State of the City
February 22, 2011 Members of the Maumelle City Council, department heads, city employees and my fellow citizens, as required by Arkansas law, I am pleased to report to you the State of the City of Maumelle.As I prepare this report, the 2010 Census data has been released; Maumelle’s population is officially 17,163. As we knew all along, Maumelle is one of the fastest growing communities in the State of Arkansas for the past decade. According to the numbers, Maumelle is the third fastest growing community at 62.5% or an increase of 6,606 persons since 2000. Maumelle is the 24th most populous city in the State up from position 33 in 2000. These new numbers will result in over a million dollars in revenue collected annually. The year 2010 was a good year for the City of Maumelle even though we experienced worsening economic conditions for a second year in a row. One of the highlights from a commercial perspective was the opening of the Holiday Inn Express at the northern end of Maumelle. We also gained a new restaurant - Woka Woka opened in the Town Center area. The renovation and new addition of Pine Forest Elementary School, along with the construction of a new elementary building for Academics Plus Charter School and the Maumelle High School are on-going projects that got underway in 2010. We are hopeful that these projects will spur the development of new restaurants and other retail shops. We believe that the opening of the new high school within our city limits in August 2011 will lead to more residential and commercial growth in the near future. In December 2010, Dillard’s Inc. announced that they would be opening an Internet Fulfillment Center in the former Target Distribution Center which closed in 2009. The City along with Governor Beebe, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and many other partners worked together to make the 42 million dollar investment a reality. Although slower than previous years, residential development continued to expand in Maumelle with the opening of a new phase in two existing subdivisions. While total residential permits were down 43% in 2010, we continue to build more than most communities. The City of Maumelle had an annual operating budget of just fewer than 11 million dollars with general fund reserves of more than 3.38 million dollars. We are well beyond the mandated amount of holding 20% in reserves. Street fund reserves are currently at 4.0 million dollars. The overall financial condition of Maumelle remained strong during 2010, due to hard work by city staff in controlling expenditures and expenses. While the overall revenues in the general fund decreased by $262,336 as compared to 2009, expenses were held below the budgeted expenses, resulting in an increase in the fund balance of $197,394 for the year. The street fund balance increased by $504,108 by controlling expenses throughout the year. The Sanitation fund had an $83,297 increase in revenues and a $58,860 decrease in expenses during the past year. There was an increase in the Sanitation fund retained earnings of $439,833 during 2010. The city sales tax collection was over $2,050,000 last year. The annual increase of $174,664 in sales tax revenue is attributed to the continued retail growth and the streamline sales tax legislation. The county sales tax collection was $2,203,000, which was an increase of $29,694 from the previous year. This is an indication that spending level has at least bottomed out. We saw a significant decrease in revenues for building permit fees of $141,000 from 2009, mainly because of the permits for the new high school were in 2009 and the number of residential permits decrease by 43%. As the City continues to grow, our needs will also grow. Transportation infrastructure needs are being addressed to meet current needs and future needs. We are still working with our engineer, The Benham Company, to finalize the environmental documents which will allow the design of the new access to Interstate 40 to move forward. Additionally, we are currently doing asphalt overlays on major streets throughout MaumelleWe completed the final project that was approved on the 2005 bond projects with the opening of the new Transfer/Recycling Facility in December 2010. This was the last of seven projects funded through the 2005 bond initiative. The new police and fire stations opened at the intersection of Murphy Drive and Maumelle Boulevard in April 2010 with a large joint grand opening. These stations will allow us to better serve the citizens of Maumelle. We have numerous opportunities for citizens to volunteer as: youth coaches, scout leaders, MSWC volunteers, Maumelle Friends of the Animals, Tree Board members, Planning Commissioners, Civil Service Commissioners, Youth Council, AARP, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, church groups and civic clubs, such as the Lions Club and Rotary Club. Our citizens are involved and care about what happens within our city. We will continue to promote family events such as Hometown Thanksgiving, the annual Easter egg hunt, the annual kid’s fishing derby and Fourth Fest to bring the community together and to offer opportunities for sharing our wonderful community with guests and visitors. The Maumelle community is blessed to be supported by a staff that is concerned about the needs and concerns of the citizens. Each citizen is the customer, and we do our best to provide services that place the upmost importance on the ultimate customers – the citizens of Maumelle. From the Sanitation Department to the Parks and Recreation Department to the Police Department to the Senior Services Department to the Fire Department, our goal is to serve the citizens in the best and most efficient manner. Thank you for allowing me to serve you as the mayor of this wonderful community! The City’s staff and I welcome your comments and suggestions! Sincerely,
