Tonight, the Jonesboro City Council will take its first look at a proposal to adopt the Jonesboro Property Maintenance Code. The Jonesboro Property Maintenance Code Committee spent almost 30 hours reviewing sample codes and developing a code for Jonesboro that would deal with making sure residential properties in Jonesboro are properly maintained. Supporters of the proposed code say it would help the city deal with dilapidated buildings and abandoned properties, as well as set a standard code that all properties should follow. Some of those who are against the code say the code’s exterior requirements are not the issue. The issue involves concerns regarding a right of entry into a home by code officers, as well as interior requirements of the code. They are concerned that people who may not be able to fix the interior of their homes to keep compliant with the code--because they couldn't afford it--could be punished severely, including fines and possible jail time. The proposal will be placed on a first reading tonight and will go through two more readings at the next two city council meetings before a final decision is reached.
Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.