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Public commenters press county on enforcement of unsanitary properties, broadband and transportation funding
Summary
Residents urged Pulaski County leaders to enforce an existing ordinance on unsanitary and unsafe property conditions, asked for broadband updates, requested restoration of JP stipends and proposed $160,000 for Rock Region transit service to serve Rixie Road.
Several members of the public addressed the Quorum Court committee during the meeting’s public-comment period, urging enforcement of an existing ordinance on unsanitary and unsafe property conditions and asking for county follow-up on broadband and transportation services.
Regina Norwood, a resident of unincorporated West Little Rock, asked how residents can compel the county to address properties with accumulated trash and structures used for illegal activity. A county representative described the current enforcement process: residents must submit a petition signed by 10 residents within a 2-mile radius of the problematic property to initiate enforcement under the county ordinance; after that, county staff will notify the property owner and, if cleanup does not occur, the county may abate the conditions and bill the owner. The committee discussion noted Ordinance 16 OR 53 addresses unsanitary, unsightly and unsafe conditions and that, according to several justices, that ordinance has not been consistently enforced.
A county code-enforcement staff member said the county is attempting to fill two environmental-officer positions referenced in previous committee actions; the staff member said one staff person currently handles structures and that the process requires attorney review and, ultimately, adjudication in court to enforce compliance.
Other public comments included: (1) a request that the Planning Board and county use mail outreach and non-digital methods (flyers, yard signs) in addition to social media to notify residents about land-use meetings; (2) a request from a commenter identified in the transcript as "KG" that the Quorum Court consider restoring $1,000 district stipends for Justices and to set aside approximately $160,000 to fund a Rock Region service (an on-demand/ride option) to serve residents on Rixie Road; and (3) a question about the timeline and depth of an upcoming county reorganization/rehab analysis, with speakers concerned one year may be too short for a comprehensive review.
Committee members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to follow up. The county staff described the petition-based process for unsanitary-condition enforcement and confirmed a packet and step-by-step guidance are available to citizens who want to initiate an enforcement action.
