§ 14-184-117 - Powers of municipal governing bodies. - Arkansas Statutes

14-184-117. Powers of municipal governing bodies.

The governing body of any municipality shall have all powers necessary or desirable to undertake and carry out, or to assist a central business improvement district to undertake and carry out, all improvements described in the ordinance setting up the district including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) (A) To close existing streets or alleys, or to open new streets and alleys, or to widen or narrow existing streets and alleys, in whole or in part.

(B) These closings shall be subject to franchise, permit, or other occupancy right of utilities for existing facilities, except as provided in subdivision (8) of this section;

(2) (A) To condemn and take easements necessarily incident to the plan of improvement adopted for the district.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, the rules and procedures set forth in 18-15-301 -- 18-15-307 shall govern all condemnation proceedings;

(3) (A) To permit the district, on public property or rights-of-way, to install and operate, or to lease, public parking facilities, public music facilities, news facilities, and sidewalk cafe tables and chairs;

(B) To construct lakes, dams, and waterways of whatever size;

(C) To landscape and plant trees, bushes, shrubbery, flowers, and each and every other kind of decorative planting;

(D) To acquire air rights for the construction of pedestrian overpasses, vehicular overpasses, and public restaurants or facilities to be located in these spaces; and

(E) To permit the purchase and operation of buses, minibuses, mobile benches, and other modes of transportation;

(4) To provide special police facilities and the personnel for the protection and enjoyment of the property owners and the general public using the facilities of the district;

(5) To maintain, as provided in this subchapter, all government-owned streets, alleys, malls, bridges, ramps, tunnels, lawns, and decorative plantings of each and every nature, and every structure or object of any nature whatsoever constructed and operated by the municipality;

(6) To prohibit or restrict vehicular traffic on the streets within the district as may be deemed necessary and to provide the means for access by emergency vehicles to or in these areas;

(7) To remove any existing structures or signs of any description in the district not conforming to the plan of improvements; and

(8) Upon payment of reasonable compensation for it by the district, to require any or all utilities servicing the district to lay such pipe, extend such wires, provide such facilities, or conform, modify, or remove existing facilities to effectuate the plan of improvement for the district.