Michael Watson City Attorney’s Office For the first time in several years, there were no cases in active litigation. Rather, in 2010, the City Attorney’s office focused on training and preventative measures. For the first time in more than a decade, appeals were filed to the Civil Service Commission, requiring creation of procedures and training opportunities for Commissioners. Two trials were held before the Civil Service Commission. As is typical, the City Attorney, JaNan Davis, also provided regular legal advice to the Council, the Mayor, and many City employees and commissioners. She remains actively involved in the regular operations of the City, providing counsel on most real estate, planning, contractual, or personnel matters. Efforts have been undertaken to locate outdated or inconsistent ordinances and to work with staff to craft more modern provisions for consideration by the Council. The City Attorney's goal has always been to zealously defend or pursue the interests of the City as determined by the Administration and the governing body in such a way as to limit any financial exposure for the City of Maumelle and to achieve the goals of the City at large. In 2010, the City Attorney was offered an opportunity to occupy an empty space in the new Police Department Headquarters. Her presence in the building has fostered greater communications with police personnel and opportunities for education. In 2010, the City Attorney’s office prosecuted approximately 1400 misdemeanor offenses, 75 DWI offenses, 1200 traffic violations and 44 ordinance violations in Maumelle District Court. Almost one million dollars in fines were assessed after convictions. However, collection of those fines and costs remain a challenge because of the difficult job market. In an effort to make the best use of the resources available, the City Attorney and the District Court have worked together to promote the use of Community Service work in lieu of fines in appropriate cases. City Clerk’s Office In 2010, it was brought to our attention that state statute calls for the elected position of city treasurer as well as city clerk. For many years we had operated under the assumption that an elected treasurer was unnecessary because we had a finance director in place. That assumption turned out to be incorrect. Through consultation with the Arkansas Municipal League, as well as our city attorney, we determined that the best course of action was to move towards filling this position. Further research into this situation showed that Maumelle had combined the clerk and treasurer positions in 1990 (Ordinance 165), and, although the clerk position was very involved in City financial matters, there was no one officially operating as city treasurer. This was despite what was called for in state statute and even our own City code. This realization prompted us to take the necessary steps to bring us into compliance with both requirements. State statute requires the city treasurer to be responsible for all duties and procedures described in the municipal accounting law (AR 14-59-101 through 14-59-118). City code (Ordinance 657) states that the treasurer may delegate these duties, but that when doing so he “shall operate as direct supervisor with full responsibility for adequate completion of the duty which is delegated”. Steps have now been taken to make sure that this is the case. The City Clerk-Treasurer now serves as direct supervisor for the Finance Department. This, however, does not lessen the importance or role of the Finance Director who remains in place as a City department head. It simply changes his department’s direct supervisor and significantly increases the role and responsibilities of the clerk-treasurer’s office. Although these offices have technically been combined since 1990, the November 2010 ballot was the first in recent years to bear the full title of the office. In 2011, our clerk-treasurer will continue to familiarize himself with these new responsibilities and to play an ever increasing role in the financial affairs of the City. These duties will all of course be in addition to the responsibilities already being performed by the clerk. City-wide purchasing continues to be a priority in an effort to find efficiencies and cost savings. Those efforts were the most fruitful in 2010 in shopping the City’s insurance carrier. After a suggestion from the Mayor, we were able to switch insurance providers that