Friends,

Your City government is committed to rebuilding Little Rock back better and stronger than ever after the March 31 tornado.

We are in the process of collecting and disposing of all the debris along the storm's 6.5-mile path through our City. Nearly 3000 structures incurred some damage -- hundreds were destroyed -- so it will take weeks for crews to clean up the storm-ravaged area. In coming days, city contractors will join our Public Works Department to remove storm debris from curbside, and we will keep you updated on the progress we're making toward clean-up.

As residents rebuild, the City of Little Rock has waived permit fees within tornado-damaged neighborhoods. While permits are still required for 
construction, there will be no fees for building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits with the tornado damage zone. 

We will continue to provide resources and assistance to affected residents through our Family Assistance Center, which is now located at West Central Community Center, 8616 Col. Glenn Road.

This week, the City is offering pre-packaged boxes of food items from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday at West Central. The community center also serves as the Disaster Recovery Center for FEMA, the Small Business Administration and the State of Arkansas. Individuals and business owners can visit the site to discuss the availability of disaster relief and ask questions about federal aid applications.

We are grateful for everyone who has turned out to volunteer or to help their neighbors in need, and we can't lose sight of the fact that the recovery process will be lengthy. The City of Little Rock continues to accept tax-exempt donations for tornado relief at www.LittleRock.gov/LRCares.

Volunteer efforts are ongoing, and hundreds of volunteers came out on Saturday for "Impact The Rock: A Day of Unity and Service." Impact The Rock kicked off National Volunteer Week by focusing on tornado clean-up in three different neighborhoods.

To sign up to help with clean-up or Family Assistance Center efforts, go to www.LittleRock.gov/volunteer.

For ongoing updates on tornado relief and recovery, follow the City of Little Rock on Facebook and Twitter.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda, click here.
• I'll be joining officials from the Little Rock Tech Park and the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday for a news conference Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The news conference is at the Tech Park downtown, and the event is scheduled to be livestreamed on the City's Facebook and YouTube pages.
• Little Rock Recycles Day is set for Saturday, April 22. Residents are encouraged to bring items to the East Parking Lot of the Little Rock Zoo (the corner of Zoo Drive and Monroe Street) from 9 a.m. to noon. We'll be accepting single-stream recycling (plastic bottles and jugs, cardboard, paper, aluminum & steel cans); plastic bags (and other soft plastic packaging like shrink wrap); glass; electronic waste; bicycles; and documents for shredding. 
• The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts celebrates its extensive renovation and re-opening to the public with a "Grand Opening" ribbon cutting and celebration on Saturday, April 22. The City of Little Rock contributed $31 million toward the renovation of this cultural landmark in MacArthur Park, with other contributions totaling more than $120 million. Admission to the Museum is free, but timed tickets for the grand opening have already been reserved. Residents may go online now to reserve free,timed-entry tickets for visits visits starting Tuesday, May 2, at www.arkmfa.org.