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Residents urge Pulaski County leaders to reverse court-ordered renaming of Rixey Road
Summary
Multiple residents and community leaders told the committee they oppose a county-court order renaming Rixey Road to Chris Baker Avenue, saying property owners were not sufficiently notified and that the change would impose hardship on long-term residents.
Several residents of the Brush Island community used the meeting's public-comment period to protest a county-court decision that renamed Rixey Road to Chris Baker Avenue. Speakers said the renaming process lacked adequate notice to property owners, produced conflicting signage and would impose costs on long-time residents who must update documents and records.
What residents said - Ricky Smith (property owner) said he opposed the renaming and that community notice was inadequate; he said the matter should have been presented to the entire neighborhood first.
- Dorothy Coleman (longtime resident and property owner) said she and her husband own two properties on Rixey Road and presented notarized petitions from property owners opposing the change. Coleman said the renaming would create hardship for elder residents who lack the technology or resources to update driver's licenses and other records, and that a private sign honoring the individual would have been sufficient.
- KG Gully (community representative) said the mailing process and timing for the public hearing were irregular, suggested renters were given influence in a decision that affects property owners, and called for the county judge to revisit the process.
County response cited Committee staff and the county said the county court (presided over by the county judge) has jurisdiction over county roads and that a petition and hearing were held; staff said notices were provided to affected property owners and that the county judge issued a court order finalizing the change. The committee itself did not reverse the decision during the meeting and noted the renamed road was the result of a county-court order rather than an action of the quorum court.
Ending: Speakers asked the committee and the county judge to revisit the process and consider reversing or clarifying the change; committee members said the county court had acted and that residents could pursue appeals per the statutory process.
