Texarkana's Christmas parade will return to its traditional Broad Street route this year.
At its regular meeting Monday, the Arkansas-side Board of Directors approved the move, requested by parade organizer Main Street Texarkana.
The Arkansas-side police department recommended allowing the change if, for safety, all parked cars are cleared from Broad Street before the parade begins. The city will provide traffic-control barricades the day of the parade, and Main Street volunteers will attend them, Public Works Director Jeff Whitten said.
Main Street asked for the change to take advantage of Broad Street lighting and other holiday decorations.
"We are excited to work with public works and the fire department, as well as with the police to make sure that we make it as safe as possible. Hopefully you've seen all the beautiful decorations that are up on Broad Street, and the downtown folks are really hopeful and excited that this works out," said Ina McDowell, executive director of Main Street.
The parade will begin at Hazel and Broad streets, proceed west on Broad to State Line Avenue and then go north on State Line to the U.S. Post Office. It begins at 7 p.m. Dec. 4.
The board heard a first reading of an ordinance that would increase the cost of Arkansas-side residents' garbage collection by $2 per month beginning next year.
Second and third readings, a public hearing and a vote will follow at future board meetings.
Richardson Waste II requested a rate increase of $1 in an October letter to City Manager Kenny Haskin, according to background information published with the meeting's agenda. At a Nov. 9 meeting attended by representatives of Richardson Waste II and the Arkansas side's other two waste-collection providers, Edmondson
Trash Service and Waste Management, the city Solid Waste Committee recommended a $2-per-month increase.
If the measure passes, Richardson Waste II and Edmondson Trash Service will get $1 of the increase per resident they serve, and $1 would be allocated to the city's
Texarkana Water Utilites fund. That would raise about $152,000 per year for TWU, city Finance Director TyRhonda Henderson said.
In other business, the board voted on to place tax liens on two properties-616 Ash St. and 1507 Delaware St.-to recover the city's cost of demolishing substandard buildings there.
Directors also approved allowing Ethan C. Dycus to transfer his private club permit from 4423 E. Broad St., the former Electric Cowboy, to 310 E. 49th St., Shooters.
City approval was necessary before Dycus could seek approval for the change from the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.
The board's next meeting has been rescheduled from Dec. 4 to Dec. 5 to accommodate the Christmas parade.
On Twitter: @RealKarlRichter