Burning hot topic during Bryant City Council meeting
Four new firefighters took their oath to become members of the Bryant department and received their shields during the Bryant City Council regular meeting Tuesday.
“We are proud of them,” said Fire Chief J.P. Jordan.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the firefighter training school stopped holding classes, but because Bryant has its own training facility they were able to complete their training. Jordan said this allowed the department to train them how it wanted to.
The new firefighters are Jacob Dever, Andrew Etherington, Jordan Brown and Chandler Pruitt.
J.P. Jordan also gave a letter of commendation to Training Captain Ryan Mccormick in recognition of all the work he did to make this training happen.
“It took a lot of logistics. It took a lot of planning,” J.P. Jordan said.
The council also discussed the proposed burning ordinance, which had previously come before the council and was not approved. With the help of the Development Review Committee, changes were made to the proposed ordinance.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, the council members read several letters from residents who oppose the ordinance as written.
Mayor Allen Scott said he has received complaints on both commercial and residential burning due to the amount of smoke in the city. The changes to the ordinance specifically deal with commercial burning and Scott feels that is not fair because both cause problems. He said he is willing to put together a committee to discuss the issue and took names from council members for potential committee members.
Council Member Butch Higginbotham said the DRC discussed at its most recent meeting its concern
the previous version of the ordinance did not take in account how the burning was being done. The department heads who attended where concerned about smoke and ash. They want to encourage commercial properties to find a different way to dispose of trees and other natural waste.
Council Member Brenda Miller asked how the yard waste pick up, which was meant to help with the problem, is going. Scott said it has gone so well the city had to go to twice-weekly pickups. He would like to eventually be able to offer both burning and composting options for the waste so residents could get free compost.
City Attorney Josh Farmer updated the council on three cases the city is involved with and told them his plans for transitioning to his replacement. Farmer was elected earlier in the year as a circuit judge. He will take his seat in January.
The first case he discussed deals with a business suing the city over construction in the Heart of Bryant. The claimant claims the city has essentially condemned his property by restricting access due to the way the road was done. Farmer believes it will dismissed by the judge because he doesn’t believe the claim is valid.
The second is the city is suing to condemn 202 NW 3rd St. Farmer had to have a title search done to ensure the city had the correct records, and it does. He will be filing it today.
The third is the city is being sued by the Bryant Improvement District number 84, the improvement district of Midtowne. They want a court to say Bryant has adopted its streets and would have to repair them. The case was filed in 2016 but was on hold due to bankruptcy. Farmer said the city filed a counterclaim because the streets were not built to Bryant’s specifications and that is why they were not adopted.
He foresees three possible outcomes. The court could decide Bryant has adopted those streets, agree with Bryant or disagree with both parties. No matter what the court decides, Farmer said the city would not be legally required to repair the streets.
He said the city is not in the business of fixing where streets are not built to standard.
The two sides are going to try to mediate the issue.
Farmers said the city is starting to advertise to fill the city attorney position today. The interviews will either be at the council meeting or a special meeting in August. He wants to ensure a smooth transition and said he would still be available if the new attorney has questions about any of the cases.
Greater Bryant Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Brown gave the council an update on Pops in the Park, scheduled for Saturday at Mills Park. Food trucks will be available beginning at 6 p.m. and fireworks are scheduled for 9 p.m. He assured the council everything is being done to ensure proper social distancing during the event.
He also announced the Wings Over Bryant Air Show has been postponed until 2021.
The council also discussed the following:
• Set 6:30 p.m. July 7, for a Parks Department workshop to discuss projects that may use A&P Commission funds.
• Approved year-to-date financial reports and general fund revenues.
• Tabled adding court records to a previous ordinance allowing Finance Director Joy Black to destroy old records. Black had been asked to add court records but the council wants to handle those as a separate ordinance.
Scott told the council the first Bryant 101 Class is full and set to begin Thursday. There is a waiting list already for the planned fall class. He would like to make the class yearly.
Coffee with the Mayor has been pushed back to July 11 due to the Fourth of July holiday.
A story regarding Planning and Community Development, which was discussed at the meeting, will be in an upcoming edition of The Saline Courier.