The Finance Committees is scheduled to meet Monday, August 11, 2025, in Council Chambers at the Benton Municipal Complex immediately following the Personnel, Health & Safety which begins at 5:00 p.m.
City of Benton Finance Committee
Monday, August 11, 2025
410 River Street
Council Chambers
Immediately following Personnel, Health & Safety at 5:00 p.m.
Chair – Steve Brown
Vice-Chair – Jeff Morrow
Staff Liaison – Mandy Spicer
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. Benton Utilities
a. June 2025 financials & 2024 Benton Utilities Audit
VI. CD Renewal discussion
VII. Fire Training Site Preparation RFP choice
VIII. Police Lockers RFP choice
IX. Rivercenter Membership Pricing revision
X. Accept Grant awards
a. Parks Environmental Protection Agency Climate Pollution Reduction grant through Metroplan for Benton Saline River Greenway Phase 2
XI. Other Business
a. July 2025 financials
Previous Meeting Minutes
Chair – Steve Brown Frank Baptist Mayor Tom Farmer
Vice-Chair – Jeff Morrow Evelyn Reed Trevor Villines
Staff Liaison – Mandy Spicer Bill Donnor Jeff Hamm
I. Establish a Quorum / Approval of Minutes
Council Member Brown 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 Baptist made the motion to approve. Council Member
Hamm seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion
carried.
II. Benton Utilities
Todd Pederson, GM, opened with an apology for he and Jimmy Garrett, CFO, being
absent last month. He then asked if everyone got a copy of the audit last month. It was
decided the council did not have a copy, so Mr. Pederson advised he would get copies
for next month and go over it. He advised the audit was clean with no findings. Also, all
3 areas made money for the first time in a while. Council Member Morrow asked who
the auditor for Benton Utilities is. Mr. Pederson advised it is Yoakum, Lovell, and
Company.
Mr. Pederson then presented the May financials. Benton Utilities had expenses over
revenue of $42,000. Year to date they have revenue over of expenses of $1,800,000.
He reminded the council that the revenue over expenses is driven by capital
expenditure. Though they budgeted expenditures the same every month, they do not
spend the same every month. Mr. Pederson advised they are still on track for the rest
of the year. Cash flow went up because they expense principal and interest on bonds.
The money is still in the bank. In September, you will see a big drop in cash when they
make some of those bond payments. He then went over the services. Electric was
revenue over expenses $64,746. Water was expenses over revenue $31,637. This was
due to some extra cost with the water purification. Wastewater was expenses over
revenue of $75,195. Mr. Pederson asked if there were any questions.
Mr. Pederson advised the new electricity rates went out July 1 with the positive power
cost adjustment which is 2/10ths of a penny per KWH. They must recoup an extra$85,000 in wholesale electric cost which will flow through the rates as a 2/10ths of a
penny power cost adjustment. Council Member Morrow asked if that is a positive for
the customer. Mr. Pederson advised it is a negative for the customer spread over 35
million KWH.
III. Resolution approving Mid-year True-up
Each year, in order to operate departmental budgets better, it is asked to shift funds for
each department. Some departments (like Animal Services) have contracts (as in the
Animal Services building) that were approved in 2024 that have carried over into 2025
and require additional appropriation. Attached is a detailed document to the budget
resolution.
CFO Mandy Spicer had nothing to add. She reminded the council that there is a detailed
listing behind the resolution in their packets with some expenditure explanations in the
margins to the right.
Council Member Brown advised there are no new cash outlays related to the budget.
There are no new net dollars being asked for. It is either money being shifted from 2024
to 2025 or reallocated from 1 GL to another.
Council Member Morrow asked in Community Development if the Engineer and Director
positions will be filled before year end. Mayor Farmer advised they are trying to hire a
director right away. For the Engineer position there have been no applicants. Council
Member Morrow then asked how that work is being absorbed. Mayor Farmer advised
that McClelland Consulting Engineers is stepping in, but we have having to pay for that.
Council Member Morrow followed up asking if there were any applicants for the
director’s position. Mayor Farmer advised there will be a committee meeting of 10
people next week to review all the applications and pick out the best 4 or 5 and start
interviewing. Council Member Morrow if we would have someone for the position by
next month, maybe. Mayor Farmer replied with maybe.
Council Member Brown asked if there was anything else then asked for a motion to
approve. Council Member Morrow made the motion to approve the resolution. Council
Member Villines second it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the
motion carried.