led to an over $50,000 savings to the 2011 budget. We will continue to look at our purchasing strategies and procedures to make sure that we are wise stewards of tax payer funds and are being as efficient as possible. Code Enforcement/ Permits Department In 2010 our department issued 1,212 permits and received revenues of $ 181,298.00. Revenues were down from last year primarily because of the Maumelle High School building fees of $ 105,553.00 that were collected in 2009. Maumelle continues to have healthy growth in the number of single family homes despite the housing recession that is gripping the nation. Our rate of growth has slowed but we still had 85 new single family housing permits issued this year. I believe the growth will continue because of the new high school and Dillard’s fulfillment center moving to our city. There were several large commercial projects in 2010 that included the construction of the Hampton Inn, the addition and renovation to Pine Forest Elementary School, Maumelle High School and the remodel of the Woodbend Apartments. Also we finished the Maumelle Tennis Courts, Maumelle Transfer and Recycling Center and several commercial remodel projects. The Woka-Woka restaurant and the Dreamy Spoon yogurt shop opened in 2010. Storm water erosion control continues to be a high priority. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality did an audit of our MS4 program and gave us a favorable review. ADEQ did have several suggestions for improvement which we will implement in 2011 including training classes for public works and parks and recreation employees. Code Enforcement had a busy year with 1,151 tags and letters issued to residents and businesses. Compliance was achieved without citations in all but 12 cases. Our department feels strongly that we are the front line in keeping our city a beautiful and desirable place to live. We proudly fight the battle every day and will continue to do so.
Community & Economic Development The Department of Community and Economic Development focuses on business attraction and business retention and expansion. Working with existing businesses and supporting their needs is equally important if not more important than attracting new ones. Maumelle has many exceptional businesses that are intricate members of the Maumelle community! In 2010, the Maumelle Industrial Quarterly Networking Luncheons, organized by the City, were held at Frostyaire with Mayor Watson presenting the “State of the City”, followed by a tour of the facility; at the new Fire Station with a presentation by Fire Marshall John Payne and other firefighters and a tour of the new station; and at Scholastic Book Fairs, with a tour and gift bags containing beautiful books. These luncheons are a networking tool for the businesses and an avenue to discuss any issues that may arise. The fourth quarterly event was hosted by Molex, Inc. (Murphy Drive). They hosted a tour of the facility and a reception for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Commissioners and staff along with other industrial leaders and City staff. This was held during the AEDC Commissioners monthly meeting in November, which was hosted by the City of Maumelle. Many segments of the community participated in the AEDC visit to Maumelle. It began with a tour and reception at Molex. Dinner was held at Cheers, hosted by the City of Maumelle and the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce (MACC). Elected City officials and Chamber board members acted as hosts at the dinner. The following day, the Commissioners and staff held their business meetings at the Park on the River with breakfast prepared and served by our very own Kroger chefs. Mayor Watson greeted our guests and talked about Maumelle, including the infamous third entrance. The meetings ended with box lunches also prepared by the Kroger chefs. Three of the industries presented the guests with gifts, sharing a little bit of Maumelle – Claudia’s Canine Cuisine, Kimberly Clark, Corporation, and Scholastic Book Fairs. It was a wonderful opportunity to show others just how exceptional Maumelle is!The City was fortunate to participate in other special events in the industrial park, including a Life Safety Awards presentation at BEI Precision Systems and Space Division. There was also a special ceremony at Kimberly Clark Corporation for the presentation of the Kimberly Clark “Eagle Award.” They were recognized for having 365 days without an incident/accident. Kimberly Clark also celebrated 20 years in Maumelle with a picnic and games for their employees and families. One of several industries that experienced growth, BEI saw the number of employees rise to 230 with other positions yet to be filled. In addition, customer orders have not only remained strong, they are getting requests for additional development projects. The U.S. government recently gave approval for BEI to go to a Proxy Board form of governance. This is just one example of how businesses in Maumelle are prospering! Working with the new high school committee, meetings were held between industrial leaders and the Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) to discuss