Pulaski County quorum court adopts amendments to countywide land use study, reads plan for first reading

The Pulaski County Quorum Court on March 25, 2025, adopted two amendments to an ordinance enacting a countywide land use study and plan for unincorporated areas and then read the ordinance for its first reading.

The amendments were intended to clarify the countywide land use study and to record local findings. Both amendments passed on recorded roll calls of 12 ayes, 3 absent. After the amendments passed, the court's clerk read the ordinance title for a first reading; no final adoption occurred during the meeting.

Members spent the longest portion of the meeting discussing the ordinance (filed as 24 I 60 in the packet and carried forward into the 25 series). Justice Lewiston moved amendment 1, described in the meeting as acknowledging the findings of the countywide land use study. Miss Blackwood moved amendment 2, the text enacting the countywide land use study and plan for the unincorporated area.

Several justices questioned language in the amendments that singled out "Western Pulaski County." Justice Curry asked whether the language would apply countywide or only to owners in the western part of the county and sought legal clarification. The county attorney (staff) explained the wording in the amendment functions as commentary and said, "the language being proposed is from a representative of Western Pulaski County and that's that would be my best explanation." The county attorney characterized that portion as explanatory rather than a binding regulatory change.

Justice Davis said the amendment was requested so the plan would reflect the sentiments of West Pulaski residents and to ensure the plan's language would guide future ordinance drafting. She said, "That's exactly what happened. I did not felt feel like the land you study completely, incorporated my population of people. People. We had the community meeting, and so I just wanted this added."

Justice Person called attention to the plan text itself, saying the plan's existing language already addressed points raised during debate: "page 9 of the land you study addresses everything listed in the amendment." Several members noted that individual justices could draft additional amendments to reflect concerns from the areas they represent; the county attorney and other members offered staff assistance for drafting.

The court adopted amendment 1 (to acknowledge findings) and amendment 2 (to enact the countywide land use study and plan) by voice/roll call (both recorded as 12 ayes, 3 absent). Following those votes, the clerk read the ordinance title for its first reading: "An ordinance adopting a countywide land use study and plan for the unincorporated area of Pulaski County, Arkansas." No final adoption vote on the ordinance took place at that meeting.

The discussion established that the amendments were intended as foundational language to guide future land-use ordinances; members who wished different or broader language were invited to file additional amendments for future consideration.

Votes on the amendments and the first reading were recorded during the meeting; additional readings or final adoption of the ordinance were not recorded in the transcript.