More stop signs are coming to the intersection of Pulaski County Roads 400 North and 1400 West, in spite of some county officials’ concerns about their necessity. The county council and commissioners passed an ordinance Monday officially making the intersection a four-way stop. While the commissioners approved it unanimously, council members Mike Tiede and Ken Boswell voted against it.
Tiede noted that the Sheriff’s Office didn’t see any issues with the current traffic pattern, and he worried about adding stop signs just because someone asked for them. That led to a heated debate with resident Jack Cooper, who requested the change. “It just doesn’t make sense to stop all these main roads that go through,” Tiede said. “I mean, a guy has to stop now every time.”
“Well, the problem: people coming east are running 70 miles an hour,” Cooper said.
“Well, obviously they’re not because the [Sheriff’s Office] clocked 100 cars and there was two,” Tiede replied.
Meanwhile, Boswell felt there wasn’t enough documentation to support the request for the additional stop signs.
Under Pulaski County’s ordinances, changes to things like speed limits and stop signs require the approval of both the council and commissioners. County Attorney Kevin Tankersley said the Highway Department wants to add another step: requiring people to fill out a form, if they want to request any changes. The Highway Department and Sheriff’s Office would then have a chance to review them and offer input before the council and commissioners make a final decision. Several council members liked the idea.
The four-way stop is one of a few changes that Cooper requested for the area. Back in August, he presented a petition signed by several of his neighbors. A speed limit reduction on 400 North was finalized by the council and commissioners in October.
The commissioners discussed the stop sign portion of the request, and council members voted to approve it. But it didn’t appear that either group had actually approved the necessary ordinance until Monday’s joint session. Their approval was requested in order to clear up the confusion.
