dinner at Park Place Restaurant on Thursday.

"We're hoping that creates enough interest that some of those people who might not normally stop in Texarkana will come back," Penney-Bell said.

Founded in 1934, AML has a threefold purpose, "to act as the official representative of Arkansas cities and towns before the state and federal governments; to provide a clearinghouse for information and answers; and, to offer a forum for discussion and sharing of mutual concerns," according to its website, arml.org.

AML offers legal defense and health benefits for Arkansas city officials and employees, pension management, continuing education and other services.

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