City Adopts Several New Ordinances – Makes Salary Adjustments for City Employees

BY JACLYN ROSE –

Several new ordinances were adopted during the Tuesday night’s Mena City Council meeting held on November 12, 2013.  Among them a new payment system for the District Court of Polk County, Mena Division, will allow tickets and fines to be paid online by credit card.  This will create efficiency that will benefit both the city and the citizens of Mena.

A program called Leads Online was also discussed by the Mena Police Department.  This program, which was originally on the agenda to be considered for an Ordinance until it was discovered to already be a state statute, is an important source used by local police and citizens alike, throughout the country.  Pawn brokers are required to use this program for record-keeping and the database will help track the items they pawn.  It will then aid the police in tracking down lost or stolen items.  The City Police explained it has already assisted locally in tracking down several different suspicious items.  Citizens can also use the program to log their household items into their own account and, in case of a theft or fire, the information is readily available to provide to the police.  The City Police are very optimistic on the benefits of Leads Online in the local community.

In a short follow up discussion to the Pine Moore Shavings complaint, Councilwoman Darla Martel, Chair of the Ordinance Review Committee, stated that a meeting has been set with Mayor George McKee, the owner of Pine Moore Shavings, Lance Lowrey, and one of the citizens leading the complaint.  She hopes the group can come to an agreement on the situation. Until further research is done, the city can not make any demands on the company as they are acting within their ordinances.

An annual salary adjustment for full-time City Employees was accepted and George Page was re-appointed to the City of Mena Planning Committee for a five year term set to expire 10/31/2018.

The City Council also adopted the 2013 millage rate, which is unchanged from the 2012.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

See author's posts