CAMDEN — By BRADLY GILL
Staff writer
The long debated city ordinance requiring a permit for parades and other public assembly passed at Tuesday’s Camden City Council meeting, with the sole dissenting vote coming from Aldermen L.E. Lindsey.
ORDINANCE NO.21-18 states:
“This division shall not apply to the following -
• Funeral processions.
• Students going to and from school classes or participating in educational activities, provided that such conduct is under the immediate direction and supervision of the proper school authorities.
• A governmental agency acting within the scope of its functions; and
• Organized events occasioned by news or affairs coming into public knowledge within three (3) days of such event, provided that the organizer thereof gives written notice to the mayor at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to such event.
Sec. 12-18-004. Application.
• A person seeking a parade or public assembly permit shall file an application with the mayor on forms provided by the city and the application shall be signed by the applicant.
• For single, non-recurring parades or public assemblies, an application for a permit shall be filed with the mayor at least five (5) and not more than one hundred eighty (180) days before the parade or public assembly is proposed to commence. The mayor may waive the minimum ten-day filing period and accept an application filed within a shorter period if, after due consideration of the date, time, place, and nature of the parade or public assembly, the anticipated number of participants, and the city services required in connection with the event, the mayor determines that the waiver will not present hazard to public safety.”
When the third reading of the permit ordinance was read, Lindsey said:
“Two problems, one is that we are inconveniencing a whole bunch of people that we don’t intend to inconvenience. Number two, after this event that came up that motivated all this, people that were up here, they weren’t looking to give people a forum and a way to do it. What they wanted is they (the hate group) shouldn’t be allowed in Ouachita County. We can’t do it, so this is not going to accomplish what most of those people that were up here saying ‘You got to do something.’ It’s not going solve what they were asking for, because they (the residents objecting to the group) didn’t think they (the group) should be allowed in town.”
Lindsey was referencing when a hate group from out of town attended the Daffodil Festival this year and held a flag display during the event. Camden residents then addressed the city council for a response about how to prevent such a group from attending local events.
Lindsey added that with the new city ordinance, the council was “pretending to solve a problem.”
City Attorney Michael Frey added that on the second point of the ordinance, they “absolutely could not change the United States Constitution.”
During the audience participation portion of the meeting, Patric Flannigan invited everyone to the annual Juneteenth Celebration held at Carnes Park on Saturday. He added that a block party would be held at Special Touch Barber Shop located next to Walgreens on California Avenue.
Also, a resident of 655 Maple Street addressed the council about a continuing drainage problem and unsafe hole in her yard. She presented children in her care and said that she was without a washing machine, dryer, or hot water heater due to the flooding that occurred.
The council members said they would look into the matter.
Another resident approached the council about a summons for court due to city code violations. She acknowledged that one vehicle was not in compliance and she removed it. When she received a second letter, she ignored it.
Alderman Marvin Moore advised her to answer letters in the future.
Frey said that the letters were to legally documentation and that if the property was free of code violations, the suit would probably be thrown out. But he advised her to show up at court.
Sherry Wilson then approached to council and asked about the policies regarding renting the municipal pool because her son requested two weekends in order to teach scuba certification, but was denied.
Mayor Marie Trisollini stated that granting the request would be subletting the pool, which was not allowed under city provisions.
“He can’t sublet the pool without permission from the mayor and the mayor was not asked for permission,” she said.
Wilson said the mayor had been out of town.
“You don’t shut the fire department down because you’re on vacation,” Lindsey said to the mayor.
Moore said that he has not seen anything in the past about how permission would be required.
Lindsey made a motion that the rules and procedures of use of the pool be presented at the next meeting. Later in the meeting, he submitted a motion to approve the pool usage, which was passed with the exception of a ‘nay’ vote by Alderman Chris Aregood.
Under new business, a lien was assessed on property located 795 Bradley Ferry Road, an ordinance rezoning property at the location of 1315 California Avenue from a single family residence to general commercial district was passed and a resolution authorizing the purchase of an HVAC unit for the Public Works department was passed.