Jonesboro · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Jonesboro public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Municipal liens for unpaid code enforcement charges
The city is recovering code enforcement cleanup costs by placing liens on 14 properties, totaling about $4,775. Council members framed these as removing neighborhood blight.
A-State infiltration partnership for retention ponds
The city wants to spend $52,000 from the capital improvement budget on a partnership with Arkansas State University to test engineered biofilter media in stormwater retention ponds. The idea is to make ponds lower-maintenance and better at recharging the aquifer.
Craighead Forest Park playground replacement grant
The city's most-visited playground is 21 years old and wearing out. A $1 million state grant could fund a new inclusive playground and chemical-free splash pad, but requires a ~$500,000 match — raising questions about how that competes with East Jonesboro Park funding. The Rotary Club may lead a capital campaign to help.
Summit Utilities sidewalk and landscaping obligations
Summit Utilities asked to skip a required sidewalk and most of the required landscaping at its new equipment storage building because the costs weren't budgeted. The board refused, and staff will handle compliance through the certificate-of-occupancy process with a firm deadline.
Gates and signage at Craighead Forest Park
Council has discussed gates at Craighead Forest for years — Council Member John Street has pushed it for nine years. Gates are on a new top-10 capital wish list, and new signage about no smoking and ranger contact is coming in weeks.
ARcare clinic drive-through pharmacy at 22211 Fowler Avenue
ARcare is converting the former Morgan Stanley building into a health clinic and wants a drive-through pharmacy lane so elderly and disabled patients can pick up medications without leaving their cars. The lot is already 12% over the coverage cap, so drainage and green space trade-offs were the main sticking points.
Election Ballot Guide
Jonesboro voters are heading to the polls soon, and this guide lays out exactly what's on the 2026 Craighead County ballot. No spin, no endorsements — just a plain rundown of what you'll actually see when you step into the booth.
Early Voting
Early voting starts October 19 in Craighead County, giving Jonesboro voters a chance to cast ballots before Election Day and skip the lines. If your schedule is packed or you just don’t want to wait, this is your shortcut to voting.
Comprehensive growth plan preview
The city is holding a four-day design week March 30–April 4 at the YMCA building where residents can shape the comprehensive growth plan and Master Street plan.
Joe Mack Campbell Park expansion grant
The parks department will pursue a $1.61 million federal grant to buy about 38 acres, add walking and biking trails, ADA parking and eventually more recreation facilities — half the cost covered by a local match of land donations, private donations and city funds.
Crisis response funding for police mental health work
Jonesboro will apply for $50,500 with no local match to buy a safety-equipped vehicle, iPad and laptop so the crisis response coordinator can handle mental health crisis visits.
Annual mill tax levies (library, fire and police pensions)
The committee renewed the annual property tax levies funding the library and the fire and police pension funds — about 2 mills total. Chairman Hafner stressed these aren't new taxes, just the yearly procedural step of levies voters already approved.
Drainage easement abandonment hearing in Southern Hills
A 73-year-old resident says the city is requiring her to mow a city-owned drainage ditch she can't afford to maintain, with erosion threatening the street and prior rodent problems after adjacent land was cleared.
Whiteman Street Creek to Briar Lane road connection
A rezone at 3030 Whiteman Creek Drive would let a self-storage facility build a road connecting to Briar Lane. Longtime residents Tony Green and Robin Jordan oppose it, fearing traffic on their quiet dead-end street.
Bond projects: 911 center and Caraway Road
A $2.17 million Motorola deal will modernize radios and dispatch consoles for the 911 center, funded largely through a federal appropriation and capital improvement revenue bonds.
Heartland Self Storage rezoning and Briar Lane road connection
A rezone at 3030 Whiteman Creek Drive would let a self-storage facility build a road connecting to Briar Lane. Longtime residents Tony Green and Robin Jordan oppose it, fearing traffic on their quiet dead-end street.
Aggie Road right-of-way acquisition
The city bought a small sliver of right-of-way at 3519 Aggie Road for $1,755 as part of roadway and pedestrian improvements. Engineering says just one temporary easement remains to nail down.
Washington Avenue corridor lighting
The city accepted the low bid from Wilkins Electric to finish a street lighting circuit on Washington Avenue from Marion Berry to Borgman Street, extending the downtown-to-ASU pedestrian lighting project.
Parks sponsorships and marketing package
Council members flagged that the city is accepting sponsorships carried over from City Stars without actively recruiting new ones. Parks staff said a sponsorship pricing package is being prepared and a part-time marketing specialist is being hired.
Higher fines for city code violations
An ordinance would raise the catch-all maximum fine for code violations from $500 to $1,000 (up to $4,000 for repeat offenses), matching state law. Existing specific fines don't change — it just gives judges more room on serious cases.
Gravel and fenced storage area at 5801 Kreuger Dr (VR-26-10)
Black Equipment wants a gravel, fenced storage yard for heavy equipment on Kreuger Drive instead of the code's required asphalt and curbing. The board granted the variance, treating it like similar industrial approvals.
City ditch maintenance dispute
A 73-year-old resident says the city is requiring her to mow a city-owned drainage ditch she can't afford to maintain, with erosion threatening the street and prior rodent problems after adjacent land was cleared.
Mosquito control and upcoming RFP
August mosquito counts are down due to dry weather. The A&P Commission is seeking bids for mosquito control services, with the RFP closing at the end of the month.
Duplex design variance (VR-26-24)
Walter Jackson wants to build a duplex without doors facing the street and with parking in the rear — which requires a variance from the zoning rules. The hearing didn't happen because the board lacked a quorum.
JETS fare-payment platform agreement with Cubic Transportation Systems
The city was set to consider a platform services agreement that would underpin how riders pay fares on JETS buses. It followed a competitive request-for-proposals process, so the committee was reviewing the result of that bidding.
