Controlled-beverage law gets OK

Pea Ridge’s ordinance regulating the sale of controlled beverages took effect immediately after council members approved it April 16.

The draft ordinance has been discussed for months and refined by city attorney Howard Slinkard.

City recorder/clerk Sandy Button asked questions about the fees that are to be charged.

“I’ve got to understand this because we’ll collect it,” Button said about her office.

Slinkard told her that the fees are not specified in the ordinance, other than to require half the state fee.

“That way,” council member Steven Guthrie said, “we don’t have to change the ordinance” when the state changes fees.

Slinkard added: “If there’s a question, call ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission) - they’re the friendliest state agency I’ve ever dealt with.”

Council members approved the ordinance and the emergency clause making it take effect immediately, by votes of 3-0. Council member Nadine Telgemeier arrived at the meeting just after the final vote was taken. She apologized for her tardiness.

In the early stages of the discussion, Slinkard told the council that the ordinance “has regulations for businesses that in all probability we’ll never see in our lifetime.

But I don’t know - someone may open a microbrewery in Pea Ridge, or a wholesaler.”

The council also approved a mutual-aid agreement for law enforcement with Bella Vista.

When councilman Ray Easley noted he doesn’t want to see Pea Ridge officers working problems in Bella Vista “way down in their city,” Police Chief Tim Ledbetter noted that the Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department provides mutual aid to Bella Vista and other cities on a regular basis. The Police Department is more limited in the number of times mutual aid needs to be provided.

The Bella Vista City Council unanimously approved the mutual-aid resolution on March 25.

During briefings from the city department heads, Street Superintendent Nathan See told council members that the recent citywide cleanup generated 19 large trash bins of trash as well as four bins of metal that yielded $2,800 when sold for scrap.

“There was also a lot of turnout for (turning in) paint and hazardous waste,” See said. “That gets bigger each year.”

The city also received nearly a tractor-trailer load of tires.

“Nathan and those guys get a lot of work done well,” Mayor Jackie Crabtree said.

Telgemeier said planning is going well for a summer music series in downtown.

Bluegrass is the theme for the May 18 session, with the band Barbed Wire giving a country theme to the June 15 event.

“We’re hoping to have a street dance,” Telgemeier said. “I talked to (Fred McKinney) and they would put corn meal down on the street to get a slide (like on a dance floor). “We’re going to do that - he’s got the corn meal.” McKinney owns Webb Feed and Seed in downtown.

Council members discussed where to locate the stage and what street or streets can be closed.

“Pea Ridge used to have (street dances) quite often,” Telgemeier said she was told. “We want to try to reinvent that.”

News, Pages 1 on 04/24/2013