City may get tough on parking scofflaws

Berryville Mayor Tim McKinney told the city council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 18, that the city will look into hiring a part-time code enforcement officer to address issues with parked cars blocking access to streets.

Council member Max Nichols said he had been contacted by a resident concerned about such a situation on Lynn Street, which is off of St. George Avenue just east of Arkansas Highway 21 North.

Nichols said he visited the area four times to check on the situation. On the first three visits, Nichols said, he observed no issues. But on the fourth visit, he couldn’t drive his truck down the street.

“They park trailers, cars,” he said. “There’s a car that’s been there for a while, parked there. It probably needs to be moved. And I know that the garbage guys a lot of the time have to walk down, pick their trash up and carry it back to the truck. … If an ambulance or a fire truck would have had to go down there the day I went, they couldn’t have gotten in there.”

Police chief Robert Bartos said residents can call the police department if they encounter such an issue, saying there is a city ordinance regarding vehicles being parked on the street. Bartos said there were some issues with cars being parked illegally in the area about a year ago. He said he believes some new residents have moved in and are not following the law regarding parking.

“They can call us and we can go down there and find out whose cars they are and have them clear off the streets,” Bartos said.

“That’s one of those situations that you just have to stay on those people,” McKinney said. “If you give them a break, then you’ll be right back where you start.”

McKinney said city building inspector Greg Harrison watches for parking issues but often is called away on other duties.

“So we’ll be looking to (hire a part-time code enforcement officer) and hopefully get some of these places cleaned up,” McKinney said.

In other business, the city approved a request from the Kiwanis Club to hold a youth fishing derby at George Pond on Saturday, June 10.

Bartos presented the police department’s monthly report for March, saying Berryville police issued 140 citations and investigated 64 offenses during the month — up from 104 and 54, respectively, in March 2022. The department had a clearance rate of 94 percent for the month and took in $1,240 in fines and bonds, Bartos said. Police responded to nine accidents, down from 10 in March 2022.

Council member Linda Riddlesperger reported that Saunders Museum opened for the season on Saturday, April 18, and had a total of nine visitors on its first three open days. Riddlesperger said one visitor inquired about bringing a group of 80 people to the museum in September.

The Berryville City Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at City Hall.