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DEPARTMENT HEADS’ ADDRESSES A CONCERN FOR CITY OFFICIALS

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 11:52 PM CST

Several Pine Bluff department heads live outside the city limits — some in violation of municipal code.

The most recent ordinance, approved in 2000, calls on all Pine Bluff department heads to live within the city limits.

Director of the inspection and zoning department Robert Tucker, lives in Redfield, city collector Albert Ridgell, lives near Little Rock, and Police Chief John Howell lives in Hardin.

The issue of Howell’s residency was raised during his 2006 hiring where a second ordinance came into play.

That ordinance, passed by the Pine Bluff City Council in 2002, requires that police department personnel live only in the state of Arkansas.

“My preference would be that they all would live in the city,” said Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. of department heads.

He added that he understood why some personnel did not call the city home.

“Just to make an arbitrary decision to move based on the economy ... it’s difficult to do that,” he said. “I feel it would put an unnecessary burden on some department heads.”

Moving inside the city limits

Newly hired Fire Chief Dannie Smith is in the process of moving from Texas to Pine Bluff and already is on the payroll, Redus said.

Vickie Conaway, human resources department director, said Smith was put on the payroll Oct. 26.

Lora George, administrative assistant for the Pine Bluff Fire Department, said she believed Smith said he would return to Pine Bluff Nov. 16.

“He happened to start work while he and his wife were here,” Redus said.

He said he appreciated that Smith quickly found a home in Pine Bluff so as to more quickly transfer to his new job.

A re-occurring issue

The issue of residency also came up when now state Sen. Jerry Taylor, D-Pine Bluff, held the office of Pine Bluff mayor.

An ordinance was introduced that would require all city employees to live within the city limits. The measure did not make it to the city code.

“I believe that we came to the right decision when I vetoed it,” Taylor said.

Third Ward Alderman Glen Brown said he’s in favor of an ordinance for all city employees to live within the limits.

“If that person doesn’t live and spend their money within the city limits of Pine Bluff that means that our tax dollars are leaving,” he said. “Pine Bluff can ill afford to lose tax dollars.”

Brown said the residency requirement also could grow the population of Pine Bluff, which according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, declined 8 percent from 2000 to 2007.

Effectiveness

Legally, there’s not much to enforce the stated residency requirement for department heads, said assistant city attorney Joe Childers.

While termination is given as an option for violating the ordinance, it is not required, he said.

“I suppose any remedy would be in the hands of their superior,” Childers said.

Redus said he prefers all public safety personnel live within the city limits for visibility.

He said he’s still trying to understand why the city has residency requirements.

“It’s an ordinance that I think the council should revisit to see its effectiveness.”

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