the curriculum at the new Maumelle High School. With the new high school located in the industrial park, Maumelle industries want to work with PCSSD officials to insure that students and industries both benefit from the new relationship. While the rest of the country slowed down, Maumelle was blessed to have a great deal of positive activity. Several new businesses opened in Maumelle and each one worked with multiple City departments before opening their doors. Some of those new businesses are Woka Woka, Key West Yogurt, and the Holiday Inn Express. Others began looking at opening businesses in Maumelle like Sandra Fuller’s adult day care, while some began construction, such as the Hampton Inn. In the area of business attraction and retention/expansion, the City of Maumelle continued to partner with other economic development organizations like AEDC, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRRCC), the Metro Little Rock Alliance (MLRA), and the MACC. The City also advertised in the MACC Guide and several regional and national site selection magazines throughout the year. The City partnered with AEDC and Entergy by using the Arkansas Site Selection Center to market available buildings and sites, located in Maumelle. Our own web site was a marketing tool and contains the City’s video, demographic data from the Gadberry Group and other details for residents, visitors, and site selectors. The City continued to support the goals of the MACC as advisors and through Chamber events. The Economic Development Committee of the Chamber researched means of attracting more retail, including the possibility of an A&P tax. A public meeting held at the Jess Odom Community Center revealed that there were some strong concerns among residents and business owners about an A&P Commission and what the tax would be used to accomplish. With the current state of the economy and the concerns of the public, the committee chose to “table” the discussions. There were no immediate plans to revisit it. The committee also looked for other ways to support existing businesses. Partnering with AEDC, the City of Maumelle was able to fund improvements to Champs Blvd. This work was completed in 2010, giving industries located along Champs Blvd. better access to their facilities. Maumelle was fortunate to have several site visits during 2010. One site visit went extremely well, although Maumelle was eliminated from the list of possible sites. The building didn’t meet their requirements as well as other buildings on their list. However, the Maumelle “team” did an exceptional job and it was a great experience. Even though we didn’t win that project, the two site consultants now know a great deal about our community and what Maumelle has to offer. The “team” included city officials, utility representatives, and industrial leaders from Molex, Kimberly Clark, and BEI. Maumelle had a great ending to 2010 and an even better beginning to 2011! After many months of visits and negotiations with AEDC, Maumelle officials, MLRA, and LRRCC, Maumelle was chosen as the site for a new operation by Dillard’s. Governor Beebe and many officials from around the state, business leaders, and residents joined Mr. Alex Dillard and other Dillard’s officials on December 22nd to announce that Dillard’s will open a new online internet fulfillment center in the former Target facility – an 851,000 square foot building. The new center will create approximately 300 new jobs and should open in 2012. With our local and regional teams, Maumelle continues to prosper and to be a great place to live, work and visit! Courts In August the District Court moved into the new Police Department at 2002 Murphy Drive. The move was temporary for the court, due to issues with mold at the 100 Millwood Drive location. The court is scheduled to move back to its original location in early 2011. In 2010, Maumelle District Court processed 3,266 criminal, traffic and ordinance violations. The court collected $ $235,450.36 in fines, an increase of $20,739.78 from 2009. Collections for probation in 2010 were $29,368.00 a decrease of $4,060.00 from 2009. This gave the court a total increase of $16,679.78 for the year. A tax set-off program, that is available through the Department of Finance & Administration, was utilized to collect income tax money from defendants with outstanding warrants. 50 tax accounts were set up to be intercepted. A total of $ 34,035 could be withheld. The court hopes to utilize this program for more accounts in 2011. Finance Department The finance department was notified in 2010 that its comprehensive annual financial report for 2008 was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association. This was the fourth consecutive award for the department, and the 2009 annual report was submitted for consideration of a fifth consecutive award. Community service fees were billed in the amount of $842,884, and sanitation fees were billed in the amount of $1,127,924. Collections for the year for these services totaled $1,963,580. Fire Department 2010 was a very productive year for the Fire Department. We again exceeded the previous year’s call volume, responding to 1340 