By Ray King
With no dissent, the Pine Bluff City Council on Monday adopted an ordinance regulating public comments made before and after council meetings.
The ordinance had been scheduled for a second reading but the council voted to suspend the rules and read the proposal a third time before adopting it.
The ordinance came from the council’s Administration Committee and its chairman; Council member Lloyd Holcomb talked to Deltaplex News about it.
The ordinance says public comments is a privilege and not a right and speakers must abide by certain rules of decorum to exercise the privilege.
Among other things, the ordinance prohibits directing comments to the audience or responding to audience comments. It also bans the throwing of confetti, papers, or any object or thing, and interrupts, argues with or attempts to speak over the mayor or chairman of the meeting.
The council also suspended the rules and adopted an ordinance regarding the use of AI in the workplace which had been up for a second reading.
That ordinance was the result of Act 848 of 2025 which was enacted by the Arkansas General Assembly requiring all public entities to adopt a policy concerning the authorized use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated decision tools.
Also Monday, a large group of residents from the Rosswood Colony area were present seeking information and action from the council after a large portion of land in the area was purchased by a developer who announced plans to construct low-income apartments and senior citizen cottages.
One of those residents, Dexter Brunson, presented a letter to the Mayor and members of the council citing issues that need to be addressed, including stormwater/drainage reports, impact studies, traffic analysis and conditions of approval would fall under the jurisdiction of the council.
Mayor Vivian Flowers said she has had discussions with Wastewater Utility Director Ken Johnson about the area and was waiting on his report.
A majority of the council members voiced their opposition to the planned location for the project and called for it to be moved back to its original location on Ohio Street. The city purchased the former Southeast School and planned to put a housing project there, but that location was rejected because it is in a flood plain area.
