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PEA RIDGE – The proposed entertainment precinct was discussed for most of the September City Council meeting, which lasted about three-quarters of an hour.
The area was initially proposed for the August parliamentary session, but was removed from the agenda and placed on the planning committee agenda. When numerous public concerns were raised about the proposal, planners rejected it.
Council member Merrill White asked for it to be on the September 20 Council agenda.
City Attorney Shane Perry, a property and business owner in the area, recused himself because of a conflict of interest.
Mayor Jackie Crabtree said the discussion was about a,”[Advertising and Promotion] Commission and entertainment area.Merrill Lynch [White] and Shane [Perry] I’ve talked a little bit about it. There is a lot to consider about starting an A&P committee. We’re just getting a starting point, putting something on the table and seeing how we’re going to handle this.
“I don’t think this can be done by the end of the year, because the A&P committee requires a lot of time and a lot of work,” he said.
“The other thing is that I think something like that needs to be approved by the standing committee of the next government,” Crabtree said.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission taxes restaurants, hotels, motels, Crabtree said, explaining that a city must have such a commission to have an entertainment district. “One complements the other,” he said, adding that the current proposal had not been approved by the planning committee.
He said the police chief has questions about the current proposal and the location of family-oriented events, including the second Saturday.
White, noting that the law does not allow council members to discuss city affairs in private, he said he believes the issue needs to be discussed by the council.
“Did anyone in the city council specifically get a call from the mayor about this entertainment district?” Bai asked, saying he did.
“The mayor has his opinion. That’s fine. As a Pea Ridge resident, he can say that, but as a mayor, I don’t think the responsibility ends there. We’re the city council; we’re elected officials.
“It’s interesting that the chief of police has two different opinions about me and you, and … no more officers are needed,” White said, adding that he knew about the creation of advertising and promotion committees and entertainment District is a very long process – he dealt with it for years in Bentonville. “If this committee wants to do this this year, it will be very possible.
“I don’t think we should put anything off until next year, until a new council or a new mayor … I think this council is very competent,” White said.
“I’m not saying you’re incapable,” Crabtree said, adding that two new council members will join early this year.
“I’m not someone who pushes everything to the next person. I feel like this team is more than capable enough to take on the challenge,” White said.
White asked if the council could discuss the issue as a committee of the whole.
“We’re not going to get around it…we need a parks department eventually…we don’t have a park board anymore…the Streets department is really working on…retaining It’s all glorified,” White said.
“In order to get to where we need to be, we’re going to need to…eventually start talking about the parks sector, and at the same time we can talk about recreation areas across the board,” White said.
White said he believed the entertainment district was not determined by the planning committee, but was reviewed.
City construction officer Tony Townsend said the topic was up to him on the agenda and whether to recommend it to the city council.
The mayor said a full committee meeting was “very feasible in this regard.”
“It’s going to be a big cookie. We need to put personal opinions aside and do what’s best for the residents of Pea Ridge,” White said. “Obviously there’s new growth in Pea Ridge and they’re looking for something to do.
“When they get home, they want to find a place to take off their shoes and relax,” White said.
“Especially because of Covid, they want to stay local,” said council member Steve Guthrie. “It’s also very exciting to bring the downtown core to life and bring people to focus on our city.”
“It will probably continue into next year,” White said. “If so, that’s it; I don’t want to be so narrow-minded that we can’t start rolling.”
“It’s okay to start, that’s not a problem,” the mayor said. “Some people have been working with A&P for years…there’s a lot of detail about A&P that needs to be done first.”
“I’ll try to put some of that together,” Crabtree said.
Council member Cody Keene agreed that the full committee meeting was a good idea.
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