At Thursday’s Blytheville Code Enforcement meeting, the committee voiced some concerns that they had heard from citizens about the department.
Committee brought up several phone calls that they received from citizens stating that the Code Enforcement “did not do their jobs.”
Code Enforcement Officer Jim Defoe stated that he believes the department does the best job that it can, but it cannot get to everything.
Defoe said that the department is out and operating every day but that Blytheville has many code violations and a large amount of empty, abandon houses that are not owned by people who live in town; this can make dealing with these properties extra difficult. Councilman L.C. Hartsfield stated that he believes there were some properties within the community that were ignored and had been in violation for years with no response from Code Enforcement.
“We are doing everything we can do. I’m looking at things like you, and it seems like we are doing everything we can do but it isn’t enough,” Defoe said.
Councilwoman Barbara Brothers asked if it would help if the Code Enforcement was restructured to include city workers cutting the grass outside of the Public Works Department.
Defoe stated that it could be something to consider. Brothers stated that the department and the committee simply needed to look for solutions.
During the Animal Control portion of the meeting, the committee asked about some of the court cases that involved animal cruelty recently. The committee also discussed issues involving breeding animals without a breeder’s license.
A representative from the Blytheville Humane Society wanted to know if tickets were given when people were caught in violation of breeding animals or not having animals spayed or neutered.
The animal control truck had been out of commission for a little while but is now functioning again. The air conditioning in the vehicle is still not functional, however.
The committee also discussed the selling of animals on Facebook.
According to the officer, people are breeding animals and then posting puppies for sale on social media.
It can be difficult to figure out who to charge when the seller and the breeder of the dogs are a different person.
gwilliams@blythevillecourier.com