Decatur opens city buildings, equipment
DECATUR — Citizens of Decatur are now able to use the play equipment at all of the city’s parks, as well as pay their water bills and use the revenue office at city hall and even use the Iva Jane Peek Public Library in person thanks to a vote on Aug. 10 by the Decatur City Council to reopen these facilities.
The council readdressed the closing of all Decatur city buildings, as well as the play equipment and other structures at all four of Decatur’s major parks, due to the covid-19 pandemic that crippled the world in the last six months. But not all council members agreed with the decision.
Council members James Jessen and Ladale Clayton raised safety issues concerning the city’s four major parks, Veterans, Old City, Royce Johnson and Edmiston. Their concerns related to the sanitation of the play equipment and the safety of the city employees at Decatur City Hall.
When asked about the employees’ concerns, city clerk Kim Wilkins assured the council members that each of the four employees at city hall is good with the move as long as everybody entering the building adheres to strict covid-19 protocols, including social distancing of 6 feet or more and mandatory wearing of masks in all public buildings. The plan further limits the number of persons entering city hall to one family member at a time to ensure the social distancing rules.
After a long discussion, the council voted on each city building and the park play equipment. The vote passed on each item, 4-2, with Jessen and Clayton casting the dissenting votes.
At present, the parks play equipment, as well as its sports facilities are open, including the Frisbee golf course and walking trail at Veterans, soccer and baseball fields at Edmiston and the tennis and basketball courts at Old City parks. What will remain closed until further notice is the Bunker and restrooms at Veterans, the concession stand at Edmiston, the restrooms and bandstand at Old City, and the bandstand at Royce Johnson parks.
Signs will be posted near the play equipment with the rules of use for all facilities while under the covid-19 mandates. In addition to the signs, the city will sanitize all equipment with a disinfectant each morning in order to protect park patrons.
The library will continue to offer its online service to its current patrons. At present, the city is still working out details and a few kinks that will delay its opening for a few days.
Of course, all this could change in a moment’s notice should the number of confirmed cases continue to rise in the next few months. If this happens, the Arkansas Department of Health and Governor Asa Hutchinson’s office may once again order another shutdown.
In the past two months, citizens in the northwest corner of Decatur have raised questions of a fence constructed around one of the properties in that area. This prompted the city council to draft an amendment to the Decatur Zoning Code which was presented during the July 13 meeting. At that time the council voted to table the issue until city attorney Michael Nutt could review and make changes as necessary.
During the August meeting, the owner of the fenced property in question addressed the council. After a long discussion, the council voted on and passed in three readings, Ordinance 20-05. This new measure reads as follows:
“Section 10 (g) 1 (Fences): A decorative fence over 36 inches in height shall not be placed in the front yard or positioned any closer to the property line than the front surface of the residence building on a typical residential lot. Decorative fencing not more than 36 inches in height is allowed in front yards subject to all visibility requirements and limitations as discussed herein. A chain-link or other sufficiently transparent fence (one that provides similar visibility through the fence as does chain link) shall be allowed in the front yard so long as the fence is not more than 48 inches in height.”
The council also voted to make the measure in effect moving forward, which means any fences built before Aug. 10 (the council meeting day) will not be affected by the new ordinance.
In other business, the council voted to award the Arkansas 59 Decatur Branch Bridge utility relocation project to Goodwin and Goodwin for a cost of $707,135. The award of this contract is still subject to approval from the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
For more information on the Decatur City Council, contact the city hall at 479752-3912, option 4.