calls. This trend seems to parallel the community’s overall growth. Emergency medical incidents continue to be the predominant type of call, accounting for over 70% of responses. We took delivery of a new rescue-pumper which was placed in service as Engine 2. The new headquarters fire station opened on March 12th with the first response being made that afternoon. The community’s response to the grand opening was certainly a testament to support for public safety. We are in our third year of the federal SAFER grant, which provides funding for four line firefighters. In addition, we received $30,000 via a state fire protection grant and Fireman’s Fund equipment grant. Maumelle did not experience any civilian fire deaths, or serious injuries. All non-home businesses continue to have an annual fire inspection and our public education programs in schools, businesses and civic groups remain strong. The CERT team received state and national recognition in their growth and continued development. The most significant incident of the year was July’s wildland fire around the MWM water tanks. For the first time in my ten years as chief, we utilized the state Forestry’s firefighting resources (air tankers and bulldozers). In the latter part of the year, we initiated a mold remediation project at the 100 Millwood Circle facility and then began remodeling of the downstairs to relocate fire personnel nearer the apparatus bay. Completion of this is anticipated to be done in early 2011. Human Resources The year 2010 saw Human Resources take on a new project designed to recognize employees’ longevity and service to the citizens of Maumelle. The result of the initiative was the creation of an Employee Appreciation Day. The day, Wednesday, July 28, 2010, was highlighted by a luncheon at Park on the River. The department heads prepared the meats, that is, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, and served as host and hostesses for the function. Without a doubt, the most significant part of the luncheon and the day was recognition, by the Mayor, of those employees with five or more years of service. In total the Mayor acknowledged 73 employees: 40 employees - 5 years of service, received 5 year certificates; 19 employees - 10 years of service, received 10 year plaques, 8 employees with 15 years of service, received 15 year plaques, 2 employees with 20 years of service, received 20 year acrylic plaques, and 4 employees with 25 years of service, received 25 year acrylic plaques. In addition to the plaques, each employee was also presented with the item they had selected from the Embroidme catalog. 2010 also saw Human Resources enhance the Benefits Fair with the addition of more exhibitors and a health screening component. The Health and Benefits Fair was held November 18, 2010, at the Jess Odom Community Center from 10:00am to 2:00pm. We were able, with the assistance of the Legacy Capital Group, to attract 16 exhibitors who offered a wide range of services for our employees to explore; many also offered door prizes which were appreciated by our employees. St Vincent Health Services (SVHS) provided flu shots for all employees and their eligible dependents during the Fair. Also, SVHS provided screenings for: Instant Cholesterol, Instant Glucose and Lipid Profile. All of these services were provided at no cost to the employees and their eligible dependents. We believe these activities had a positive impression on our employees; therefore, it is our intent to make these activities annual events. Parks and Recreation To consider where we are, and where we're heading, we must start by looking at where we have been in 2010. This past year marked the 8th anniversary of Maumelle Parks and Recreation Department having been reopened under a new facility. Since then, we have been able to expand several additional facilities and programs while maintaining our stride as the community we serve continues to increase in size. We are proud to say that as we continue to meet the needs and desires of the community through consistent expansion, there has not been a decrease in the usage of our current facilities. We have been able to effectively serve the community with its wide range of interests and ages. The Beth Rutledge Tennis Complex, with two tennis courts, was our newest addition to the department. The grand opening and dedication took place in late October. With only a few months of optimal playing time before the onset of winter, we were able to sell memberships to 148 residents. As the spring of 2010 arrives, we anticipate those numbers to increase substantially. Future plans will include an addition of two courts to the complex. The Jess Odom Community Center continues to increase in building usage. With a wide range of activities and programs filling all hours of operation, this place is seldom still. Our health club and fitness memberships continue to increase year after year. Our memberships for usage of the facility and its amenities have gone from 4,518 individual members in 2009 to 5,167 individual memberships in 2010, a 14% increase. The membership revenue total during 2010 was $267,045.59 which had a 