The Benton City Council will meet Monday, April 27 at City Hall, marking the first regular meeting for newly appointed council member Chad Slaughter.

Slaughter will represent Ward 3, Position 1, filling the remainder of the term previously held by Bill Donnor, who passed away in February. Donnor’s term was set to run through the end of 2026. The council selected Slaughter during a special called meeting Tuesday night after interviewing him and seven other candidates.

Slaughter’s appointment and first meeting come at a time when the council faces a full agenda of development, policy updates, and infrastructure decisions impacting the city’s growth and operations.

Monday’s meeting will begin with a 5:30 p.m. agenda session, with the regular council meeting immediately following at Benton City Hall, located at 410 River Street.

The Benton City Council will take up a wide range of ordinances and resolutions at its April 27 meeting, with agenda items spanning annexation, zoning, parks fees, utilities, and administrative policy changes.

Community Services / Commissions

Ordinance 16 (Annexation):

The city plans to add about 6.47 acres near Northshore Drive into city limits, extending services like police, fire, water, and sewer to the area.

Ordinance 17 (Commissions Process):

Establishes a formal application and selection process for city boards and commissions to improve transparency and consistency.

Finance

Resolution 20 (Police Property):

Declares unused police equipment as surplus so it can be sold or disposed of legally.

Administrative Policy

Ordinance 18 (Records Retention):

Updates how the city keeps, stores, and destroys records, including digital files, to comply with state law and modern practices.

Parks and Recreation

Ordinance 19 (Program Fees):

Adjusts fees for parks and recreation programs for the 2026 season.

Ordinance 20 (Rental Rates):

Updates rental prices for park facilities and replaces older rate rules.

Planning and Zoning

Ordinance 21 (Conditional Use Rules):

Clarifies procedures for approving special land uses, including notice, review, and appeals.

Ordinance 22 (Zoning Title Update):

Makes a technical correction to zoning district naming for consistency.

Ordinance 23 (Zoning Amendments Process):

Updates how zoning changes are proposed and reviewed, including hearings and resubmissions.

Ordinance 24 (Rezoning to School District):

Changes a specific property’s zoning from residential multi-family to a school-related designation.

Ordinance 25 (Rezoning to Commercial):

Converts several properties on Military Road and Longview Street from residential to commercial use.

Ordinance 26 (Conditional Use Permit):

Allows a storage/warehouse building at a specific East Street location, pending approval.

Public Utilities Commission

Ordinance 27 (Utility Bonds):

Authorizes refinancing of existing utility debt through new bonds to manage costs and repayment.

Resolution 21 (Utility Equipment):

Approves purchase of specialized electrical testing equipment for Benton Utilities without competitive bidding.

Streets and Infrastructure

Resolution 22 (Highway Maintenance Agreement):

Allows the city to partner with the state to handle mowing and litter cleanup along Interstate 30.

Resolution 23 (Equipment Shed Contract):

Awards a contract for construction of a new street department equipment building.

 

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In addition to routine items such as approval of minutes and committee reports, the council will consider a wide range of ordinances and resolutions affecting city operations, development, and infrastructure.

Among the items on the agenda that are up for consideration:

• Annexation proposal (Ordinance 16 of 2026):
  Accepting new territory into the city, including assigning zoning and ward placement and outlining city services for the area.
• Commission appointment process (Ordinance 17):
  A proposal to formalize how members are appointed to certain city commissions.
• Police department surplus (Resolution 20):
  Declaring certain Benton Police Department property as surplus and authorizing its sale or disposal.
• Records policy update (Ordinance 18):
  Updating the city’s document retention and destruction policies, replacing a 2014 ordinance.
• Parks and recreation rates (Ordinances 19 and 20):
  Updates to programming and rental rates for the 2026 season.

Planning and zoning items make up a significant portion of the agenda, including multiple ordinance changes related to zoning procedures, district definitions, and property rezonings. Notably, the council will consider:

• Rezoning a parcel to a school district designation
• Rezoning several properties along Military Road and Longview Street to commercial use
• Granting a conditional use permit for a storage or warehouse building on South East Street

In the Utility section of the agenda, the council will consider issuing refunding revenue bonds for Benton Utilities and approving the purchase of specialized electrical testing equipment.

Street and infrastructure items include a proposed agreement with the Arkansas Department of Transportation for litter removal and mowing along Interstate 30, as well as awarding a contract for construction of a street department equipment shed.

The meeting will also include public comments before adjournment.

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See the full agenda in this embedded document. Use the controls to flip the pages. 👇🏽

Benton City Council Meeting April 27 2026.pdf

Browse MySaline’s list of all the events in Saline County at www.mysaline.com/events.

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