Task forces set up to address issues

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has created two task forces to address downtown density and food deserts, respectively, according to a news release issued Thursday.

The “Downtown Density Task Force” will be chaired by at-large City Director Antwan Phillips, a political ally of the mayor who works for the law firm Wright, Lindsey & Jennings.

Six other members include developers Hank Kelley and Jimmy Moses as well as Scott’s former communications czar Stephanie Jackson.

They have been tapped “to offer strategies and goals related to land use issues downtown,” the news release said. “The group is expected to evaluate short-term and longterm parking needs as well as residential and commercial development in Little Rock’s urban core.”

The “Food Deserts Task Force” will be chaired by Little Rock Vice Mayor Kathy Webb, the Ward 3 representative on the city board who serves as the head of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

Eight other members include V. Marq Golden, the director of external and governmental relations for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Kenya Eddings, the executive director of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission.

The panel has been tasked with identifying ways to eliminate areas where Little Rock residents find they cannot access fresh and affordable food.

“As I begin my second term in office, it’s our priority to make Little Rock a catalyst for the new South and address the issues that affect the quality of life for all our residents,” Scott said in a statement included with the release.

“First and foremost, our neighborhoods need to be safe,” he added. “After that, we must adequately and effectively plan for growth and development, and we must ensure that we can meet the most basic of all needs by tending to those who are hungry. These task forces will move us in the right direction.”