The meeting in its entirety can be viewed on a recorded video on the city’s Facebook page. 

The discussion on bicycle lanes at the board’s October 15th meeting centered on those down the lengths of Hope’s Sixth Street and 16th Streets. Both streets have had bicycle lanes painted down their sides. The question has been on how or whether to regulate parking on those lanes. Directors and city manager J.R. Wilson talked about options at that meeting but tabled the topic until the next meeting. Wilson brought it up as the third item on last night’s meeting’s agenda. 

Director Mark Ross said he had visited Little Rock, Hot Springs and Shreveport in the past ten days and seen signs to indicate when parking on bicycle lanes was limited, prohibiting parking from 8:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. 

“Some of them don't allow any parking at all. I don't think we should allow any parking in the day times at all. That's the whole purpose of us getting these bike lanes. There's no need of endangering people having to go in and out, in and out, not knowing if a car is coming up from behind them, but I do not have a problem of allowing parking in the evening. They would have to be off the streets by 8am that's my suggestion,” Ross said. 

Mayor Still described a recent trip down one of the streets that would be affected. “I was coming down Sixth Street the other morning, and they had people parked on both sides of the road, and the busses are leaving, having trouble getting them, meeting cars and stuff. So I'm in favor. We already have the signs. I'm in favor of putting up there No Parking, Bike lanes. That'd be easier to enforce.” He added that introducing time limits would lead to the board having to decide on the cost of a ticket. 

Ross asked Hope Police Chief Kim Tomlin how a prohibition on bicycle land parking would be enforced.  Tomlin said that when the signs are up, the department would be able to enforce what the sign indicated. 

Wilson said an ordinance would need to be written prior to the signs being placed. 

Ross asked for the including of signs written in Spanish as well.  Wilson said the city staff could draw up an ordinance and present it for the board to vote on. 

Wilson then told the board that the traffic signal at Hazel and East Third has sustained damage from a tall diesel truck that hit it recently.  It has not malfunctioned yet, but Wilson said he had been told that as the signal unit fills with moisture there is an increased likelihood it would malfunction and begin blinking red,  which would change the intersection to a four-way stop.  The age of the light has made repair of it more difficult because of the lack of replacement parts, Wilson said. 

Mayor Still asked to see options for repairing and raising the traffic light up so it would be less likely to be hit again.  Wilson said he would bring these options to the board for consideration. 

Meetings are ongoing, Wilson said, with the committee representing Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center on an agreement under which the city and Hempstead County will lease the property on which the hospital sits, which both governments bought half of this year. Wilson said the meetings are coming close to having a lease document to show the respective boards that must approve it. 

The board approved the low bid of Barton Roofing to build an equipment storage shed for $48,750 for the city’s public works department. The other bidders were Justin Jacques LLC for $84,150 and M.A.C. Construction for $96,407. 

Assistant City Director Daniel Shelman presented an option for city employees seeking a lower cost higher deductible health care plan offered through the city’s choice of provider, the Arkansas Municipal League. The city covers 100 percent of the cost of an individual employee’s premium and 50 percent of the cost for added family members. Because of the increase in rates by $486 per year for the employee only and $1,080.04 per year for each family member added, the low deductible plan is being offered. 

As Shelman explained to the board, those participating in the high deductible plan would also become eligible for health savings accounts to which the city would contribute $50 in funds saved from the reduced cost of premiums for each employee and $100 for each covered family member enrolled in the high deductible plan. The funds contributed would roll over from year to year. 

The board approved offering the option to city employees at the benefits fair scheduled for November 13th-15th. 

In City Manager’s Report, Wilson invited area residents to a ceremony and then a trip to see two memorial highway signs, one for Carlo M. Robinson and the other for Chad Rosenbaum, two soldiers from Hope killed in military action during the War on Terror.  

On November 14th at 10:00 a.m., a ceremony will be held in the City Hall boardroom. Then attendees can drive to two of the signs under police escort.  At each of two locations, Wilson said, the signs will be unveiled and time will be provided for photographs. 

The meeting adjourned at about 8:00 p.m.