The Pine Bluff City Council is set to meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday to deliberate on a landmark housing ordinance and several key infrastructure resolutions.
The primary focus of the meeting will be the first reading of an ordinance aimed at establishing minimum housing standards to protect tenants from hazardous living conditions.
City officials note that approximately 48% of Pine Bluff homes are occupied by renters, a rate higher than the state average. The proposed “Minimum Standards for Rental Housing” would require all rental units to provide basic necessities, including:
— access to hot and cold water supplied through approved distribution systems, and
— safe electrical fixtures and wiring maintained in good repair, alongside a functioning sanitary sewer system and plumbing free from defects or obstructions.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The ordinance further mandates that buildings maintain structural integrity, specifically requiring a sound, functioning roof and building envelope that prevents rain entry or dampness. Additionally, property owners would be responsible for providing functioning heating and air conditioning systems if those amenities were present at the start of the lease, and they must handle the extermination of insects, rodents, and other pests.
Residents may report violations to the city Inspection and Zoning Department, which will then inspect the property. Property owners will have 30 days to remedy violations, and if issues are not corrected, owners could face municipal fines of up to $1,000, or $500 per day for continuous violations.
The City Council will also consider a resolution identifying four specific areas of the city as “blighted” and appropriate for urban renewal. These areas are characterized by dilapidated and aging buildings that do not meet current codes, high demolition activity, environmental contamination, and inadequate infrastructure:
— Area 1: Bounded by U.S. 65, 34th Avenue, Ohio Street and Hazel Street.
— Area 2: Bounded by Watson Boulevard to Civitan Drive, U.S. 65, Arkansas River and University Drive/North Birch Street.
— Area 3: Bounded by East 16th Avenue, East 17th Avenue to Frontage Road, Ohio Street and Interstate 530.
— Area 4: Bounded by Sixth Avenue, 28th Avenue, Hazel Street and Oakwood Road.
Other items on the legislative agenda include a resolution to authorize the Street Department to install angled parking along the south side of Fourth Avenue to benefit downtown merchants.
Two resolutions to remove specific properties from prior legislative lists, including 2407 and 2409 S. Cypress St. and 2001 S. Ohio.
The meeting will begin with an invocation by Minister Chilton Blunt of New St. James Baptist Church, followed by a presentation of colors by the Pine Bluff High School Air Force JROTC. Mayor Vivian Flowers will preside over the session. Following the agenda, the floor will be opened for public comments on non-agenda items.