IV. Resolution approving radio upgrade for Police & Animal
The City of Benton issued an RFP to upgrade the radios within the Police and Animal
Services departments. Bids were opened Friday, July 11th and after careful evaluation,
the recommendation is to go with ***.
Council Member Brown invited Chief Scotty Hodges to the podium to expand on this
issue. Chief Hodges explained that radios are currently on a wide band which meansless radios can be on the network at one time. The state system, AWIN (Arkansas
Wireless Information Network), is trying to make all radios narrow-banded. This means
more radios can get on the frequency and there is less chance of someone getting
knocked off. All departments such as Offices of Emergency Management (OEM) are
having to make this move. The bulk of our radios were purchased in 2014 with some
being purchased as staffing increased. The older radios are getting near their end of life
and are not serviceable anymore. This upgrade will allow them to be narrow banded
but will not change their service life. At some point we will have to buy new radios. He
is trying to expand that service life. The mobile radios are in the same place. The
department has about 90 mobile radios and 84 portable radios. Animal Service has 5
portable radios. Chief Hodges feels it will be an expensive deal to limp these radios
along another year or 2 but trying to make that happen.
Council Member Morrow asked if we just bought some Motorola radios in the last 3 or 4
years for about $200,000. Chief Hodges we have and those will last longer. It is the
radios bought back in 2014 with the newly passed Public Safety Tax that are at the end
of life. They will work but if they break there are no parts. This resolution is to just get
them narrow banded to limp along for as long as they can. According to Motorola this
must be done before the end of September otherwise they cannot be done.
Council Member Donnor ask if this was just for the portable radios. Chief Hodges
advised it is for both mobile and portable radios.
Council Member Brown asked what the dollar amount will be. Chief Hodges advised he
has a couple of rough dollars. He wanted to speak with the city attorney but there is a
company out of Texas that can do the work for less than Motorola. Roughly the city is
looking at about $200,000 to just limp them along. To replace them all is about
$1,700,000.
Council Member Brown asked if the request tonight is to issue an RFP. Chief Hodges
answered yes. CFO Spicer interrupted advising an RFP had already been issued and the
bids were opened the previous Friday. 2 bids were received. 1 from Command
Communications for $67,150 and the other from Motorola for $85,000. Council
Member Brown then asked if it is his recommendation to approve the $67,000 bid.
Chief Hodges answered not know until he speaks with the city attorney. Council
Member Brown then asked if the council needs to take any action tonight. Chief Hodges
said he needs it to go to the council and be approved, so this can be done by September
but until he speaks with the city attorney, he does not know which bid he is going with.
Council Member Donnor ask the Chief who he wants to go with. Chief Hodges advised it
is a legal matter that he has got to get a question for the city attorney. Council Member
Brown then suggested that the council could go ahead and approve the higher amount
and accept the lower amount. Chief Hodges asked to be reminded what the higher
amount was. CFO Spicer responded with $85,000. Chief Hodges advised the council
that that figure did not include portable radios. The $67,000 does include the portablesbut there is still a legal question to be asked. Mayor Farmer stepped in and agreed with
Council Member Brown that they could go ahead and approve the higher amount. The
city attorney will be available tomorrow to get the answer Chief Hodges needs. Council
Member Brown then asked if the council needs to approve an amount higher than
$85,000 to make sure the portables are included. Chief Hodges responded if he gets the
answer he wants from the city attorney, and it is legal then it will take $125,000 total
which is a preliminary figure.
Council Member Donnor committed that sometimes the lowest bidder does not provide
the best service, and he wants to make sure that the city is covered. Chief Hodges
responded that this company out of Texas comes recommended by Saline County. The
county has used this company, but they are not an authorized Motorola dealer. Council
Member Brown asked if using this company would void any warranties. Chief Hodges
reminded the council that these are no longer serviceable.
Council Member Baptist asked when the city transitions over to new radios what is the
plans for the old ones. Chief Hodges advised that the radios will be sold. Companies
like the one in Texas will buy and refurbish the radios, then send them out to smaller
departments that cannot afford new radios. Council Member Baptist then asked that
we do not want to transition slowly but make one pushed and get them all updated.
Chief Hodges reminded the council that this must be done by the end of September. It
is possible after September 30 that if a radio is not reprogrammed to the narrow band,
then that office may not be able to communicate via that radio. This is a safety issue.
Chief Hodges wants to get all the radios reprogrammed so that they can limp along until
they can afford to purchase new ones.
Council Member Morrow asked if there is a budget for this or is this a new expense.
