LITTLE ROCK – Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., announced today that, due to the sudden, steep rise in COVID infections reported in Little Rock and across Arkansas, all meetings of City boards and commissions will be held virtually until further notice.

“We take this step to ensure not only the health and safety of the public, whom we welcome to attend any and all public meetings, but also for our board and commission members and the staff who work with them,” Scott said.

All virtual meeting details will be announced by press notification, online posts (including notices on the City website – littlerock.gov – and social media) and calendar listings. These announcements will include a link through which the public can attend virtually; additionally, for meetings in which public comments are taken, instructions for submitting comment will be included. Alternative login options such as a phone number will be available for those without internet access. Meetings of the Board of Directors and Planning Commission will also be streamed live to @citylittlerock channels on Facebook and YouTube and can be watched there or on LRTV, public access Channel 11.

In addition, all city-sponsored events and functions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on the perceived level of potential community transmission. Those that pose a potential threat to the health and safety of participants will be postponed or canceled. For example, a Unity Day event scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 16, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be postponed. Masks and social distancing requirements will be enforced at all in-person events at City facilities.

“We ask for your patience at this difficult time, which we hope is very temporary,” added Scott. “The City of Little Rock is dedicated to being open, honest and transparent, and we will make every possible accommodation to public participation in conducting the public’s business, while still taking measures to ensure that such participation does not endanger the health of those involved.”

Comment instructions for the Little Rock Board of Directors meetings:

To speak on an agenda item, similar to filling out a comment card at in-person meetings, a resident must email cityclerksoffice@littlerock.gov by 4 p.m. on the day of regular Board meetings (first and third Tuesday each month). Include the number of the agenda item you’d like to address in the subject line and whether you are FOR or AGAINST the item. Item numbers can be obtained from the agenda posted online under Board of Directors Meeting Agendas at littlerock.gov. To speak, the resident must be in attendance at the meeting (using the virtual meeting link) when the agenda item is called during the meeting.

To register for citizen communication, which is a portion of the agenda that allots three minutes for residents to address the Board on any topic not on the agenda, residents will need to email cityclerksoffice@littlerock.gov by 4 p.m. on the day of regular board meetings (first and third Tuesday of each month) and indicate a desire to participate in citizen communication. Residents must be in attendance at the meeting (using the virtual meeting link) during the citizen communication portion of the agenda to speak.

Additionally, anyone can email board@littlerock.gov to share information with the Board of Directors. These messages will not be read during Board meetings, but will be distributed to all members of the Board.

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