Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Okolona cracks down on junk cars in lawns

Okolona City Council members have voted to crack down on junk cars being used as lawn decorations.

The city council passed an ordinance unanimously Tuesday, July 11, making it against the law for those living in Okolona to have a non-operating motor vehicle stored on property within the town limits.

Okolona Mayor James Paul said this ordinance will be enforced. Those not complying shall be fined between $10 and $50 for each day of being in violation.

"We are not trying to be hard on someone repairing a car or keeping an antique that runs," Paul said. "And if you have any vehicle that runs under its own power, this ordinance is not applying to it."

According to the ordinance, the mayor or his designee shall have the right to enter any property in town, where a non-operating vehicle is situated, and cause the removal and disposition of said vehicle, providing the mayor has given 20 days notice to the property owner and that property owner has not filed an appeal with the city recorder/treasurer.

"If there is an appeal, we will leave the property owner alone and bring it before the city council at the next regular meeting for a ruling on what to do with the vehicle," Paul said.

In other business, the council voted to exempt themselves from the Arkansas Entergy Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act because the cost of acquiring shielded outdoor lighting fixtures is prohibitive and the act provides for an exemption in such circumstances.

Paul said, "We have the right to be exempt from Entergys 2005 law about the shielded fixtures because we just can not afford to replace our outdoor city lights if we go with the ones that are shielded. But we have to pass the ordinance for exemption this month."

The council unanimously passed the ordinance allowing Okolona to continue to replace the citys outdoor lighting with unshielded fixtures.

In addition to the regular meeting, Clark County Circuit Clerk Penny Ross answered questions on the functions of her office at the courthouse.

She said her staff consists of four full-time deputy clerks and a one recorder clerk.

Ross said, "We invite you to come see us if you need to research the history of your land, find out about your taxes or check a felony record. You can copy most things in our office."

The next meeting of the Okolona City Council will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at the Okolona Community Center.