CFO Spicer advised within the true-up for the budget the money was appropriated up to
$85,000.
Council Member Morrow ask who is mandating this. Chief Hodges explained that AWIN,
which is the statewide radio system for all Police and First Responders, is requiring this
upgrade. Council Member Morrow then questioned if the issue is when on the wide
band people get kicked off. Chief Hodges explained that older radios use up a wide
band which allows less people to get on. With the narrow band more radios can get on
at any given time. Council Member Morrow asked if AWIN is private or state funded.
Chief Hodges replied that it is state funded. Prior to 2014, when Benton joined AWIN,
the city had to buy their own towers and repeaters, and the range was limited to just
that network. If for any reason a first responder left the city limits that person would no
longer be able to communicate. This was a safety issue. The state mandated the AWIN
system to make it safer for all first responders. Council Member Morrow stated that
there had to be a private company building all this infrastructure. Council Member
Donnor advised there a few who do the work for AWIN.Council Member Brown agreed that we have got to do what we have got to do. The
budget true-up appropriated $85,000 for this upgrade. For the city to appropriate up to
$125,000, the council will need to amend the true-up that was just voted on to add the
additional expense, so a revote will need to take place. Chief Hodges advised it would
be easy enough to make moves within his budget since the money is there. CFO Spicer
advised to make it net zero they will have to revisit. She agreed they can make the
adjustment. The money is there. Chief Hodges added that Motorola won’t touch the
portables. Motorola is the one that made the September mandate. They will only
touch the mobiles. The $85,000 will cover that. Chief Hodges suggested he could come
back next month to handle the portables since there is not a deadline for those.
CFO Spicer asked if both sets were included in the original RFP. Chief Hodges replied yes
but that it was complicated. Motorola will not touch the portable radios. CFO Spicer
asked if Motorola did not fully bid on the project. Chief Hodges replied that Motorola
did not bid on the portables because they are not willing to touch them because they
are at end of life. The company out of Texas will. CFO Spicer advised it is clearer now,
understanding that Motorola did not respond fully to the RFP. Council Member Donnor
comment that Motorola is very picky. Good product but very picky.
Council Member Brown advised before the council approves the chief’s request that
they need to go back and amend the true-up motion to adjust it to the $125,000.
Approve it then address the Chief’s issue. Council Member Morrow asked if they are
adding money now. Council Member Brown advised no, they will simply move the
money from other GLs. CFO Spicer walked the city council through how the true-up will
be modified to reallocate the additional $40,000 for the radio upgrade. Council
Member Brown asked if everyone followed that. Council Member Villines asked what
the first line was. CFO Spicer advised it was 5001.02, Full Time Non-Exempt. That
amount will be increased to $191,876. Then 7006.00, Professional Services, will go up
to $148,000.
Chief Hodges advised they will have to come up with a plan. He thinks that it will be to
replace so many each year and budget it and hope for the best. Motorola makes a good
product. They have had the portables since 2014 with no problems. They are just at the
end of life. He wants to limp the old ones along until they have a plan. He asked does
he divide the $1.7 million over 3 years. Over 4 years. This is the decision he will talk to
the mayor and budget.
Council Member Brown came back to the matter at hand today now that the council has
a plan to reallocate the additional $40,000. He asked for a motion to repeal the
approved budget true-up, and a new motion for accepting the updated true-up. Council
Member made the motion the repeal the budget true-up. Council Member Hamm
seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.
Council Member Hamm made the motion to approve the adjusted true-up. CouncilV. VI. Member Villines seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the
motion carried.
Council Member Brown then asked for a motion to approve up to $125,000 for the
upgrade on the radios. Council Member Donnor made the motion to approve the
amended resolution. Council Member Reed seconded it. A vote was taken. All those
present were in favor and the motion carried.
Resolution approving Benton School District SRO contract
The Benton Police Department and Benton School District each year enter into an MOU
for School Resource Officers. For the 2025-26 MOU established 9 officers to be provided
at 178 days each at a rate of $549,000. This is an increase of 1 officer due to the opening
of the new Mountain View Middle School.
Chief Hodges confirmed that 1 officer is being added this year due to the Mountain View
Middle School opening this school year. This makes a total of 9 SROs for the Benton
School district and 1 for the CTE but that is separate. The new administration is on
board with this contact. It is being taken to the School Board later this month. He has a
meeting with the school board on Thursday to fine-tune the details. Chief Hodges does
not feel that the contract will change from that meeting. The new administration just
wants to go over it.