4% increase. Departmentally sponsored sports leagues, programs and courses continue to increase in numbers and in scope. Our Adult Softball League saw thirty-seven teams take the field in 2010 while Adult Basketball filled maximum registration capacity within just two hours. The 1st and 2nd Grade Basketball League also enjoyed maximum numbers as seventy-two kids entered the program. Movies-in-the-Park witnessed a night in which over 120 residents showed up to take in an outdoor movie. Our Summer Camps program, with favorites such as Maumelle Survivor and craft camps, enjoyed increased numbers overall. The first ever Maumelle Dodge Ball Tournament brought in teams ranging in age from sixteen to forty five. The Maumelle Youth Council, a program long-sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, recorded memberships of over thirty youth for the 2nd straight year. In general, the course and program registration revenue, including the league revenue totaled $415,079.45, an increase of 35% over 2009. Improvements on Lake Willastein began in late fall to clean around the bank and shoreline of the lake. Trees and limbs were also trimmed or taken down surrounding the lake, playground and walking trail area. The next project at Lake Willastein will include paving the entrance of Lake Willastein, repairing the current parking lot, as well as increasing the parking area near the playground area. 2010 also saw the first annual Maumelle Holiday Lights trail and concert at Lake Willastein. Local businesses and organizations contributed time and effort in displaying lights and decorations throughout the trail allowing residents the enjoyment of seeing their creative displays. A gingerbread house and a miniature soccer field were amongst the many displays that showcased the Maumelle Holiday Lights. Planning and Zoning 2010 saw the Planning Commission and Planning Staff involved in some very exciting developments involving the City of Maumelle. January began with the Planning Commission approving an ordinance amendment that strengthened landscape design and façade landscape requirements further heightening the aesthetics of commercial development. Ordinances that the City council later adopted on the recommendation of the Commission and Staff were the abolishment of new private roads in the industrial and commercial zoning districts, as well as an ordinance amendment that greatly simplified the method by which the City accepts improvements in subdivisions for ownership and maintenance. Other ordinance amendments created an “Adult day Care Center” use, providing further care options for Maumelle senior citizens. A definition for “grading” was created, and a related simplification of the issuance of building permits was executed. Uses and definitions were created to cover automated teller machines, vending machines, and kiosks, as well as the locations for their placement. A site plan for state-of-the-art brick and mortar facility was reviewed and approved in relation to the Maumelle A+ Academics Charter School, as was a second location for “Little Scholars of Maumelle” day care center, giving parents more options for care of their children. The Wetlands Management Plan undertaken by the City continued to receive support from the EPA as the City was awarded a federal grant in the amount of $277, 955.00 to continue the program. The City program was featured in the August 2010 national publication of “Environmental Law” as a cutting edge effort for wetland management. In April, a comprehensive Planning Map was created. This map was the result of three years of research by Planning Associates Inc., and Maumelle Planning Staff. In July 2010, Maumelle became the first community in Arkansas to receive an audit from The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality in relation to the City program in Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS-4). The City passed the audit, and though there was room for improvement, ADEQ acknowledged that the Maumelle MS-4 program was very successful, and a program for other communities to emulate. The Arkansas Floodplain Management Association chose Maumelle as “Floodplain Community of the Year” for 2010 for excellence in floodplain management. This was the second such award for the City, having also won in 2006. Police Department The following report will hopefully highlight some of the accomplishments and challenges seen by the Maumelle Police Department during the year 2010. The first area I would like to address is that of crimes reported to the Police department. Comparing 2009 reported offenses to like offenses being reported in 2010, we saw a 10.5% reduction in criminal incidents being reported. Of significance were the categories of vehicle breaking and entering and residential burglaries. Our city saw a total of 61 residential burglaries reported in 2009 compared to a total of 50 in 2010, for an overall reduction of 18%. Also, we saw 164 breaking and/or entering cases, including vehicle B and Es reported to the Department in 2009 compared to 125 in 2010, for a reduction of 24%. The department also made several arrests where defendants were charged with multiple offenses