Decatur Council passes fireworks, animal ordinances, approves depot restoration
DECATUR — The city council had a busy agenda Sept. 9, during its regular meeting in the conference room at Decatur City Hall. The session yielded two new ordinances and the approval of the Decatur Historical Commission’s request to restore the exterior of the depot and storage shed.
After approving the August minutes and financial statement, the council discussed amending city code on the sale and discharging of fireworks within the Decatur city limits. The proposed changes include two additional days of discharging fireworks on private property. The amending ordinance adds July 5, from 12 p.m. until 11 p.m., and December 31 (New Year’s Eve), from 12 p.m. until 1 a.m. on January 1, to the existing days which included July 1-4.
After discussing the measure, the council put it to a vote and it passed on the first reading, 4-1,
with Linda Martin casting the only dissenting vote. The council will put up the ordinance for its second reading during the Oct. 14 regular meeting.
The council reviewed a new set of animal control regulations which was submitted to the council during the August meeting by Police Chief Joe Savage and Animal Control Officer Ricky Burke. The 14-page document defined several words, terms and phrases such as physical control, humane manner, kennel, animal running at large and nuisance animals that were used throughout the document.
The regulations also defined the duties of the animal control officer, as well as setting fees for kennel and dog licenses. It also set fines for code violations which included animal cruelty, rabid animals and animal establishments.
After a complete review of the 14-page document, the council put the ordinance to a vote. In a 5-0 vote, the ordinance passed on three readings and was put into effect Sept. 9 per an adopted emergency clause. A copy of the new Decatur Animal Control Regulations is available through the city clerk’s office at Decatur City Hall.
Councilwoman Linda Martin presented the Decatur Historical Commission’s request to restore the 109-year-old train depot and storage shed.
Over the years, the depot has fallen into a minor state of disrepair with the building needing foundation work to fix cracks and crumbling concrete around the waiting room exterior door. Both structures have long needed new paint and fixing wood window frames around the west side of the depot.
Martin presented a bid from Ray Howard Painting for $7,748, which included two coats of paint, two colors of exterior paint for both the depot and shed, painting the crossing guard post and the two light fixtures between the buildings.
In 2018, the historical commission was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Benton County Historical Society for the restoration of the exterior of the two structures.
In a 5-0 vote, the council approved the historical commission’s request. The project is expected to be completed by the end of November, weather permitting.
Other council business
The council discussed a request by local business owners to sell alcohol on Sunday and an alcohol sales tax within the city limits. City attorney Michael Nutt researched the state statute books concerning the alcohol tax and found that statute 3-9-214 allows for a supplemental tax on alcohol by a city and can be used for general purposes.
Nutt also advised the council that the measure must go before the voters. In a 3-2 vote, the council approved adding the Sunday sales and sales tax measure to the March 2020 ballot for voter approval.
The Decatur City Council meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the conference room at City Hall, 310 Maple Avenue in Decatur. The first 30 minutes of the meeting is opened to citizen comment and concerns. For more information, contact the Decatur city clerk’s office at 479-752-3912, Option 2.