The City of Benton Personnel, Health & Safety and the Finance Committees are scheduled to meet Monday, August 11, 2025, in Council Chambers at the Benton Municipal Complex beginning at 5:00. The meeting will also be available on Facebook Live.

 

Agenda outlines for the meeting are included below.

Personnel, Health & Safety Meeting

Monday, August 11, 2025

410 River Street

Council Chambers

5:00 p.m.

 

Chair – Bill Donnor

Vice-Chair – Frank Baptist

Staff Liaison – Mandy Spicer & Abtin Mehdizadegan

 

I. Establish a Quorum / Call to Order

II. Recognition of Attendees

III. Statement of FOIA compliance

     a. I affirm that I have not engaged in any prohibited discussion, deliberation, or

     polling regarding any item on this meeting’s agenda outside of a properly

     noticed and open meeting, in compliance with the Arkansas Freedom of

     Information Act, as amended by Act 505 of 2025.

IV. Approval of Minutes from July 14, 2025 meeting

V. Safety Plan approval

VI. Ordinance Allowing Employees or Related Parties To Do Work for the City

VII. Other Business

VIII. Adjournment

 

Previous Meeting Minutes

Personnel, Health & Safety Meeting

Monday, July 14, 2025

410 River Street

Council Chambers

5:00 p.m.

Chair – Bill Donnor Steve Brown Jeff Morrow

Vice-Chair – Frank Baptist Evelyn Reed Trevor Villines

Staff Liaison – Mandy Spicer & Mayor Tom Farmer Jeff Hamm

Abtin Mehdizadegan (Absent)

I. II. Establish a Quorum / Approval of Minutes

Mayor Farmer led the assembly in prayer.

Council Member Donnor called the meeting to order, recognized attendees, and

established a quorum. He asked for the minutes from June 9, 2025’s meeting to be

approved. Council Member Villines made the motion to approve. Council Member

Hamm seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion

carried.

Ordinance to address retirement eligible City of Benton non-uniformed employees

After the vote from last month for the non-uniformed employees’ retirement system to

be moved from the current defined benefit plan to APERS, those current employees that

were eligible for retirement were given several options. (1) they could retire prior to the

switch and retain the current defined benefit plan, the retirement would end

employment with the City of Benton and they would cease to be a City of Benton

employee (2) continue employment with the City and migrate all their years of service

to APERS or (3) continue employment with the City, freeze the City of Benton retirement

as of July 28, 2025 and begin as a APERS participant with no years of service converted.

Mayor Farmer explained that since the city council voted to move non-uniform

employees to APERS an ordinance is needed to allow the city to utilize the designated

retirement funds to buy years into APERS.

CFO Spicer advised that the mayor’s statement was regarding the second ordinance on

the agenda. She went on to explain for this ordinance those employees eligible to retire

right now were given 3 options. They can retire, prior to the switch, on the current plan.

They can move into APERS with their years of service, which most opted for. 4individuals went with the 3rd option which is to retain their current plan and freeze it,

and move into APERS with zero years of service and continue working for the city.

Council Member Morrow asked how many employees chose the first option. CFO Spicer

advised only 1 person chose to retire. Mayor Farmer advised she had already decided

to retire months before the discussion started about moving to APERS.

CFO Spicer advised she is working with Baxter Drennon, City Attorney, who is writing the

ordinance and the MOU for those who chose option 3. She went on to explain the

second ordinance on the agenda to amend the current pension plan to allow those

funds to be used to buy into APERS. This will not affect the current retirees or those

who are term vested.

Council Member Morrow asked what the effective date is to be officially in APERS. CFO

Spicer responded with August 1. Council Member Donnor added that the current plan is

110% funded, then asked Mandy to confirm that. She advised it is 103% funded

according to the last actuary report.

Council Member Donnor asked if there were any other questions. Council Member

Morrow made the motion to approve the ordinance. Council Member Villines seconded

it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.

III. Ordinance to amend current pension plan

Due to the vote from last month for the non-uniformed employees’ retirement system

to be moved from the current defined benefit plan to APERS, therefore the pension plan

document needs to be amended to reflect it. This will not affect anything for the existing

retirees or any termed vested former employees.

Council Member Morrow made the motion to approve the ordinance. Council Member

Villines seconded it. Council Member Donnor ask if there any questions. A vote was

taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.

IV. Other Business

Council Member Donnor asked if there was any further business to discuss.

Council Member Villines ask if the city council needs to approve the safety plan that was

presented to the council last month. CFO Spicer advised it has been sent back to the

department heads due to some feedback for their review. It will be presented to the

city council again in August.

V. Adjournment

With no further business to discuss, Council Member Donnor called the meeting

adjourned.

For more information on events check out www.mysaline.com/events