CAMDEN — By BRADLY GILL
News Editor
A packed city council agenda was rounded out with a tense altercation between aldermen at Tuesday night’s city council meeting as accusations of nepotism and an opposition to diversity were thrown about.
While Resolution 6-20, confirming Roderick Cooper, a pilot with ties to Camden but who reportedly resides in Bryant, was being discussed, Councilman Marvin Moore said that someone with pilot experience was needed on the board.
“They like to have people their that has a license, that use the airport,” he said. “I don’t know all about this young man, but he flies on a consistent basis. That’s when I read and gave him my approval.”
Cooper was approved unanimously be the aldermen.
The next Resolution 7-20, a resolution affirming Kimberly Moore, who is Marvin Moore’s niece, to the Airport Board of Commissioners, was introduced by Moore.
“Do you think that appropriate that you be the one the introduce it?” Alderman Chris Aregood asked.
“I didn’t see any aviation background in this. I was curious as why that person, it’s an ex officio spot, I assume you’re in training to take the next spot that comes ope,” L.E. Lindsey replied. “The way I would look at it? Knowing the gentleman had been turned in from the airport commission that wasn’t put up that has a lot of aeronautical background…”
“If you read that resume it should give you a hint as to what type of person she is. The airport commission…not everybody out there is going to fly a plane,” Marvin Moore replied. “Remember, we are trying to open up the airport as a business. If you read her licences and everything, she’s pretty business-minded. She’s started business, she’s controlled business, she’s been the chief executive officer of businesses. So, if we run the airport as a business, anyone can learn to just fly, but we have to have a business to bring people here.”
“The whole criteria of the previous appointment was that he could fly,” Aregood responded. “That’s the whole criteria of the guy we just appointed. I’m just trying to understand the double standards that we are apparently going by in 2020.”
“I don’t think it’s a double standard. I think it’s diversity that maybe you aren’t used to,” Moore said.
“Careful now… that’s going in an ugly direction,” Aregood countered.
When it came time to vote on the resolution, it failed to meet the three-fourths majority it needed to pass, with Aregood being the sole dissenting vote.
Moore once again spoke up during Ordinance 8-20, which would allow Mayor Julian’s Lott company JL Maintenance and Preservation to enter into contracts with the city.
The ordinance states that “This shall not be construed to require the City of Camden to solely use the services of the above mentioned company, but to provide authorization pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 14-42-107” which prohibits an elected official from having an interests in any contract with the city unless an ordinance is specifically passed specifically permitting an appointee to do so.
“This is the same speech I had about six or seven years ago, it looks like everybody wants to work for the city now, and I understand what’s the target about these,” Moore said. “People do different things, people have different skills. I don’t know. I’ve always, and I hope no one takes this wrong, but I always put this with nepotism in a sense. If you don’t want to do it, you knew your job when you took it. That’s just how it is, because it’s easy to cross that line sometimes.
“Because when there is a check being written by the city, I don’t want to give the impression that there is something being done wrong. I’d rather not apply for anything from this city. That’s why I never took funding from this city for our non profit. I don’t want to even give that image that I might be profiting from anything.”
The ordinance passed with Aregood being the only council member to vote no.
Ordinance No. 10-12 an ordinance permitting an official of the the Airport Commission, Tim Jordan, to enter into contracts with the city was approved 4-2 with Aregood and Alderperson Irene Galbert voting no.
Other Business
• A bid awarding the purchase of two 2020 Police Package SUV’s from Jim Golden Ford was passed. The price was $80,696.
• A bid awarding the purchase of a pump truck for the Camden Fire Department was passed which will cost $254,188 and come from the Fire truck vehicle fund.
• Finally, during the Mayor’s Report, the mayor spoke about how he, the assistant Mayor Amy Perrin and City Code Enforcer Travis Daniel traveled to Los Angeles to learn about brownfield sites.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.”
Mayor Lott said that Camden has many such sites available for renovation.