ROGERS -- Record-breaking growth and community resilience were the focuses of Tuesday night's State of the City address in Rogers.
It has become tradition for Mayor Greg Hines to prepare a video presentation for the State of the City address. This allows for more visual representation during the presentation, Hines said.
In the video presentation before Tuesday's City Council meeting, Hines shared the story of the city's wins over the past year, while highlighting the community's perseverance through losses as well.
The Memorial Day weekend tornadoes that tore through the city served as one of the city's most difficult trials, Hines said, though through the devastation, the city witnessed the unshakeable spirit of Rogers.
Of the biggest accomplishments, Rogers adopted a new Unified Development Code in 2024, making Rogers the first city in the area to implement unified zoning, subdivision and engineering standards into a single, modern framework, Hines said.
Alongside the new code, the city finalized a forward-thinking comprehensive plan and updated the city's future land use map and master street plan this past year.
"These tools are setting the stage for thoughtful and strategic development that will benefit our community for generations to come," Hines said.
Related to these efforts, the city has seen results in both residential and commercial development. In the past year, preliminary approvals were granted for 208 new detached house lots and nearly 2,000 apartment units, Hines said.
Final approvals added even more residential variety, with 78 detached house lots, 72 duplex units, 120 townhomes and 294 apartment units, he added.
There has been 1.69 million square feet of nonresidential development ranging from office space to hotels, retail and restaurants, he said, adding that there are over 100 large-scale developments currently in progress.
One of the completed infrastructure projects of note is the uptown connectivity project, which is improving traffic flow in the uptown area through a system of roundabouts, Hines said.
Additionally, two new overpasses were completed this past year: the Uptown Overpass and the Oak Street Overpass, which provide improved east-to-west connectivity, Hines said.
City facilities and programs saw and overall uptick in engagement this year, he said, adding that the city's unemployment rate is the lowest in Arkansas at 1.9%, highlighting the abundance and opportunity that exists for Rogers residents, even through a year of recovery.
"Resilience and recovery were the guiding principles in the aftermath of the tornado," Hines said.
The city organized a storm debris collection program that removed 1.1 million cubic yards of debris from the streets of Rogers, he said, adding the equivalent is fillings more than 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The Risk Reduction Department is continuing to work with over 150 property owners whose buildings have been identified as dangerous, he said.
Community volunteers donated over 14,000 hours of labor to help their neighbors in the aftermath of the storm, he said, and over $1 million in labor, equipment and materials were donated to help residents get back on their feet.
Commitment to restoration and growth strengthened this year with over $9 million in grant funding for environmental restoration in addition to the Parks Department's canopy restoration plan, he added.
In continued efforts to produce clean energy for the city, a solar panel field has been installed off Pleasant Grove Road near Fire Station 8, Hines said, with the panels to start generating power in March. There are plans for the area to soon have an accompanying park, he added.
Rogers is continuing to grow and expansion plans, whether that be for the Rogers Executive Airport or residential areas, are rooted in thoughtfulness, Hines said.
The real challenges that come with development lie in maintaining the quality of life that residents cherish while embracing the changes that come with development, he said.
"By prioritizing sustainability, safety, and livability, we aim to preserve the small hometown feel that makes Rogers unique, even as we prepare for a future of growth and development."
In other news, the president and CEO of the workforce development program Upskill NWA updated the City Council on the program's progress over the past year.
Nearly 60 people who are either in the program or have graduated the program over the past year are currently serving in the medical field in Northwest Arkansas, and they are all from Rogers, Carol Silva Moralez said.
More are on their way to achieving the same result, she said.
Carol Silva Moralez's husband Thomas Moralez also addressed the council Tuesday and said the Upskill program has impacted his life.
He said he was cared for by an Upskill graduate at a Mercy clinic in Rogers during a hard time in his life. He thanked the council for investing in Upskill and putting faith in his wife to run the program, because it is actively placing people in the health care system who are actively helping people, he said.
In other business, the City Council on Tuesday:
Declared the Waffle Hut at 1233 W. Walnut St. a nuisance structure and ordered the razing and removal of the structure.
Chrissy Hazelbaker, a previous manager at the diner, posted on the Waffle Hut Facebook page in December informing the community of the owner's decision to not reopen after plans for a full remodel fell through.
Hazelbaker said in the comments of her post she and her husband bought everything from inside the business and have plans to open their own restaurant.
Approved a resolution appropriating $235,750 for phase one of a new aircraft taxi lane on the west side of the Rogers Executive Airport.
The council previously appropriated funding for the preliminary environmental engineering phase of the project. The decision on Tuesday includes funds for the design and bid phase of engineering services for the construction of the west side taxi lane.
Funding has been allocated from monies allocated to the Rogers Executive Airport under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to city documents, with an airport improvement grant anticipated this year.
Approved a resolution authorizing a right-of-way and utility easement agreement with Black Hills Energy Arkansas, Inc. of Fayetteville. The company has plans to place underground gas facilities at the intersection of West Easy Street and North Eighth Street, according to city documents.
City Attorney John Pesek said this utility location agreement resulted in saving trees, so he was proud of the location decision.
Tabled a final plat for the Gaffigan Family Trust property at 6800 W. Price Alley Drive. Pesek said he needs more time to determine whether the roads on the property are public or private roads.