of breaking into vehicles, effectively deterring an organization or group of criminals from operating in our city. Of note, most of those arrested for breaking and entering were not from Maumelle, and the majority was from Little Rock, Ar. Our frequency of domestic incidents reported to the Maumelle Police Dept. rose slightly from 135 in 2009 to 137 in 2010, a 1.5% increase. This category increase probably reinforces the need for, and the effectiveness of, our Domestic Violence unit. Interestingly, the number of domestic disturbance calls decreased significantly, from 78 in 2009 to 46 in 2010, while the overall category including arrests increased slightly. One plausible explanation is that our emphasis on investigating and charging those suspected of domestic battery accounted for the disparity in number of calls for service compared to number of arrests as a result of those calls. Our number of narcotics arrests increased slightly from 111 in 2010 compared to 103 in 2009. Again, not surprisingly, the most common drug seized and the most drug arrests were for marijuana possession or distribution, followed by pharmaceutical seizures and arrests. Of note, for the first time, the Special Investigations Division conducted a joint operation targeting a prostitution network that was advertising that they operated in Maumelle. This operation, which was supported by the Little Rock Police Dept., was initiated after we received reports that possibly underage females were available for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. There were no services that had minors available for this activity identified as a result of this operation; however, a number of prostitutes and some persons engaged in patronizing a prostitute were identified and arrested. The Special Investigations Division also participated in a nationwide program designed to provide residents a way to dispose of pharmaceutical medications no longer needed by the owners of these drugs. The initiative was deemed quite a success by all of those involved. Our Department also spent 2605 hours involved in various types of training, ranging from basic training to training in highly specialized areas. Our Patrol Division responded to 4,839 complaints from Maumelle residents and or business owners in 2010, compared to 3,738 complaints in 2009 for an increase of 29%. We conducted 2,134 traffic stops, writing 737 citations in 2010, while conducting 1,529 traffic stops and writing 499 citations in 2009. This reflects an increase in traffic stops of 39% and a 47% increase in citations issued. As a result of implementing a minimum of three Officers on patrol per shift, our hours on patrol, foot patrol, time spent on residence checks and juvenile intervention increased significantly. It should be noted that our Department received a perfect score rating on both an NCIC and ACIC audit of our records and records processing, with representatives from both agencies saying that they rarely give perfect scores to any agency other than ours. For the year 2011, in addition to our regular responsibilities, we look forward to being involved in several new projects. We have plans of making some important strides in our information technology, which will greatly assist us in our information gathering and retrieval capabilities, as well as our crime tracking, and report monitoring. We are also beginning preparations for the opening of our new high school, which includes identifying and training our new School Resource officer. The Department is excited about the challenges and opportunities that the new school presents and we look forward to working with the various groups to ensure that the new school is a success. We also plan on hosting another Citizens Police Academy early in 2011, and have already begun accepting applications for this highly successful program. Public Works The year 2010 was an interesting and enjoyable year for the Public Works Department. We fully implemented automated trash collection city wide and opened Maumelle’s new Recycling Collection Center & Transfer Station. We are still operating with 35 plus employees. Public Works provides maintenance for the majority of the City’s common areas along with the 100 plus miles of streets and street rights-of-way and maintains approx. 28 miles of walking paths. Paths and street improvements were made in-house in 2010 totaling a cost of approx. $90,235. Funding in the amount of $500,000 has been approved for street repairs for 2011. The Sanitation Department, under Public Works, is responsible for the weekly collection of garbage, yard waste, and recyclables. The Department has collected and disposed of approximately 14,665 cubic yards of household wastes and 5,125 cubic yards of compacted yard waste from curb-side collection at a cost of approximately $150,708. Curbside collections increased slightly while the collections at the Transfer Station decreased slightly from 2009. The Maumelle Transfer Station collected 4,320 cubic yards of solid waste and 1080 cubic yards of green waste with a disposal cost of approximately $45,122. The Maumelle Transfer Station generated revenue of approximately $14,595 in 2010. Recycling materials accepted and recycled exceeded 864,000 pounds. Maumelle Animal Services also falls under the direction of Public Works. In 2010, we saw, for the first time, no percentage increase of animals from last year’s 626 intake to this year’s 600 annual intake. The aggressive spay neuter program are the results for this success. The successful relationship between MAS staff and MFOA have worked hard together to keep these numbers down. 3,650 calls were received and approximately 80% of these required officer assistance. 