Friends, 

It's been almost eight months since the March 31 tornado, and the residents of our resilient city are rebuilding stronger and better. We are reaching significant milestones in our recovery nearly every day as homeowners and businesses repair and move forward.

One significant step in the recovery process took place earlier this month when the Kroger store in the Colony West Shopping Center re-opened its doors. I was fortunate to attend the Grand Re-Opening and reflect on the community's strength.

Together, we've come a long way since my first visit to the shopping center after the storm. I was there at daybreak on Saturday, April 1, to assess first-hand the damage to the businesses there. That day, we stepped over downed utility lines and debris while walking past overturned vehicles in the parking lot. Since then, so much hard work has gone into clean-up and rebuilding 

At that point in the Spring, it was difficult to envision that the grocery store -- a community meeting place and important asset for the neighborhood -- would be re-opened by Fall. However, the same employees and leadership at the store who took cover themselves on the day of the tornado never stopped working to get the business back up and running.

I witness that same commitment and dedication in every neighborhood where the tornado hit. And though we have much more work to do, every day there's progress and promise in our most heavily-damaged neighborhoods.

The City of Little Rock shares in that commitment. Since March 31, we've waived $475,570 in permit fees to assist residents and help expedite the rebuilding process. And last week, our Planning Department sent letters to check in with property owners about the status of clean-up and ask about any obstacles they have encountered.

Through Little Rock Cares, we are distributing more than $600,000 in support to individuals impacted by the tornado and to the nonprofit groups that assisted in emergency response. We are grateful for the monetary donations from our friends and neighbors around the world.

The third-party administrator for grants to impacted individuals, Heart of Arkansas United Way, is expected to begin notifying recipients of award decisions by the end of this month. More than 70 volunteers from Little Rock signed up to serve on committees to review grant applications and determine funding amounts. We appreciate those volunteers, too, for their willingness to serve the community.

For all our efforts, we recognize that recovery is a lengthy process, and we have many more milestones ahead. We are working together in a spirit of strength, unity and resilience.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. The Board will consider the agenda for its next regular meeting. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages.
• The Little Rock Land Bank Commission meets Wednesday, Nov. 15, at noon at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. The Land Bank Commission's mission is to reverse blight, increase homeownership and stability of property values, provide affordable housing and improve the health and safety of neighborhoods.
• As noted above, Little Rock Recycles Day is Saturday, Nov. 18. Drop-off recyclables free of charge at the Little Rock Zoo east parking lot between 9 a.m. and noon.