More Bans in North Little Rock

North Little Rock may ban any new check cashing and pay day loan companies from coming into the city. It’s the latest in a series of bans that cover everything from pit bulls to novelty lighters. Is North Little Rock ban happy or just a progressive city taking action when needed?

Here is a list of some of things North Little Rock has banned recently:
-It was one of the first cities in the state to implement the controversial pit bull ban.
-There’s a new noise ordinance banning loud noise.
-Flashing signs are outlawed.
-It was the first city in the state to require computer tracking of pseudoephedrine.
-Storage pod use was recently limited.
-And last week they became one of the first cities in the country to ban the sale novelty lighters.

“We don’t go out looking for things to ban,” says North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays.

North Little Rock is rapidly growing and Mayor Patrick Hayes says they are not ban happy. But he does feel their active city council shows they are city that gets things done.

“We will make decisions. That’s what we were hired to do. We want to do it prudently and we want to do it after getting information from both sides. And we don’t want to drag our feet,” says Hayes.

Also the majority of things the city council looks at banning are ideas coming from people doing the work on the street. The idea to ban novelty lighters came from a North Little Rock firefighter. The plan to track the sale of pseudoephedrine came from a police officer. Plus, the city could be seen as more pioneering than zealous.

Some of the controversial ordinances North Little Rock passes, neighboring cities eventually implement themselves. The computer tracking of pseudoephedrine is going state wide. A ban on pit bulls is either on the books now or is being talked about by every city in the county.

This most recent ordinance calling for a 24 month freeze wouldn’t let any new check cashing companies into the city. North Little Rock resident Michael Rowett with Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending feels much like some of the bans in the past this one is needed to protect those who also call North Little Rock home.

“Pay day lending is a debt trap. Consumers don’t know what they are getting into. We think this moratorium would be a common sense way to put a break on things and take a look over the next few years at some of the ways to further protect consumers,” says Rowett.

FOX16 also tried to contact some of the people behind payday lenders in the city, but no one returned our phone calls. The city council is looking at the moratorium on check cashing companies this Tuesday.

 Archive: August 2007 | Section: Public Policy, Video, Media, Southern Good Faith Fund, Southern Bancorp