73% of the animals taken in were placed in homes, transferred to rescue groups, and returned to owners. This is an outstanding number beating the national averages. A 16% euthanasia rate is outstanding compared to the national average which is above 50%. The animal shelter generated $13,800 in revenue for 2010. Rita Cavenaugh joined the department as supervisor in December. She brings with her the vast knowledge and experience in Animal Services as she has worked for Maumelle Animal Services before and relocates back to Maumelle after running Lake Charles Animal Control in Louisiana. Senior Services In 2010 we ran 541 medical transports with 82 rides of multiple clients of 2 or more. In comparison, we had 307 transports in 2009 and we anticipate the number to continue to grow as the service expanded mid-year to an on-demand, Shuttle Service. With the assistance of trained volunteers, the transportation program grew from offering just medical, non-emergency transportation to offering transportation all around the City of Maumelle. All Around Town Shuttles began curbside transportation service mid-year allowing the 50+ aged population in Maumelle transportation anywhere within the City limits of Maumelle on designated days of the week. By year end 1,173 individuals utilized shuttle services to make 2,347 trips within the City of Maumelle. As demand increases, shuttle services will expand days and hours of service. The expansion of the transportation service is a key component of the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center dedication to provide services to keep the aging population living independently in their own homes. With the downturn of the economy, retirement for many has become an age of Repriorment. A partnership was developed with the Pulaski County Special School District to develop Adult Education and Computer Program Classes for individuals 50+ who wanted to brush up on their skills to either re-enter the workforce or begin a new career. An after 5 p.m. program was added, Active Living, targeting individuals within our target age range who were still in the workforce. Classes and services were provided specifically targeted to this group and presentations were held by representatives from the community. With the additional hours and programming, membership of the Wellness Center grew to more than 800 strong by year end and daily attendance averaged with more than 140 individuals attending daily. Our members range from 50+ still in the work force up to frail, elderly who depend on the daily lunch served and socialization programs. The staff and volunteers strive to find services and programs pertinent to all within our target age range through partnerships and referrals within the Central Arkansas community. Programs focus on the Core Concepts of Wellness and to assist the aging population to live independently. 2010 Special Projects During 2010 Special Projects worked on completing the 2005 bond election projects, walk trail grants and energy efficiency grants. The Transfer Station/ Recycle Center was bid out, built and opened in 2010. This is the last of the seven 2005 Bond Projects. This building houses an indoor Transfer Station and allows the City to expand its recycling center. The grand opening is scheduled for early 2011. The City was approved for a grant from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department’s Arkansas Recreational Trail Program. This grant was for repairs and upgrades to part of the trail around Lake Willastein and along S. Odom Blvd. This project is nearing completion and we hope to be able to add to it in the future. The City applied for and was approved for an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. This grant will allow the City to upgrade the lights in five City buildings. It will also allow the City to replace five HVAC units at the Dean Files City Center. This will result in lower energy usage and savings on the City’s electric bills. This work is expected to begin in the spring of 2011. The City is in the process of getting approval to extend the walk trail along Maumelle Blvd from Arnold Palmer Drive to Crystal Hill Road. Special Projects has applied for a grant to connect walk trails along Club Manor and the Lake Willastein area and putting entry signs at both ends of Maumelle Blvd. We have also looked into a grant for improving our electronic recycling. Grants we are looking to apply for in the future will improve walk trails, build wetland viewing stands and improve the quality of life for all the citizens of Maumelle. |
Maumelle, Arkansas 72113
Phone: 501-851-2500
Fax: 501-851-6738