The Texarkana, Arkansas, Board of Directors on Monday will revisit a police and firefighter pay proposal and begin discussion of a proposed downtown entertainment district where outdoor drinking would be allowed.
During a regular meeting, the board will hear a second reading of an ordinance sponsored by Assistant Mayor Linda Teeters that attempts to resolve an ongoing pay dispute.
The ordinance sets forth contingencies for police and firefighter pay raises depending on the city's financial status in a given year. The plan is meant to find an agreeable solution to pay parity after more than 20 years of dispute over a pair of quarter-cent sales taxes enacted to keep Arkansas-side police and firefighter salaries commensurate with those in Texarkana, Texas.
In a workshop meeting last week, Mayor Allen Brown and Detective Tom Briggs, Texarkana Police Association president, presented competing proposals to resolve the issue.
Members of the Board of Directors and City Manager Kenny Haskin have expressed urgency in coming to an agreement in light of a lawsuit that could rule the sales taxes unconstitutional, potentially costing the city millions of dollars a year in revenue.
Also on the agenda is an ordinance that would create an entertainment district downtown under a new state law letting cities allow outdoor alcohol consumption.
People would be allowed to have open containers of alcohol and drink alcoholic beverages in a defined area downtown on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
No open containers could be carried out from liquor stores, and glass containers would not be allowed. All other normal alcohol regulations would remain in place.
The board also will consider allowing the Texarkana Airport Authority to take out short-term loans.
The board will vote on an ordinance that delegates to the Airport Authority the power to open short-term lines of credit. The Airport Authority needs that ability to pay advances on projects that later will be reimbursed through state and federal grants, the ordinance states.
The ordinance does not specify how much money the airport needs to borrow or for which projects.
An emergency clause is attached to the ordinance. If two-thirds of the board votes to approve the emergency clause, the ordinance will go into effect immediately. If not, it will go into effect after 30 days.
The agenda includes a citizen communication time during which members of the public may address the board on any topic for up to five minutes each.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 216 Walnut St.