EL DORADO — The El Dorado City Council put off taking action on the proposed Country Club Colony street closing Thursday night, but that didn’t stop residents from voicing their opinions about the plan.
“The city of El Dorado does not have the power to close a public street,” said Country Club Colony resident Mary Depper. She cited a letter from her daughter, an attorney, who argued that the municipality is limited in what it can and can’t do with public property.
“A municipality is a statutory creation and only has the power allotted to it by the state,” she said.
City Attorney Henry Kinslow was not in attendance at the meeting, and Depper said she knows Kinslow and considers him a friend, but said that Kinslow has “a vested interest” in the street closing, adding that he lived on Woodland Drive.
“He’s not impartial,” Depper said. “I would say he needs to recuse himself from the matter.”
Country Club Terrace resident Noubar Sarkissian agreed with Depper.
“Kinslow should recuse himself,” Sarkissian said.
“I am a taxpayer and my tax money pays for the upkeep and maintenance on the street,” Sarkissian added, even though he is not allowed to drive on them.
He also noted that council member Mary McAdams, who also was not present at Thursday’s meeting, had said she had constituents from Ward 4 who lived in the Country Club Colony, which is located in the city’s Ward 1, and she was looking out for their interests by supporting the road closing.
“I looked at a ward map, and North West Avenue is the dividing line between Ward 4 and Ward 1,” Sarkissian said. “As a second term council member, I would think she would know the boundary of her ward.”
Mayor Frank Hash asked Depper to get him a copy of the letter from her daughter.
“I will have another attorney, as impartial as I can find, review it,” the mayor said.
“Why not send it to the Arkansas Municipal League and have their counsel review it?” asked council member Vance Williamson.
Sarkissian also noted that while Woodland Drive was closed when neighborhood residents complained about speeding traffic and hazards to children, the same council declined lowering the speed limit on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when residents from that neighborhood asked for similar considerations from the council — a lower speed limit to protect the safety of their children.
“There are only four children living in the Country Club Colony, and two of them are about to move to Texas with their family,” Sarkissian said.
Ward 1 Council Member Billy Blann said that was incorrect.
“I have four grandchildren living there in one home,” Blann said.
“OK, then six children are there,” Sarkissian said. “You closed the street for them, but wouldn’t lower the speed limit on MLK for those children. I bet in that neighborhood that have more than six children living in one home.”
Blann said he did indeed vote against lowering the speed limit on MLK Boulevard.
“Councilman Willie McGhee gave a reason why he voted for on that issue, what is the reason you would vote against lowering the speed limit on MLK?” Sarkissian asked Blann.
Blann said Sarkissian did not know his reasons for voting a certain way.
The council will meet again at 5:30 p.m. on March 16 to decide on the Country Club street closing.
In another matter, the council voted 4-2 to deny allowing an El Dorado woman from putting a mobile home inside city limits.
Resident Lisa Williams and city code enforcement officer Kirby Craig appeared before the council to request a waiver of the city’s ordinance which states mobile homes older than 10 years are not allowed to be brought into the city limits.
“This is a 1998 trailer, but it is in very good shape, it is like brand new,” Craig told the council. He said that he and Williams were there to seek the waiver “due to the excellence of the mobile home.”
The trailer is currently located outside the city limits, and Williams was wanting to move it to a double lot in the 1900 block of East Cook Street. Craig said the Cook Street property had plenty of room for the trailer.
Councilman Willie McGhee said he had seen the trailer and that it looked like a brand new trailer. He noted that the code enforcement officer was recommending the waiver.
Councilwoman Diane Hammond recommended sending Williams to the city’s planning and zoning committee for consideration.
“Why would she have to go to planning and zoning?” the mayor asked. “You are the ones who made the ordinance setting the age requirements. She isn’t asking for a property variance.”
Hash noted that the purpose of the code enforcement officer was to inspect properties. “Mrs. Williams needs the waiver to get it on in here. There’s nothing to be taken to planning and zoning.”
“I remember the 10 years being part of a federal type of guideline,” Blann said.
At one time, there were a number of people bringing in trailers that were of poor quality into the city, which was why guidelines were created in the first place, Blann said. He added that if the council makes an exception in this case, it will have to do so again in the future.
“I know when we did the ordinance we were having problems, but we shouldn’t paint everyone with a broad brush,” McGhee said.
“We sent out the code enforcement officer, and he says it is not an eyesore, it’s in great condition,” McGhee added. “I agree with the mayor, we need to make a decision whether other people come out or not.”
Councilman Vance Williamson asked Craig what was his recommendation.
“The trailer is in good shape,” Craig said. “But I know of six other people who want to bring in trailers.”
The council voted against allowing the home into the city limits with McGhee and Councilwoman Kensel Spivey voting in favor of the recommendation, while Blann, Williamson, Hammond and Councilwoman Judy Ward voted against the recommendation.