A couple of items that were not on the El Dorado City Council's agenda on July 13 sparked considerable discussion that involved city officials, the Department of Public Works, El Dorado Police Department and the city's entertainment district.
Both topics were introduced by Council Member Frank Hash near the end of the council's regular meeting.
One involved disorderly and unruly behavior that has allegedly become a recurring issue on the weekends in the area of West Cedar Street and South Jefferson Avenue.
Hash, a former El Dorado mayor, said he has received inquiries about "activities" that have been reported near Hill's Pool Hall and "resulted in a lot of bottle-breaking and rowdiness with the police."
He asked police Chief Kenny Hickman to address the matter.
Hickman said such incidents are cyclical and commonly occur in areas with bars and other establishments that sell alcoholic beverages.
Entertainment district
Hash referred to the city ordinance that established the city's entertainment district in 2019.
The ordinance permits the public consumption and open-carry of alcoholic beverages on streets and sidewalks within the boundaries of the entertainment district from noon until 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and holidays.
Arkansas Act 812 of 2019 was passed by state legislators in April of 2019 to:
Promote hospitality and tourism.
Establish areas of a city or town that highlight restaurant, entertainment and hospitality options.
To establish temporary or permanent, designated entertainment districts.
Two months later, the El Dorado City Council adopted an ordinance in accordance with Act 812 to create a local entertainment district at the behest of Main Street El Dorado and the Murphy Arts District (MAD).
El Dorado was the second city in the state to form an entertainment district. Mountain Home was the first.
Both cities' districts opened July 24, 2019, the day Act 812 went into effect.
The El Dorado entertainment district encompasses a nine-block area that is roughly bordered by Oak, Hill, Pony and Cleveland streets in the city's downtown.
Alcoholic beverages may be consumed and carried publicly in paper cups that are 16 ounces or less within the entertainment district. Alcohol in bottles or cans is not permitted.
Cans are allowed within the entertainment district only if the alcohol is sold by an organization during a special event under a temporary permit.
Hash noted that an employee of the Murphy Arts District routinely collects alcohol containers, including bottles and cans, that litter ground in the area.
"It's not just cups. It's bottles and cans, whiskey bottles. It's being thrown up against the wall and in the parking lot of (First United Methodist Church)," Hash said.
"And I don't know what we need to do but we don't need to let lawlessness get ahold of our city about that sort of thing," he continued.
The El Dorado Historic District Commission and Main Street El Dorado have expressed similar concerns, Hash said.
Hickman echoed the sentiment, saying, "I was concerned about this when we went to the entertainment district, in terms of it kind of probably not producing the kind of thing we were looking for."
Chief among his concerns were a lack of manpower for the EPD to adequately patrol the district, which is regulated by the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration.
Hickman urged people -- including patrons, business owners and employees -- to call the EPD's non-emergency number, 870-863-4141, when incidents such as those described by Hash, occur.
"I hope people will hear me because I'm very open to telling people to call, call again. Call when it happens because often what happens is we hear it on Monday morning after somebody's had a problem on Friday night," Hickman said.
He added later, "The more specific information we can get, the more we can do with that."
Council Member Willie McGhee said he often sees EPD patrol cars parked underneath a city-owned pavilion in the area of South Jackson Avenue and East Block Street behind First United Methodist Church.
"I don't see how they can't hear that," McGhee said.
Hickman said he has spoken with the EPD lieutenant who serves as commander for the graveyard shift and advised him to make sure officers conduct foot patrols in the parking lots within the area.
"And I told them if you see open containers inside the cars, that's illegal," said Hickman.
It is unlawful for anyone to consume alcohol or possess an open container inside a vehicle within the confines or outside of the entertainment district, per the city ordinance.
"But it is (an) as-we-get-to-it type thing. At any given time, especially on the weekends, you're liable to have multiple calls at one time so the frequency is irregular," Hickman said.
