Elementor #88589

By Jonathan Peters/Lake Area Weekly 

The Fairfield Bay City Council held its monthly meeting Monday night September, 11th 2023. On the agenda was the Moonshine Ordinance. After the ordinance was read and passed by the Council, Mayor Sikes invoked the 5-day rule. (The mayor in cities and towns with the mayor-council form of government may veto any ordinance, resolution or order adopted by the council. Councils may override the veto by two-thirds vote of the total membership of the council (A.C.A. §§ 14-43-504; 14-44-107; 14-45-105).

• (A) A mayor may veto within five (5) days, Sundays excepted, after the action of the city council thereon, any ordinance, resolution, or order adopted or made by the council, or any part thereof, which in his or her judgment is contrary to the public interest; and
• (B)
  • (i) In case of a veto, before the next regular meeting of the council, the mayor shall file in the office of the city clerk, to be laid before that meeting, a written statement of his or her reasons for so doing.
  • (ii) An ordinance, an order, or a resolution or part thereof, vetoed by the mayor is invalid unless, after the written statement is laid before it, the council, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all the council members elected thereto, passes it over the veto)

Mayor Sikes expressed her disappointment with the council. She claimed that the city council did not listen to the people or the conference center staff who had evidence, concerns, and issues. The Conference Center had direct negotiations with the organizers of Moonshine Festival and the staff that worked the Moonshine Festival last year. Mayor Sikes said she worked the Moonshine Festival last year. Mayor Sikes said that “the city council didn’t listen to anything that we had to bring, including some very serious concerns that the staff and some documentation.” The mayor expressed her disappointment and stated that she, “will not sign this ordinance” and that she “had her reasons.” Mayor Sikes said she is not against the Moonshine Festival. She said, “I’m against this ordinance.”

In other business, the Resolution and MOU for the campground was tabled until after Friday’s meeting with the Corps of Engineers, the Community Club, and the City.  See video for conversation on the campground. 

The council passed the Authorizing Firearm to Officer Ordinance to increase the fees for Animal Shelter. See Video for Animal Shelter Fees, Ordinance opening new bank account for PayPal for Donations, and Ordinance transferring and closing ARPA Account. 

Next meeting is scheduled for October 9th @ 5:30 pm. Work Session is scheduled for September 25th @ 2:00 pm