Friends,

Little Rock residents who are engaged, empowered and informed about City government are among the many reasons the state of our City is strong. In 2026, residents have an opportunity to level up their City of Little Rock engagement through R.O.C.K. Academy.

R.O.C.K. Academy is a six-session program offering an insider look at how municipal government operates. Participants gain practical knowledge about each city department and their roles and a deeper understanding of civic processes.

R.O.C.K. stands for “Residents Obtaining Community Knowledge,” and we are committed to providing a robust, enriching program focused on in-person discussions with City leaders, interactive programming, and behind-the-scenes access to places where our team members work to serve Little Rock residents and guests and make their lives better.

This program strengthens the connections between our residents and City Hall, while it fosters informed and active participation in shaping Little Rock’s future.

Applications for the Spring 2026 R.O.C.K. Academy cohort are now live. Apply now and help us build an even stronger Little Rock!

I appreciate you!

City Teams Respond to Winter Weather

Little Rock has again proven its strength and resilience as we weathered a severe winter storm that brought significant sleet and snow accumulation and prolonged frigid temperatures. Our Public Works Department crews began working 24 hours a day on Friday, Jan. 23, and these teams have not stopped, despite challenging conditions.

Our plows have covered more than 1,000 miles of roads during this event, many of them repeatedly because of the heavy, packed ice coating our streets. The combination of several inches of sleet falling at two separate times made plowing more difficult. Nearly a week of temperatures at or below freezing left little opportunity for melting. Fortunately, City of Little Rock crews had our designated snow routes and main roads cleared early last week, and they continue to focus on our iciest neighborhood streets. We will plow until every street is cleared.

We are grateful to the men and women of our Public Works Department serving our residents, as well as team members in our Fleet Department that are keeping our vehicles operational and effective.

The Public Works team is also responsible for residential trash collection, which is back on its normal schedule today. Crews worked overtime Friday and Saturday to finish Friday’s pickup. Residents whose  service was missed last week may place any additional bags curbside on their normal collection days this week. Those who missed recycling pickups can place extra recyclable materials in cardboard boxes next to their recycling carts on their next scheduled service day.

We also share our appreciation to our first responders in the Little Rock Police Department, Fire Department, 911 Communications and MEMS for their commitment to keeping our residents and guests safe, and to our Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs, Parks Department and other city employees that assisted in the operation of our temporary, emergency cold-weather shelter. We operated our shelter at Dunbar Community Center for 10 consecutive nights, providing meals and a warm, safe place to stay for our unsheltered residents.

Our Little Rock Animal Village team came to work every day to support the animals in their care, and the Little Rock Zoo staff kept their animals and facilities safe, while providing enrichment activities for many of the animals.

We are proud of  friends and neighbors who make up the City of Little Rock team, and we appreciate all our residents for their patience and perseverance during the recent inclement weather.

UALR Honors Hometown Heroes

To honor members of the military and Little Rock’s first responders, the University of Arkansas - Little Rock is hosting its Hometown Heroes appreciation day on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Jack Stephens Center.

Eligible members of the military and all first responders may receive up to four free tickets to the Trojan men and women’s basketball games.

Little Rock takes on Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in Ohio Valley Conference play. The women’s game is at 1 p.m., followed by the men’s matchup at 3 p.m.

We are grateful to UA Little Rock and its longstanding community partnership. Little Rock’s university is committed to excellence in Arkansas’s capital city. We appreciate this institution as it takes the time to recognize our well-deserving service members and all our first responders, such as those who serve in the Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Fire Department and 911 communications.

If you are a member of the military or a first responder, you can click here to access tickets for Saturday’s games. If you know someone who serves our community as a service member or first responder, please pass the link along to them and let them know about UA Little Rock’s “Hometown Heroes” event.

Community Meeting Set for Feb. 9

Thanks to a $2 million federal grant, the City of Little Rock is in the initial phase of planning for a potential Deck Park above Interstate 30 between Sixth Street and Ninth Street in Downtown Little Rock.

As one of the early steps in planning for a potential deck park, the City and its partners are seeking community input. The first community engagement meeting is Monday, Feb. 9, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Darragh Center at the Central Arkansas Library System Main Library, 100 Rock Street.

This will be an open-forum style meeting where residents can share their thoughts about the possible deck park.

Planners will be assessing community input as they develop and evaluate concepts for the potential park.

The federal Reconnecting Communities grant is funding the planning study for a deck park as a means to provide a gathering place for residents, and to provide safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access to neighborhoods east and west of Interstate 30.

At the Feb. 9 community meeting — rescheduled from Jan. 26 because of recent inclement weather — residents  may view exhibits, ask questions and provide comments to the planning team.

Here’s a quick look at what’s going on this week in the City of Little Rock:

Tuesday, February 3: The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. All board meetings are open to the public, and all meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock’s Facebook and YouTube pages. View the agenda here.

Wednesday, February 4: The City of Little Rock’s Commission on Children, Youth, and Families will hold its monthly meeting at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. That meeting starts at 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, February 5: The Little Rock Civil Service Commission meets at 8:30 a.m. in Room 207 at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center.

Monday, February 9: Little Rock’s Sister Cities Commission meets at 11 a.m. in the Sister Cities Conference Room at City Hall.