CAMDEN — Camden Planning Commission Chairman Willie Cooper called for the dismissal of Code Enforcement Officer Travis Daniels during the audience participation portion of Tuesday night’s Camden City Council meeting
Cooper addressed the council, in part, saying: “The planning commission has some issues. They are some in-depth issues….We had a guy that was on the commission and he missed some meetings, so we dismissed this person. He missed three meetings, so we dismissed this person. We were told it was in the by-laws. That’s what we were told. I didn’t research it at the time, but that’s what we were told. We dismissed this person and replaced him. There’s another person that did the same thing for several months and he was not dismissed. I asked code enforcement to send him a letter, code enforcement refused to send him a letter.”
Mayor Julian Lott said, “I hear what you’re saying. If this is the same issue you came to me about, I sent you to an individual. And it has not been resolved?”
Cooper replied, “It has not been resolved, sir. I’ve been told one thing when I sit in an office and when I get out, it’s a different story.”
Lott asked, “Am I telling you a different one?”
Cooper said, “No, sir. Let’s make it clear: Code enforcement has told me different.”
Lott asked, “What are you recommending as a chairman?”
Cooper said, “I recommend that you let him go.”
When asked who he was referring to, Cooper said, “Travis Daniels. I’m going to make it plain and clear: Travis Daniels.”
Regarding the comments made at August’s planning commission meeting about the commissioner missing meetings, Daniels told the Camden News, “I approached the city attorney to seek clarification. The attorney said since we let that member participate in the previous meeting, that their time just kind of reset.”
In new business, Ordinance No. 18-19, an ordinance establishing an entertainment district in Camden, was put up for a first reading. Aldermen James Bell introduced the ordinance with a map showing that the district would run from Harrison Avenue to Monroe Street to the Riverwalk area, and from Van Buren to parts of Adams Avenue.
Bell said he hoped the area would spur economic development, and mentioned that there are plans for a microbrewery to open in the area.
Alderman Marvin Moore said, “I don’t feel comfortable with us just walking and drinking. I’m not against entertainment districts, but it has to be done in a manner where it’s… it has to be very carefully managed. Y’know? We live in a right-to-carry state, and I was at one entertainment district - I won’t call the name of it - but everybody had a gun on their side. Guns and alcohol don’t mix. And I felt uncomfortable. I really did. I don’t have a problem with gun owners, but I have a problem with gun owners carrying their guns when they are drinking in an open environment.”
When Camden Police Chief Bo Woody was asked by Bell if he had the manpower to police and quarantine the scope of the proposed district, he stated, “Yes, we would have to have additional assistance. This is a fairly large (area). Depending on the size of the event that was held down there, no, I couldn’t contain this much area. If you’re just saying that that (referring to the map) is going to be the district, it might be in parts of it - yes. First Friday, we don’t have an issue with, that’s contained - if you wanted to have it closer to the Sandbar, if you’re going to have it in that area. We could not cover this (the proposed) entire district. This is just large.”
The council decided to put the ordinance up for a first reading in order to amend the map.
The ordinance will be revisited at the October city council meeting.
Ordinance No. 19-19, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract for the purchase of rescue equipment for auto extraction, waiving the requirement of competitive bidding - passed unanimously.
Ordinance No. 20-19. An ordinance amending Chapter 10, Fire Prevention and Protection, Article III Outside Fire Protection of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Camden - passed unanimously.
The new wording reads, “Section 10-35 is hereby deleted and the following is substituted therefor:
“Any person, firm or corporation within five (5) road miles of the city limits of Camden or within Highland Industrial Park may apply to the Board of Aldermen for limited fire protection. The Board of Aldermen may approve or reject any such application, at its sole and final discretion.
“SECTION 2: Section 10-39(b) is hereby deleted and the following is substituted therefor:
“(b) The schedule of fees shall be as follows by classification as outlined in Section 10-40:
Residential: $600.00 for the first hour, or any part thereof, per truck. $300.00 for each additional hour, or any part thereof, per truck.
“Commercial and industrial: $800.00 for the first hour, or any part thereof, per truck. $350.00 for each additional hour, or any part thereof, per truck.
“SECTION 3: Section 10-40(b) is hereby deleted and the following is substituted therefor:
“(b) The schedule of annual service charges shall be as follows:
“(1) Residential structures (single building) shall be charged Three Hundred Dollars ($ 300.00) per residence.
“(2) Commercial and industrial applicants with less than Five-Hundred Thousand (500,000) square feet under its control, shall be charged Eight Dollars ($ 8.00) per employee, with a minimum charge of Five Hundred Dollars ($ 500.00), up to a maximum charge of Five-Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00).
“(3) Commercial and industrial applicants with Five-Hundred Thousand (500,000 square feet or more under its control, shall be charged Five-Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00), regardless of the number of employees.”
Resolution No. 32-19 a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an inter-local agreement with the City of East Camden for the operation of a street sweeper was passed by the council, with Aldermen Christ Aregood being the sole opposition.
The resolution will allow East Camden to “direct the sweeper driver to the streets it desires to be swept.
“East Camden shall ensure the selected streets are open and unobstructed. East Camden shall reimburse Camden for the cost of fuel, oil and labor for the sweeper while being operated in East Camden.”
Alderman Chris Aregood asked, “How are we going to get it out there?…It’s a very expensive vehicle. We’re going to be putting some highway miles on it, and these things aren’t cheap.”
City Attorney Michael Frey noted that there was no obligation on either municipality stating, “There’s no requirement to do it at all. It’s going to be up to the mayor and public works (department). This would allow them to do it if they want to, but we’re not under obligation to do it.
Alderman Lawrence Askew said, “For what it’s worth I think it’s a good idea. I mean, being neighborly and everything. I don’t think it’s going to hurt anything…. You’re helping a neighbor out. We talked about - last month maybe the month before last - Judge McAdoo was talking about the street paving machine and sharing it with us. So, we got to help each other out.”
Aregood replied, “We’re part of Ouachita County, though. It’s part of his job to take care of Camden.”
At the end of the meeting, Askew reiterated the need to know what other commissions - such as Camden Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Camden Planning Commission were doing, and that the council had a right to know “who was in and who was out.”