Delta Peanut facility uncertainty
Council asked the mayor about whether the Delta Peanut plant can process this year's crop; the mayor said ownership conversations are ongoing and farmers face a tough situation with hauling distances.
BZA appeal process and zoning ordinance updates
A resident argued the Board of Zoning Adjustments picks winners and losers, that outdated city ordinances create unnecessary variance requests, and that BZA appeals going straight to court — while MAPC denials go to council — is inconsistent and unfair. She also pressed for a decision on Tractor Supply at the old Fred's store on Caraway.
Southern Ridge Boulevard rezonings
The new grocery store can have its own entrance instead of sharing a driveway with the vacant lot next door, sparing that neighbor from constant 18-wheeler traffic.
Condemnation of 2210 Willow Road
The city moved to condemn a house deemed unfit for human habitation after inspection and notice requirements were met. It's part of ongoing code enforcement against derelict properties.
Parks rental fee increases
Parks fees haven't been updated since 2017, and proposed hikes include raising Earl Bell Community Center rentals from about $700 to $1,000. One council member worried some jumps may be too steep for families and suggested smaller incremental increases.
Tax Back incentive for Sany Nutrition at former Butterball plant
The committee endorsed Sany Nutrition Group, which moved into the old Butterball facility, for the state's Tax Back program — the city refunds its roughly 1% sales tax on qualifying renovation purchases, on top of the state's 5.5% refund, to encourage the investment.
Depository services RFP and short-term loan bid
The city is set to sign a three-year banking services contract with Farmers & Merchants Bank, chosen from five bids.
Trash Pickup Schedule Change
Jonesboro’s trash pickup schedule is shifting around Labor Day. Check the adjusted dates so your bins don’t sit out an extra week.
Impact fees study before future annexations
The long-running impact fee study is running past its expected eight months. Administration is pushing the consultant to present findings so the committee can decide whether to keep pursuing the fees or drop the idea.
Airport Road railroad crossing closure
The city agreed to permanently close the Airport Road (Highway 351) at-grade Union Pacific crossing once a grade-separated crossing is finished there.
Fire Department vehicle replacement
The Fire Department will replace its oldest support vehicles, 2011 and 2012 Explorers, with two new Chevrolet 1500 crew cab trucks serving as battalion chief vehicles. The $130,000 comes from a budget amendment, and low state-contract inventory made quick action necessary.
Free utility service for city-owned property
The city wants City Water and Light to provide free utilities at its property at 1709 East Highland Drive, affirming the use is a governmental function. It heads to full council with one member abstaining over a conflict of interest.
Expanded mosquito control beyond city limits
Mosquitoes breeding in surrounding farm fields are a persistent complaint. The city and A&P are preparing an RFQ for a study of expanded spraying on the outskirts — a first step toward an inter-municipal agreement with the county.
Rezoning 2038 North Church Street for limited multifamily
New duplexes on Labaume Street show redevelopment continuing in the older north-side grid, where 45-to-50-foot lots were designed for shotgun houses. The board granted setback relief to let a modern duplex fit the historic lot widths.
Council member legislation sponsorship rules
Council members have long been unclear on how one of them alone can get an ordinance or resolution before the council. The new rule spells out the process and adds a five-business-day deadline for committee assignment.
Downtown demolition of old City 57 and Justice Complex
Several council members urged the city to tear down the old 57 building and Justice Complex now that police have a new home, calling it a big improvement for downtown. Emison noted the Justice Complex site waits on E-911 construction.
Downtown Main Street building facade failure
A Main Street building's brick facade started falling off, forcing an evacuation and road closure. The building was shored up with an engineer's sign-off and the road reopened, but permanent repairs have no timeline yet.
New residential subdivisions in Jonesboro
Three plats — Woodridge Place Phase IV, Skypointe Landing Phase I and Whitetrail Crossing Phase II — moved forward, meaning more home construction and traffic in these growing areas. Woodridge's single entrance triggered a fire-safety sprinkler requirement for every new lot.
Southern Hills Block E commercial conversion
About 7.5 acres in Southern Hills will shift from high-density multifamily to commercial, part of a trend that has cut the planned apartment acreage roughly in half. A commissioner flagged concern that remaining multifamily strips could become undevelopable 'no man's land,' but the developer committed this is the last acreage to be rezoned.
City incinerator repair via Delta Regional Authority grant
The city's incinerator has been down for a while waiting on heat-resistant panels. A $671,000 grant with a 10% city match would cover the fix.
School traffic patterns update
Jonesboro Public Schools asked the city to shift the one-way times on Wilkins Avenue and Hillcrest Drive around school drop-off and pick-up. Drivers near the campuses should watch for the new windows once the council approves it.
Higginbottom Trail design contract
The city is hiring a multistate firm with a Paragould office to design the Higginbottom Trail, kicking off a project expected to reach construction around this time next year. Officials noted they're deliberately diversifying the engineering firms the city hires.
Marion Berry Parkway Multiuse Trail
The trail is fully designed and funded, but the city is waiting on ARDOT authorization to advertise for bids. Construction is now estimated at $1.7 million — above the original $1.5 million budget — so a deductive alternate will be used to keep it under budget.
Turtle Creek Wetland Partnership outdoor classroom
A new partnership with the University of Arkansas would plan boardwalks, expanded wetlands, and aquatic research at the underused Turtle Creek detention pond, aimed at school groups and visitors. Nettleton's STEM school has already been contacted, and Keep Jonesboro Beautiful pushed for the project.
East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging replat
The old Malco site along Highland Drive is being split into two commercial lots now, with a full replat of Lot 4 waiting on water and sewer installation that City Water Light line personnel won't sign off on yet. The site was rezoned to C-3.