Blytheville mayor presents clean-up ordinance Code Enforcement To Knock On Doors

Blytheville Police and Fire, Finance, and Park and Recreation committee meetings were held on Tuesday afternoon with council members R.L. Jones, Matt Perrin, Shirley Marshall, Linda Moore and Barbara McAdoo-Brothers in attendance.

Blytheville Mayor Melisa Logan presented a clean-up ordinance asking the committee members to review the ordinance. She said W.Ray Nichols, deputy city attorney, is working on the ordinance which was originally written in 1954. Businesses that have been in business before 1954 will be grandfathered in.

Unsightly junkyards and salvage yards have been brought to the city’s attention. Mayor Logan said they are researching regulations in place and how to police those issues.

She also said with the spring season yard clean-up will begin. She asked the committee to review the ordinance before the council meeting.

“The city needs an ordinance to support our clean-up efforts,” Mayor Logan said.” It is not a new ordinance, but an amended ordinance.”

The amended ordinance requires trash bags to be placed in trash cans, not left in sacks on the side of the street.

Jones asked that the citizens be made aware of changes.

Code enforcement officer Janice Smith said they will be knocking on doors and letting people know about the ordinance before citations are issued.

Jones said he had received calls about the junkyard going back to 16th Street. He said residents asked why they had to clean their property and that was let go.

Smith said the location is zoned for a junkyard and grandfathered in but that does not mean it can be left unsightly. The ordinance calls for a fence all around. She said they will get on it and they will continue on it.

“The city can rezone property as long as we don’t go against state laws,” Jones said. “When people call me from there, I will listen.”

Following a discussion, McAdoo-Brothers said it is unsightly and they are going to work on it.

The Police and Fire committee meeting was opened with a report from a representative for Pafford Medical Services. The committee was informed that the ambulance service had responded to 536 calls in February. Pafford is fully staffed with 44 current EMTs and paramedics. They will be asking for an additional truck to be added to their fleet.

Fire Chief Mike Carney gave the fire department report informing the committee that there are two open positions and he hoped to have them filled by the end of the month. He said they have some good applicants.

The department recently received $9,075 through a grant from the State Attorney General’s office. The money will be used to purchase training equipment.

One member of the fire department has started a 12-week standards class in Jonesboro.

“This is the first time that Jonesboro has offered the class and we are happy to take advantage of it being closer to home,” Chief Carney said.

He said they will begin the annual business inspections this month with over 900 listings. That included about 300 vacant buildings but those have to be inspected, also.

Police Chief John Frazier gave the police report. He said the department currently is staffed at 30 officers and is budgeted for 35. There are five open police officer positions. They are in the final stages of hiring one non-certified and one certified officer. The civilian positions are fully staffed.

Assistant Chief Vanessa Stewart is attending a police chiefs’ executive development course at Petit Jean Mountain this week. This is a senior level leadership course offered by the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police.

“This is a course for captains,” Frazier said. “The better trained, the better job we will do.”

He announced the department received the Project Safe Neighborhood grant this year. These funds will go toward the purchase of needed equipment to further investigations for felony crimes in the city. The amount awarded was over $32,000.

He also gave the stats and response times. A yearly comparison on incidents for February. For the month of February there were 20 accidents; 296 citations; citation charges, 457; citation warnings, 41; civil process served 35; intakes 53; released 49; warrants entered 101; and warrants completed 98.

The finance meeting was held with finance director John Callens reporting the one and a half cent sales tax collection for February was down $17,454 compared to last February. For the year, it was down $28,150.The one cent General tax, collected by county, was down to $56,906 from $66,174.

Callens said next month he will report on the expenditures once the numbers level out.

Committee member Matt Perrin said Orion Planning was in Blytheville and was surprised to see all of the potential. A meeting was held at ANC and the discussion was on how to increase the quality of life and how to make Blytheville a place where people want to live. Orion is going to help draft a strategic plan to help Blytheville move forward over the next five to 10 years.

“We are building a coalition to keep it from just being another plan on the shelf,” Perrin said.

An ordinance was discussed to allow the city to sell scrap and will be moved to the full council. Callens said they are still working on an IT contract. He said they have been in contact with Critical Edge.

It will be moved to the council meeting.

Also moved to the full council was the repair of a water well which will cost between $60,000 to $75,000.

Perrin discussed the Main Street saying the city owns the bus station and provides Main Street Blytheville $20,000 a year.

“They have been without a director for 16 months,” Perrin said.

A discussion between Perrin and McAdoo-Brothers on the contract and the need for a director was held.

Perrin said he had requested the information.

Brothers said they are a volunteer group and doing a good job. She said “They do a ton of work.”

Perrin pointed out they are out of contract without an executive director.

Committee member Moore suggested tabling the issue until more information can be gathered.

The committee approved having a short parks and recreation meeting recognizing Seth Wyatt, chairman of the facility board.

He talked about some of the improvements needed at sports’ complex including painting, signage, maps, an enclosed storage area, batting cages, and fencing. He requested $35,000.

The committee agreed to take it to next week’s council meeting. If approved improvements can begin immediately.