City Council hears updates to several projects

Published 2:18 pm Monday, September 28, 2026

The Harrison City Council met Thursday. Departments provided updates and new Historic District Commissioners were selected. Due to holidays, November and December meetings will be held on Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. Those will be the sole council meetings for their respective months.

Police

Chief Chris Graddy quantified a problem in the city and throughout the country. Graddy explained that the digital forensics section, led by Detective Cpl. Ted Schaeffer, had added another officer. Graddy reminded the council that in 2021, Schaeffer reported that over 1.4 million files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) had been obtained as evidence. The number of files has now grown to 3.5 million, totaling a reported 44,000 gigabytes of data.

“Now, does that mean we have more child predators here than anywhere else? No. But does that mean that we are more proactive and we go after them? Yes,” Graddy said. “That’s one of our number one goals and that’s why we wanted to add the other detective to Teddy’s division.”

Public Works

COO Wade Phillips updated the council on projects. He announced that Goblin Drive should be completed by Oct. 9. That would include streetlights, additional signage, and asphalt repairs.

Wade discussed the various Arkansas Department of Transportation projects around town. Regarding ARDOT projects, Phillips and the city have very limited ability to affect ongoing projects, but monitor them nonetheless. The traffic signals at the Walmart intersection are done. Airport Road signals are expected to be done by Nov. 10, though Phillips noted that they have given and passed previous no-later-than dates. The Hester/Harness intersection has been delayed due to improper backfill by a contractor. Phillips is keeping a close eye on that project, adding that it really needs to be paved before cold weather hits.

Mayor Jerry Jackson said that he and Phillips are doing everything they can to influence the completion of the Hester/Harness construction.

Bids for cemetery maintenance for 2026 and 2027 will open on Sept. 29, Phillips reported. Three contractors attended a mandatory pre-bid meeting. Phillips said this contract will be more detailed than previous ones to ensure the community’s standards are met. Councilman Larry Phillips said Wade Phillips did an excellent job writing the new contract.

Fire

Chief Marc Lowery informed the council of a new state Department of Labor electrical code that will require the fire department to amend its code.

Lowery told the council that he’s hopeful they will receive a $200,000 grant to replace old air packs for the crews. Recipients are starting to be announced and he’s hopeful to be among them. The current air packs are 2008 models and cost about $8,000 each, according to Lowery.

He reported that he’s continued to try to replace outdated equipment in small amounts each year. The fire department applies for grants and uses Act 833 funds to help “chip away” at gear updates, Lowery said.

Finance

CFO Luke Feighert said sales tax revenue was about where it was this time last year.

“As far as financials go, I’ve been looking through as much as I can and we’re still in really good shape on every fund,” Feighert announced.

Parks and Recreation

Director Chuck Eddington announced membership at Creekside Community Center is at 5,544. He believes over 1,500 people attended the latest concert held at Creekside Amp. Eddington said he is in the process of hiring a new aquatics director.

Historic District Commission

Mayor Jackson recommended two appointments to fill gaps in the Historic District Commission. Both recommendations, Nancy Dodson and Ann Hancock, were unanimously approved by the city council.

Chamber of Commerce

President of the chamber, Jeff Nielsen, briefed the council on its activities. He believes Pace is now officially closed. He’s been in contact with the property owners and attempting to find a new business to put there.

Nielsen said construction cost increases have delayed the Provalus renovation as the city seeks ways to bridge the cost gap. He said that Will Ruzic, vice president of facilities and operations, is planning a trip to Harrison to address the public.

The AEDC and the chamber have a new list of codenamed projects that have expressed interest in locating their businesses in Harrison. The strongest leads are a steel manufacturer and an energy systems manufacturer, Nielsen said.

A Florida developer has purchased the Federal Building located at Main and Rush, Nielsen announced. According to Nielsen, they are considering a chain restaurant on the first floor, meeting spaces on the second, and housing on the third.