City council tackles zoning, city clerk’s salary

— Tuesday night’s Camden City Council meeting was highlighted by rezoning ordinances and an executive session concerning an resolution setting the salary for the city clerk.

During the audience participation portion of the meeting, Kenneth Forrest said an August 9th meeting of the Arkansas Department of Health and Human services focused on HIV and Hepatitis rates in Arkansas.

Forrest said, “Here in Arkansas we are one of the top 7 states that is the highest for Hepatitis C. We are getting federal funding from the U.S. to start working on education and prevention for our state. We are the last one to be doing this. We are distributing condoms for free. Once I run out all I have to do is contact the state and they will give me more. I’ve also talked with Peggy Abbott at the hospital and she has offered her participation, her help for this.”

Forrest said because federal and state funds are used to distribute the condoms, they can not be handed out in private businesses.Forrest said that at some point in the future, HIV testing clinics would be available to the public.

Samantha Garrard, who volunteered with the Central Arkansas Development Council in conjunction with the groups commodity exchange program, brought before the council concerns about a lack of air conditioning in a building in Carnes Park.

Garrard said, ” It’s an eyesore to me, and it’s a problem. We were there from 9 to 2 today and it was hot. The AC is not working in that building. I’ve been there before and the AC was not working then. For us to have such a beautiful park that you guys have made upgrades to, with a water park, and to have that building in that park is a disgrace…My solution, because I don’t want to just complain, is to build a new building, wherever you can find the money to build one. And I hear the reason why is because of forefathers names on the building or a plate or something like that. I would say it’s more disrespectful to have that eyesore in our park, where people are in the building passing out to where we have to call the ambulance. It’s more disrespectful to our community than forefather or names on a plate.”

Rashel Williams of Unity in the Community thanked council members L.E. Lindsey and Marvin Moore for help with National Night Out and said the event was a huge success.

Garrard did thank the mayor and public works for supplying fans later in the day to help with the heat.

Camden Water Utilities Manager David Richardson gave his bi-annual water and sewer report to the council.

He said, “It is with great pleasure that I inform you that our first phase of our 20 year phase of our master plan is compete. We are doing our study right now for our 2nd phase. I’m hoping to have the plans finished by the end of the year and maybe by 2020 award a contract.”

Richardson also said that the second phase should not require a rate increase. He also said that he is still working alongside Scenic Hill Solar on the implementation of a solar farm.

In old business, several sections of property were rezoned. Property located at 1435 California Avenue SW, property located at California Avenue and Longview Street and property located at Cash and California were rezoned from C-1 (Professional Office District) to C-4 (General Commercial).

All three ordinances passed unanimously.

Councilman Chris Aregood reintroduced resolution 23-19, a resolution regarding the salary of the city of Camden’s Clerk. The resolution had previously been tabled at the June meeting.

The council went into executive session as it was a personnel issue.

The council reconvened and unanimously approved the resolution.

In new business Resolution 17-19, a resolution allowing a certain member of the Camden Airport Commission to enter into business with the city was approved, although Councilman Moore expressed concern at a growing trend of ” doing business with ourselves.” City Clerk Donna Stewart added that this was to add a sunset clause as previously it was open ended and was noted by an auditor.

Resolution 31-19, a resolution confirming the reappointment of Michael Tidwell to the Advertising and Promotion Commission was unanimously approved by the council.

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