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Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap – March 21

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large

Ricki Garrett alderwoman at largeThe Board of Aldermen received a report from our Fire Chief, Jeff Blackledge, regarding the activity of the department during 2022. He reported that there were 1,730 emergency medical service calls, 139 fire/arcing calls, and 369 false alarms. There was a total of 3,007 calls, which amounted to an average of 8.24 per day. We appreciate the work that the members of our fire department do for us every day.

The Board of Aldermen approved a bid by Rotolo Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $237,601.36 annually for landscaping and grounds maintenance services at various parks, City buildings, and roadways. The Board also unanimously denied a certificate of appropriateness to put up a decorative fence at the home of Dean Farrar in Olde Towne. The Board had already denied a previous fence that was erected prior to acquiring Board approval.

The Board approved a certificate of appropriateness for the removal of a tree at the home of Margaret Dean in Olde Towne and a certificate of appropriateness for exterior renovation at 312 Jefferson Street for a dance studio, requested by Mandy King. The Board also approved a certificate of appropriateness for exterior renovation of a house at 103 E. Main Street, owned by Ronnie Morton.

In a continuing discussion of the appropriateness of food trucks in the city, the Board considered a request by Lakesha Harmon to operate a food truck during lunch hours at 205 Clinton Boulevard. After discussion of the Board’s efforts to create a food truck park, for the purpose of having all food trucks in one area, the Board voted five to one to allow the food truck to operate until July of this year. That would be the final date for any food truck to operate outside of the proposed food truck park.

In an effort to assist Entergy in keeping the trees trimmed away from power lines in the city, the Board amended its zoning ordinance related to tree-trimming. This change will require Entergy to follow certain best practices in tree trimming, rather than have an arborist on site, and will allow them up to five days to clear the debris, rather than immediately.

Finally, following a long discussion, the Board approved certain amendments to the City of Clinton Zoning Ordinance related to animals in Residential Estate property. The proposal, as presented, would have allowed anyone with Residential Estate Property of three acres or more to have a farm animal, including cows, horses, goats, pigs, etc., of one per three acres. This proposal included both platted and un-platted subdivisions.

Ward 3 Alderman Chip Wilbanks proposed changing the proposal to five acres, with neighborhood covenants, both existing and future, taking precedence over the amendment. I made a motion to amend the acreage to ten acres. A tie-vote of three-to-three allowed Mayor Fisher to vote, and the amended motion failed. I then made a motion to amend the motion to eliminate the platted subdivisions from the proposal. Again, in a three- to-three tie vote, Mayor Fisher broke the tie by voting against the amended motion. Alderman Wilbanks’s motion then passed on a four to two vote by the Board.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Space will be provided in each issue of The Clinton Courier to the Board of Aldermen for a recap of each meeting. Aldermen are asked to volunteer to provide this recap for the Courier.



 

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