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Friends,
This Thursday, Feb. 27, we will join together to reflect on our progress and focus on our future and potential at the 2025 State of the City. This annual event is an opportunity for us to celebrate Little Rock and talk about how we will continue to unite, grow and transform our City.
Please join us at the Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy, 9417 Geyer Springs Road, starting at 5 p.m. Thursday.
At 5 p.m., residents may take part in our annual City Involvement Fair. We will have representatives from City Departments present to meet residents and discuss how city services impact their daily lives. For our future Little Rock leaders, we will have a fire truck and sanitation truck to explore, and animals to visit courtesy of the Little Rock Zoo.
Following the involvement fair, I will deliver the 2025 State of the City Address at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium.
This address is my opportunity to share with you a report on all the great things we are doing on behalf of our residents, and how we plan to do even better in the coming year. During the speech, residents can hear directly from me about some exciting new programs, services and improvements we are planning for 2025.
The event is free and open to the public. To ensure we have adequate seating for everyone, we ask that you RSVP at this link.
We are grateful to the Little Rock School District for hosting us at the brand-new Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy, and we look forward to seeing you Thursday!
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Winter Weather Update
Last week, we experienced our second winter storm of the season, and just as with January's heavy snow, our City of Little Rock team went above and beyond to provide exemplary service to our residents.
I want to take this opportunity to share my appreciation for the essential personnel in our police, fire, emergency communications, fleet and public works departments for braving the ice and bitterly cold conditions to serve their city.
More than 100 team members on our public works crews worked around the clock in 12-hour, rotating shifts to treat and plow streets.
We had dozens of staff and volunteers step up to help mobilize our temporary, cold-weather emergency shelter which operated for four nights last week and served about 100 residents nightly who needed a safe, warm and dry place to stay. Our sheltering operations would not be possible without the support of our team as well as our partner organizations across the City.
At the Little Rock Animal Village, staff came into work every day during the inclement weather to make sure animals were safe and well-fed. The team responded to all emergency service calls regarding animals, and waived adoption fees over the weekend because the shelter was closed to the public because of the winter weather.
Whether at the Animal Village, where coordination and dedication is key to animal safety, or across our City where our public servants go the extra mile. we are united in our efforts to meet the needs of our residents even during extreme weather events.
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Team members at Little Rock Animal Village report to work to care for animals during last week's inclement weather (left photo); and our Housing and Neighborhood Programs staff gathers for a photo after helping set up the City's emergency shelter at Dunbar Community Center (right photo).
Below, a Public Works Department truck works to clear River Ridge Road.
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Clinton Center Impact
In its two decades as an anchor of the East End of Downtown Little Rock, the Clinton Presidential Center has been a catalyst for growth and development in the River Market and across our City.
Last week, the Little Rock Regional Chamber released a report quantifying the Center's remarkable 20-year impact. Since it opened in November 2004, the Clinton Presidential Center's economic impact to the community has been $4,900,000,000.
The Clinton Center and its substantial economic impact has opened transformational doors for both the public and private sector in our emerging and growing Downtown. It continues to boost tourism, as well as to education with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
Together we look forward to the next decades and the Center's upcoming expansion. This project marks the first major expansion, and it includes construction of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Wing.
The Clinton Center is a leading partner to our City, and we appreciate President Clinton and Secretary Clinton for their continued commitment to Little Rock and the State of Arkansas.
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The Week Ahead
- The Little Rock Board of Directors will set the agenda for its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages.
- Today (Monday, Feb. 24), the City of Little Rock Public Works Department will hold an open forum public meeting to discuss future drainage improvement projects in the Bella Rosa neighborhood. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 4501 Rahling Road.
- The City's Sustainability Commission will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The meeting will be at 3 p.m. at Centennial Bank, 1301 Rebsamen Park Road.
- The Little Rock Civil Service Commission meets Thursday, Feb. 27, at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Room at City Hall. This special meeting was rescheduled from last week because of the inclement weather.
- Don't forget the annual State of the City Address and Involvement Fair on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy. The fair starts at 5 p.m., followed by the address at 6 p.m. We hope to see you there!
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As always, stay up to date with what's happening in the City on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via @citylittlerock. You can also email me at mayorscott@littlerock.gov or call my office at 501.371.4744.
I appreciate you!
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