The Conway City Council approved an ordinance to replace the traffic signal system on Dave Ward Drive at its Feb. 11 meeting. 

Engineering Director Kurt Jones said the new system will use fiber optic data for light sensors as opposed to the Coax system that was previously being used.

Jones attributed the replacement to glitches in the old system, which “last only for a few seconds” but “reset the whole system.”

Jones said the Transportation Department talked to Conway Corp to get an estimate on how much the system replacement would cost — which was estimated at $130,000 for equipment and installation. 

Conway Corp also told the Transportation Department that contractors would be available this year to install the new system.

Ward 2 Alderman Drew Spurgers asked Jones what the “downtime” would be for the installation.

Jones answered the installation would only take a few hours. 

Jones said the department will also look to install the same light sensor system on Oak Street in the near future. 

The council also approved 43 acres on Sturgis Road to be annexed into the city limits. 

The resolution had been on the agenda for the council’s Jan. 28 meeting but had been tabled at the request of the property owner. 

City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder extensively described the legality of the annexation, comparing it to two prior Arkansas Supreme Court cases in years past. 

The two cases were Clark v. Holt and Chastain v. Davis. 

Finkenbinder said that proving “annexation contiguity” was the most important legal aspect of property annexation. 

Finkenbinder described it as a connection between the property and city limits, such as a city road running into the property. 

The Supreme Court case that Finkenbinder said was the most applicable to the Sturgis Road annexation was Chastain v. Davis, in which the property in question was connected by a city road. 

In that case, the annexation was approved. 

“In my opinion, as a lawyer reviewing this case in what I believe is the most applicable Supreme Court precedent,” Finkenbinder said. “This would satisfy the contiguity.”

Property owner Mitch Hart, 1401 Hogan Lane, had initially planned on requesting the resolution be struck from the agenda – but changed his mind after hearing Finkenbinder’s explanation. 

“Since we’re legally able to proceed forward, I suggest we proceed forward rapidly,” Hart said. “If y’all have enough information to make a decision tonight, as long as the answer is yes, I’m all in.”

City Clerk Denise Hurd said the property will be moved into R-1 zoning and Ward 4.

The Conway police department had two ordinances on the agenda.

The first ordinance was approving an Arkansas Department of Public Safety equipment grant to purchase two more drones. 

“Previously, we purchased three. These two will now give us one drone per shift plus one for our crime suppression unit,” Chief Chris Harris said. “So no matter who’s working or what days or what time, we’ll have drone capabilities.”

Harris stayed at the podium to discuss $500,000 to be moved into the police department’s funds to purchase two more vehicles. 

“The city put in funds to buy fire trucks. The fire department purchased the trucks and the money rolled over into the Conway police department,” Mayor Bart Castleberry said. “It was about $500,000 a year.”

“We cut that and split that amount with the fire department so they could make a payment on a new truck,” Castleberry said. “And when [Harris] was getting ready to buy the new vehicles, he reminded me that I had not plugged in his cars for this year.”

Harris said the police department has a contract with Bale Chevrolet in Little Rock for new vehicles. 

Both ordinances passed unanimously. 

Castleberry ended the meeting by mentioning that he and Alderman Spencer Hawks were looking further into the landscape ordinance that had been passed at its Jan. 14 meeting. 

“We’ve not started enforcing any of that,” Castleberry said. “And before we start on that, we’re going to have a sit down with the county extension agent and also look for some public input on that, and then we’ll go from there.” 

All council members except for Ward 1 Alderman David Grimes were present at the meeting. 

Castleberry said Grimes has had several medical procedures and is not expected to be back at meetings for a few weeks. 

The next city council meeting is scheduled Feb. 25.