Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

JPs OK Ordinance On Rights-Of-Way

Teeth have been placed in Clark County's ordinance for the protection and maintenance of county roads and right-of-ways.

Those convicted of violating the ordinance will now face fines ranging from $100 to $2,500 depending on the offense.

According to the ordinance, passed Monday night during the regular monthly meeting of the Clark County Quorum Court, it is illegal for anyone to throw or dump any item(s) onto a county road or onto or into a right-of-way.

This includes road begs, shoulders, ditches and ditch backslopes of all county roads.

In addition, it is also illegal to alter the normal or natural flow of drainage of any county road. This includes the dumping of leaves, trees, brush, trash, rock or other foreign debris into a right-of-way.

Also, the burning of anything in right-of-ways is prohibited on all county roads.

Additionally, the ordinance states it is illegal to park a motor vehicle or other large item(s), including tractor, trailer, mobile home or any piece of equipment (including farm equipment) on the driving surface or within the right- of-way of county roads.

Residents will also not be allowed to cut, dig or otherwise deface a county road or right-of-way without first getting permission from the Clark County Judge.

The judge can require the person in question to post a bond to cover any repair cost as well.

Grady Runyan, county judge, said this ordinance was passed to protect county roads and right-of-ways.

There have been problems with illegal dumping in Clark County, especially on county roads. Runyan said anyone caught dumping will be prosecuted.

The court also passed an ordinance creating an enterprise zone for Smith's Ready Mix, a concrete company of Nashville.

Smith's will be locating a plant in the Arkadelphia area and sought the protection and benefits offered under the Enterprise Zone Program Regulations of 1993.

And, the annexation project for the Clark County Courthouse is right on schedule, according to Runyan.

Jerry Simmons, with Twin Rivers Architects of Arkadelphia, presented the court with an update of the project.

He said the exterior plans have been completed, and the interior floor plans are almost done. He plans to meet with county officials to see what changes or additions they would like to see in what will be their new offices.

Simmons said plumbers and heating and air conditioning companies have been contacted about making the necessary plans for these services, and an electrical firm will be contacted as soon as the interior floor plans are completed.

This, he said, should be done by the end of March. Bids for the project should be let in April, with groundbreaking to be done in early June.

Runyan said employees should be in the new annexation by early spring 1997.

Once the annexation is complete, he said, work will begin on renovating and restoring the other portion of the courthouse.

"Everything's looking good," Runyan said. "We're right on schedule."

However, Runyan did voice some displeasure with the Clark County Industrial Council.

He said it has requested the county do more work on the spec building for Polycarbon. Specifically, the CCIC wants the county to pave its parking lot.

But, in a recent meeting, the CCIC took total credit for the work done at the site to date.

Runyan said he had eight men working seven days inside the building moving about 56,000 yards of dirt.

This dirt had to be hauled out so new soil could be brought in. The new soil should be more stable for the concrete flooring which will be poured later on.

Runyan said people in Clark County want their roads fixed and Polycarbon is a private entity. He said working on the roads in the industrial park can be justified, but not installing a parking lot.

That, he said, would be opening a can of worms best left alone.