Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bella Vista considers item to require sewer connection
BELLA VISTA — The Bella Vista City Council met for a work session Monday night to discuss four ordinances and three resolutions that will make up its regular session agenda June 26.
All members except Craig Honchell were present for the work session, which was held at the District Courtroom.
The first item discussed was an ordinance amendment that will be up for a third and final reading in the upcoming regular session. The ordinance would amend city code to require a sanitary sewer connection when service becomes available in front of, or on the side or rear of, a house or adjoining lot.
If the amendment to the ordinance passes, the new ordinance would read:
“Owners of real estate located within the city are hereby required to discontinue the use of septic tanks and lateral lines on their property when sanitary sewer service becomes available on the street in front of the house, or on the side or rear of the house, and are hereby required to connect to said sanitary sewer system for the provision of sewer service on said property. The property owner shall be responsible for connecting their sewage line to the service line provided at the tap-in point on their lot or on the adjoining lot.”
An ordinance regarding occupancy limits in shortterm rentals will also be before the council. It would make the limits inapplicable for up to five reservations or lease arrangements made on or before Dec. 19, 2022. An emergency clause is attached to the ordinance which, if passed by the council, would put the ordinance into effect immediately.
Another ordinance up for consideration would amend city code to permit “administrative review and approval of the increase in size of permanent signs up to 10%.”
The council will also consider amending city code to remove the city-imposed restriction on the number of docks, boathouses or dockside recreational improvements allowed per parcel.
The first of the three resolutions discussed in the work session authorizes the mayor and city clerk to enter into a three-year lease contract with Stronghold Data LLC in an amount not to exceed $32,540.61 for the lease of Dell computers and associated equipment.
The second and third resolutions pertain to code enforcement officers recently brought under the responsibility of the Bella Vista Police Department. One resolution will approve a code enforcement officer policy for the Police Department while the second will approve an organizational chart for inclusion in policy for the department.
Before the conclusion of the meeting, the council heard from Bella Vista Planning Manager Taylor Robertson regarding a proposal to amend the city’s Unsightly Conditions Code to promote monarch and pollinator gardens in conjunction with the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge.
Robertson said the intent of the discussion was to open talks on the subject of whether or not residents would be penalized for allowing portions of their property to be turned into plots where certain wildflowers could be grown that would benefit monarch and other butterflies without facing penalties for the yards “appearing unsightly.”
Robertson said she hopes the council will continue the discussion in the near future with the possibility of changes being made to the city’s code to support the pollinator gardens.