A proposed ordinance making it unlawful to camp on any non-residential, residential, or public property without proper authorization did not go forward at Tuesday’s Batesville City Council meeting.
The ordinance failed to receive a “second” motion after its second reading at the meeting.
The ordinance would have fined violators $100 for the first day and not more than $50 for each day of continuance. Unauthorized campers on any city-owned property would be prosecuted for criminal trespass.
On Wednesday, Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh told White River Now’s Gary Bridgman he planned to work with council members Brittany Bennett, Paige Hubbard, and Fred Krug, along with other local groups, to help address the homeless issue.
In related news, proposed new ordinances designating city-owned cemeteries and city-owned property contiguous to Polk Bayou as city parks will now go to a second reading after Tuesday’s council meeting. Two kayak ramps are being constructed in conjunction with Arkansas Game and Fish: one near the bayou bridge on White Drive and the other near the Golden Overpass on Broad Street.
The city says to foster increased usage of the bayou, it’s necessary to regulate the properties for safety and to discourage vandalism and criminal activity.
A new ordinance regarding hours of operation for city parks will also receive a second reading. City parks would be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. under the new ordinance.
Other ordinances the council approved for second readings included an ordinance to modify fees and rates charged by Batesville Water and Sewer Utilities for work and sewer services and a resolution authorizing a sale of property to the Arkansas State Highway Commission.
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