By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Certain city employees would be given the right to issue citations in areas covered by their jobs if an ordinance introduced to the Forrest City City Council is adopted.
Arkansas Act 763 of 1983 allows city employees charged with the duty of enforcing certain regulations to be empowered to issue citations.
Mayor Larry Bryant said other towns have taken advantage of this law. The people authorized to write citations or issue a summons cannot make arrests or do such things as write speeding tickets, but only for things within their job description.
Chester Crossen, the city's code enforcement officer, said it would speed things up tremendously, as well as make things easier on the police department. Currently, the police have to take care of citations. Crossen said that the police have their priorities, and admitted that illegal drugs and other crimes are more important than getting people to cut their grass.
"Today, if the pest control officer tells someone to mow their yard and it doesn't happen, he tells me and I have to issue an affidavit for a warrant and take it to the city attorney," said Crossen. "We take it to a judge, and then it goes to the police. You're talking two weeks there, and the grass has grown another 12 inches and neighbors are still hollering. I've seen some of my warrants sitting over there (at the police department) for two months without being served."
When asked, Bryant said that if the ordinance passes, the authority to issue citations would be given to Crossen, the pest control officer and certain fire department personnel.
The ordinance requires three readings. Only one reading was held Tuesday.
First reading was also held on an ordinance annexing the Patillo Subdivision. It is the last step in annexing that property.
On another matter, City Attorney Alan Cline told the council members they may want to consider hiring a different attorney to represent the city in a particular lawsuit.
He said that last year, King Disposal, which has the garbage collection contract with Forrest City, filed suit against a couple of other collectors, which continued to collect garbage after the contract was signed with King. One of the other collectors filed a counter claim, alleging that the bid process and the awarding of the city contract to King was not done properly.
Cline said that at the time, Knox Kinney was city attorney, and Cline was an attorney representing King Disposal. He since has become city attorney, and said the council might want to hire another attorney strictly for this case. He said it is something which can happen easily in a small town law practice, and said he would understand if the council wanted to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.
No decision was made Tuesday.
The Advertising Department of the Times-Herald recently won several awards in the Arkansas Associated Press Advertising Contest.
The department competed in the Small Dailies Division.
Two first places were received. One was in the "Use of One Spot Color" category for an ad, "Strawberries are Ready.' The other was for "Use of Clip Art in Ad," for "Arts Alive."
The department also received six second place awards in the categories of "Multiple Advertiser," "Special Advertising," "Special Section Cover," "Original Illustration," "Political Advertising" and "Use of Humor in Ad."
A third place was taken in the "Use of One Spot Color" category, and a merit award was won in the "Success Story" category.
The advertising staff is made up of manager Jim Wirski, Tony Astin and Donna Sugg .
"We all won these awards together," said Wirski.