County To Consider Obstruction Ordinance

RISON - County Judge Jimmy Cummings told the Cleveland County Quorum Court Monday that he will be bring an ordinance to the floor during the September meeting that will levy fines against anyone who tries to hinder traffic along any road that is maintained by the county.Cummings brought up the proposed ordinance near the close of the quorum court’s regular monthly meeting Monday night at the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building in Rison.Also during that meeting, the court voted to cease picking up cardboard for recycling from county businesses due to the cost, and the court asked Sheriff Jack Rodgers and Justice of the Peace Bruce Brown to bring back some ways the county can provide technical support to the sheriff’s department and other county departments.In an interview after the meeting, Cummings said several counties across the state are seeing an increase in attempts to block or hinder portions county roads to public access. He said there have been instances of people placing large rocks or posts across roads, and in one place, even build a flower bed across a road.The purpose of the new ordinance is to make county roads free of any “functional and physical encroachments or obstructions,” unless there is written permission granted by the county judge.In the ordinance, a “county maintained public road” is defined as a county road that has been assigned a county road number and maintained by the county; or any road which the “county has direct construction, material, blading or grading, maintenance, mowing or repairs of the road, roadway, or right of way, road easement or bridges.”The ordinance prohibits anyone from creating a physical or functional encroachment in the road easement; throw, dump or place any item on a county road or in the shoulder or ditch; dig or place poles, fences, cables, wires or any item within the road easement; bum anything within the road easement; divert or place water onto the road...