Jonesboro committee forwards FEMA notice-of-intent for North Main Street detention pond

The Finance Administration Council Committee moved to forward to the full City Council a resolution authorizing the city to submit a notice of intent to the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA for a North Main Street detention pond project.

Chair read the resolution, saying the project is intended “to reduce flood risk by increasing stormwater storage capacity” and listing an estimated total project cost of $405,000 with the city requesting $303,750 in federal assistance and proposing a $101,250 non‑federal local match. The resolution also states that submission will not obligate the city to proceed without Council approval should a full application or award be invited.

“For years that’s been a big problem in North Jonesboro and the only way you will fix it is regional detention,” a committee member said, urging the council to support the application. The committee moved and seconded the motion to forward Resolution 26,076 to the full Council; the transcript does not include a recorded roll-call or final vote tally for the forwarding motion.

If awarded, the grant would fund construction of a regional detention pond and associated drainage improvements intended to reduce the frequency and severity of localized flooding in the area west of North Main Street and north of Lost Creek. The resolution as read makes clear any acceptance of award and required local matching funds would return to the City Council for approval as required by law.

Next steps: the committee forwarded the notice-of-intent to the full Council for consideration; the transcript gives no date for a Council vote on the application or for a full grant application.