Council Member Brown advised that the resolution would be to authorize the contract
for the 2025-2026 school year. Chief Hodges added the increase is about $89,000
compared to last year. This includes the pay increases and 1 additional SRO. Council
Member Brown advised it will be about $549,000 in total. He then asked if there were
any questions or comments.
Council Member Baptist asked when you lose an SRO, do you people in line to replace
that officer. Chief Hodges advised volunteering sometimes. They were very fortunate
this time to only have to select 1 officer. 2 volunteered to pick up the slack when 2 SROs
decided to go back to patrol. He advised that they have a great working relationship
with the school. He believes that will continue with the new administration. Their main
contact with the school district is Greg Little with whom they have a good partnership.
Council Member Brown asked if there were any other questions or comments. Council
Member Villines made the motion to approve the resolution. Council Member Hamm
seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.
Resolution approving Police car as surplus
Chief Hodges requests the ability to surplus a 2016 Dodge Charger because it is beyond
its safe service capabilities. The Police will maintain the online auction.VII. VIII. Chief Hodges advised that the vehicle has a blown motor. Even though it has not
reached the 100,000-mile mark, it does not make sense to put that kind of money into a
Dodge Charger that they have not had good results with. He advised the car would be
auctioned off.
Council Member Brown reminded the council that this is something done on a regular
basis. He asked if there were any comments or questions. Council Member Donnor
made the motion to accept the resolution. Council Member Baptist seconded it. A vote
was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.
Resolution approving Edward Byrne grant application
Chief Hodges requests permission to apply for grant funding through the Edward Byrne
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. This grant will be used to purchase equipment for
the police department.
Chief Hodges advised that this is a grant they are allowed to apply every year for. They
are told the amount they are eligible for before they apply. The department usually gets
it. Chief Hodges cannot recall a time they did not get it. They normally purchase
computers with the funds. This time he put technology because he is not certain what
they are going to purchase yet.
Council Member Brown asked if he knew what the set amount is. Chief Hodges replied
he does not have an idea yet, but it is usually around $10,000 to $15,000. Council
Member Brown added that this is just permission to apply.
Council Member Villines asked if this was through a state entity or non-profit. Chief
Hodges advised it is dual. If you don’t get state funding, then you can switch over and
get the funding through federal. 99% of the time the department will get it whether it is
state or federal.
Council Member Brown asked if there were any more questions. Council Member
Baptist made the motion to approve the resolution. Council Member Hamm seconded
it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.
Resolution approving Metroplan Surface Transportation grant application
The Parks department requests to apply for the Metroplan Surface Transportation grant
to complete the Ralph Bunche Connector Trail.
Council Member Brown asked CFO Spicer if she would like to add anything to that. She
shook her head no. He then asked if there were any comments or questions. Council
Member Morrow made the motion to approve the resolution. Council Member Villines
seconded it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.IX. Resolution approving Metroplan Carbon Pollution Reduction grant application
The Parks department requests to apply for the Metroplan Carbon Pollution Reduction
grant to complete the Saline River Greenway Phase 2.
Council Member Brown asked if there were any comments or questions.
Council Member Villines asked if this is for construction, design, or engineering. Mayor
Farmer advised that this is for construction.
Council Member Brown asked if there were any other questions. Council Member
Baptist made the motion to approve the resolution. Council Member Hamm seconded
it. A vote was taken. All those present were in favor and the motion carried.
X. Other Business
CFO Spicer started with presenting the Sales Tax for June. There was a 3.2% increase
over June of 2024. Year to date that puts the city just shy of 1% decrease, so we are
about break-even year over year. She reminded the council that this is just sales tax,
and that the city gets other revenues. She pointed out on the General Fund tab that the
monthly actuals were $185,696.26 in the black for June. Year to date was $704,068.41
in the black. She advised early in July a $256,000 payment was made from the cash
account for the new Animal Services Shelter. She pointed out that the less restricted
cash accounts currently had $3.37 million which is cash on hand. This number will start
falling as we pay for the new Animal Shelter which was the plan all along to utilize that
cash on hand. She asked if any council member wanted a more in-depth version to
please give her a call and she would be glad to sit down with anyone. She again pointed
out the new Animal Services Shelter build and the Police Headquarters renovation are
really starting to move. Invoices are starting to come in. The city has spent everything
out of ARPA so far, so we are starting to move into the rest of coming out of the General
Fund.
XI. Adjournment
With no further business to discuss, Council Member Brown called the meeting
adjourned.
