Habitual dumping areas and golf courses that need help were among the topics discussed at a Pine Bluff Public Works meeting held Wednesday with department heads who gave updates and reports.
Tom Bennett, director of the Pine Bluff Street Department, said he was interested in closing areas where dumping has been an ongoing problem. Those areas, according to Bennett, are located on East 24th Avenue. between Indiana and Pennsylvania streets and Taft Street between Third and Sixth avenues.
Bennett said that every few months trash has to be collected and removed from these areas. Public Works Chairman Ivan Whitfield suggested cameras be put in those areas to help identify those who are dumping illegally. The committee agreed to allow Bennett to move forward with Whitfield's suggestion by presenting it to the Traffic and Aviation Committee during its next meeting.
In January, Jaycees Golf Advisory Board members Sharon Alexander, Barbra Long and Kenneth Connelly expressed concerns during a Public Works meeting about the upkeep of Jaycees Golf Course and said the condition of the course was deteriorating.
During Tuesday's Public Works meeting, golf superintendent Mark Stevenson said the greens at the Jaycee course "are on life support."
Stephens said the pump that takes water out to the fairway and the greens doesn't work and that the golf course does not otherwise have an irrigation system. The Jaycee course features 9 holes and 2,981 yards of golf.
The Harbor Oaks golf course was also described as "terrible looking" by council member Steven Mays. According to Whitfield, the city of Pine Bluff took ownership of Harbor Oaks Golf Course earlier this year and has been looking for workers to maintain the greens and the fairways.
A flood in 2019 caused significant damage to the premises, including the loss of the irrigation system, and the high water rendered the clubhouse and restaurant unusable.
The course had the reputation as one of the top courses in Arkansas, but Mays said a recent drive through the area showed a course that is far below such a standing.
According to Whitfield, the golf course is closed. He also said he was advised that there was some work being done to the building without the proper permits from Inspection and Zoning.
Zoning official LaKishia Hill said she had not approved any repairs and from her understanding, the building was locked. A further inspection later that day, according to Whitfield, proved Hill's statement to be correct.
"The building was gutted out," said Whitfield. "but other than that no other work had been done."
Kelli Kennedy of Clean and Beautiful reported frequent mowing of her sites and said she was currently meeting with board members to revise the Adopt-a-Spot program.
"We are going through all of the records to identify possible locations where old signs may need to be taken down and revising the application process to make the system more workable and helpful for the city," she said.
Kennedy expects to purchase cigarette litter bins to be strategically placed in specific locations.
Larissa Fore, director of the Carl A. Redus Pine Bluff Aquatic Center, said they have been busy at the aquatic center, having wrapped up the first of three free swim lesson programs.
Fore said 46 youngsters who took swim lessons for two weeks graduated.
Besides the free swim lessons, she said, activity reaches full capacity almost daily and visitors have had to be turned away.
Cynthia Anderson of the mayor's office said they are looking to expand the Bank of America building to a wider market.
"We are looking at meeting with real estate professionals with a commercial real estate background to look at the building and provide a marketing proposal for lease or sale of the building," she said.
Whitfield applauded the idea and said he hopes something good will come out of the effort.