Although residents interfering with city workers or contractors isn’t a huge problem, a few incidents have prompted proposed changes to the City of Winfield municipal code. Those changes were considered for approval by the Winfield City Commission at their Tuesday night meeting.
Winfield Community Improvements Director Patrick Steward said staff in his department worked with the city attorney to come up with the new ordinance. Although most property owners understand the city is trying to have things cleaned up, a few have caused problems in the past. Those incidents have mostly involved owners of nuisance properties trying to deny access to contractors hired to clean up the properties, Steward said. The new section defines interference as knowingly impeding a city employee, agent or contractor, or knowingly making threats against a city employee, agent or contractor in a way meant to prevent them from doing their jobs.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)