KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Widener Council decides against open burning law

The  Widener City Council on Monday decided that the town doesn't need a law to control open burning.

The council also voted to reimburse the city's secretary for phone use during the recent flooding.

Mayor Arvin Billingsley had been checking, and said, "The city has no burn ordinances whatsoever that I can find."

There had been some discussion, but it was found that most of the problems had been complaints about burning fields out in the county.

City attorney Jerry Roberts told the council that burning off wheat fields is an accepted agricultural practice, and several council members acknowledge that since that takes place outside the city limits, they have no authority anyway.

Councilman Ronnie Barnett said he doesn't see the need for a law in town. "People just burn their limbs," he said. "We've not had a real problem."

It was the consensus of the council that no restrictions were needed, as long as people are careful. One single instance of burning tires was apparently dealt with.

On the reimbursement to the city secretary, Betty Breathitt, Billingsley said she had performed an important  service.

"Our phones were out for about five weeks because of the flooding, and our secretary graciously gave out her cell phone number and handled all the business of the city for part of two phone bills," said Billingsley. "I would like to give her $100. She did that for about five weeks. Our phone service just came back on last week."

The city council voted to pay the $100.

On a related matter, Barnett asked about reimbursing the mayor for his city-related cell phone use. It is a subject that has come up before.

Roberts suggested that the city might want to provide Billingsley with a cell phone for city business. Billingsley indicated he liked using his own phone.

Barnett suggested paying Billingsley an extra $60 a month for his phone use, but Roberts cautioned against it.

"I'd say hold up. Don't do that,"  Roberts said. "You have to be very careful when you're talking about reimbursing somebody for the personal use of their equipment. You don't want to get into a situation were you're accused of paying the mayor's personal phone bill."

He said though well-intentioned, it could come back to haunt them.

"The downside potential is, that at some point in time, somebody would come in and ask for six months of your phone bill. And they would go back and compare (personal use and city use). And during the flood, no doubt you used your phone for hours on purely city business. But there might be months when you don't. So if you set a carte blanche number of dollars a month, and some months you do use the phone and some months you don't, those are the kinds of questions you don't want to have to answer."

Roberts said he'd "scratch around a little bit" and try to come up with the best option.

The recent flooding affected a lot of city business, including efforts to have some dilapidated property cleaned up.

"The floods came up, and everything just kind of got on the back burner," said Roberts.

Billingsley said, "I guess word got out what we were talking about, and the first property we were going to do is being cleaned up. They have the grass cut and are tearing siding off the mobile home."

Billingsley said he would bring more photos and addresses of other properties to the next meeting.

On another related flood matter, Billingsley addressed the problems of people who are trying to get their homes back in livable shape, even though they have received some aid.

"They have a long, hard struggle ahead of them. Some people are trying to do the work themselves. And there are a couple who were so devastated, that everything they had is piled by the side of the road."

He said County Judge Gary Hughes has sent a crew into the affected area to help clean up.

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