Land owners applaud council

County residents who resisted annexation into the city applauded the Pea Ridge City Council’s decision not to annex their land.

In a brief meeting Tuesday, April 18, council members voted to annex two pieces of property and not annex four other pieces of property.

Two pieces of property on Slack Street, one a long strip on the west side of Summit Meadows and the other an area including Blackhawk Automotive, were annexed without dissent.

Four other areas previously discussed for annexation were north of town and landowners had questioned city officials for the past two months. They were opposed to annexation saying they were giving up more than they were gaining. Residents of these areas literally applauded the council’s decision at the end of the meeting.

Mayor Jackie Crabtree said the residents did not want to be annexed into the city because, “They don’t want the city regulations. They said, ‘We moved out here to be in the county. We want to be in the county.’ The biggest part is they want to keep doing what they’ve been doing and not be restricted on some things.”

For example, he said, the number of dogs they can have, having to obtain a permit to burn limbs in their yard or not being able to shoot a gun in the city limits.

Also Tuesday, the council passed an ordinance stating that the completion of any development shall be completed by a licensed contractor in good standing. This was done to take care of some issues with developers using non-licensed contractors, Crabtree said.

In other business, the council appointed Jeff Neil to complete Cinda Woolridge’s term on the library board. The term ends in 2020.