Raised permit fees on 2015 budget
The Little Rock Board of Directors is expected to approve an increase in building and related permit fees that will go into effect in January.
The fee increase is part of the 2015 budget to be voted on by the board Tuesday. It would increases permit fees for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other related work performed in Little Rock by 3 percent.
A building permit fee is accessed on any construction costing more than $500 to build. If approved Tuesday, the fee will be $31 for the first $500 of construction costs and an additional $3.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof up to $50,000.
If the building costs from $50,001 up to $100,000 to build, the fee will be $203.80 for the first $50,000 and then an additional $2.47 for each extra $1,000.
Buildings from $100,001 and up to $500,000 will have a flat fee of $327.30 for the first $100,000 plus $2.16 for each additional $1,000.
Any building costing more than $500,000 to build will have a flat fee of $1,191.30 for the first $500,000 and an additional $1.65 for each $1,000 above that.
The last fee increase took effect in January 2006.
"The city has delayed past fee increase proposals due to the down-turn in construction activity. For the past two years, construction activity has rebounded and staff feels that this is the right time to increase fees," a memorandum sent to the Board of Directors states.
Center seeks food for holiday meals
Little Rock Compassion Center said that it expects to serve more than 800 meals during the week of Christmas and give out another 1,000 food baskets to families in need.
The nonprofit is still asking for donations of food to include in the food baskets that are made to contain 15 meals -- enough for three meals a day for five days.
"Food baskets are distributed daily during the holidays to keep families going through times when they have no work," a news release said.
The center will serve breakfast from 5:30-8 a.m., lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. and dinner from 4-6 p.m. Christmas Day. The center is at 3618 W. Roosevelt Road.
The center's website says it provides practical assistance to people in need of food, clothing and emergency shelter.
Gardeners donate most of crop yield
Volunteers who took part in the Western Hills Park's community garden grew about 8,000 pounds of produce this year -- the majority of which was donated to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance food bank.
The city's Parks and Recreation Department, the Western Hills Neighborhood Association and the Hunger Relief Alliance had a partnership to run the garden. The Alliance provided the plants and some volunteers to do the labor.
"On their end, this was a way to provide locally grown fresh food to the people they serve," said Luis Gonzalez, the city's communications and marketing director. "As you know, most of the time when people donate food, it's canned food and processed food. This is giving the Alliance access to fresh produce, which will be healthier for the communities they serve."
The growing season ended last week and a total of 7,851 pounds of food went into the food bank system from the Western Hills garden. At least another 200 pounds was picked and kept by people in the neighborhood. There was 5,616 pounds of greens collected and the rest was beets and turnips.
Metro on 12/14/2014