Saying that the city has invested millions of dollars in the development and maintenance of MAD, Hash pressed the EPD to monitor the situation "and don't let it develop" and Hickman said the department is doing just that for cases, complaints and reports across the city.
Scooters
Hash tied the situation to another issue that has cropped up in El Dorado in recent years, saying that he has seen teens and younger children out and about in the area at 11 p.m. riding motorized scooters that are available for rent in downtown El Dorado.
He pointed to the city's juvenile curfew ordinance, which prohibits children under the age of 18 from remaining on city streets between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday - Thursday and between midnight and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The term "street" includes shopping centers, parking lots, parks, playgrounds, public buildings, common areas of public housing developments and similar areas that are open for use by the public.
Some exemptions apply.
For example, a minor is excluded from the ordinance when he or she is:
Accompanied by a parent or an adult who is at least 21 and is not the parent, but who is authorized by a parent to accompany the minor for a designated period of time, for a designated purpose and within a specified area.
Returning home from within one hour after the end of school, city-sponsored, religious -- or other voluntary association -- activities. Sponsors of such events must give prior notice to the EPD.
Engaging in bona fide employment or traveling directly to and from the place of employment.
In a motor vehicle for the purpose of interstate travel, proceeding through, beginning or ending in El Dorado.
"There are some really underage people down there that the curfew should be applied to and those scooters are running all over the place," said Hash.
Local residents, business owners and groups, including MSE, have lodged similar complaints about the scooters, citing reports of riders zipping along downtown sidewalks and nearly running into and frightening people who are going into and coming out of businesses, particularly elderly patrons.
In one incident, teens allegedly used the scooters to swing at each other during a large fight downtown. At least one vehicle was reportedly damaged in the incident.
Pedestrians and motorists have reported having to dodge scooters that buzz along city streets and are left in various areas around town.
Referring to the scooters as "an attractive nuisance," Hash said he would like to see the city "do away with them."
"They're all over the place on Saturday morning, as far down as the (El Dorado Municipal Auditorium) and some at the intersection I just talked about," said Hash. "They're shooting through the streets down there."
Hickman said businesses that provide the electronic scooter rentals are legally permitted to operate within the state and riders must be at least 16 years old.
In the fall of 2021, the El Dorado City Council heard from a local GOAT e-scooter franchisee who addressed complaints and grievances he had received since opening the business in late 2019.
Delvin Aaron, of Ike's Goat Ride, and his assistant, Devin Smith, also shared information about how the business functions.
They said e-scooters may be used beyond the boundaries of downtown El Dorado and that GPS-tracking, time limits and cut-off capabilities are applicable.
Smith explained that the mobile application that is used for Ike's calls for a minimum age of 18 to rent the scooters.
"So, when the parents allow the children to download the app and they lie and say they're 18, that's not on him," Smith said. "He has a $2 million insurance policy for these scooters. He's in good standing with the state of Arkansas."
Smith also said that Ike's had received "negative comments and so much feedback" from downtown business owners, some of whom, she alleged, had thrown and hidden the scooters.
Aaron said e-scooters had gotten a "bit of a" bad rap downtown and some grievances were mistakenly directed toward scooters that did not belong to Ike's Goat Ride.
On July 13, McGhee said weekend e-scooter traffic and raucous crowds of "kids" from downtown often filter into his neighborhood, which is a few blocks east of downtown El Dorado.
McGhee said he has called the EPD on numerous occasions to complain about the situation and has asked dispatchers to document his calls.
He said that he has also ridden downtown following such calls, reiterating that he has spotted EPD patrol cars parked underneath the city pavilion in the area of Jackson and Block.
"Well, I can't address that at this moment because I don't know what they did five minutes before that or what they were doing five minutes after that," Hickman said.
McGhee said he previously discussed the matter with Hickman, adding, "I used to be a police officer, so I understand about parking, but if you're going to park, I don't have a problem with you parking there. Just be visible in an area that can utilize you parking there."