The quorum court met Monday evening, and justices of the peace continued to weigh options for replacing Sam Ward, who has worked on the county’s radios. Ward is leaving, and the county needs someone with similar qualifications. In the next few years, the county may also need a complete overhaul of its communications system.
A quorum court committee has met to consider options for replacing Ward, and JP Larry Swofford reported on their findings, noting that the decision will rest with County Judge Sam Barr.
The committee recommended combining Ward’s part-time position with the Office of Emergency Management. “We don’t think we’re going to be able to find someone to do what we need in the $25,000 to $30,000 area,” Swofford said. The OEM position is also part-time, and combining those two positions and salaries might allow the county to attract someone.
JP Kellie Matt said she had called six counties of similar size, and they had all combined the two positions, with a typical salary around $35,000.
Barr waited until the comments period at the end of the meeting before responding, “I’m just a country boy, but I can’t see how one man can do it.” He suggested that the county would have to pay someone more than elected officials. He also saw potential conflicts between the positions that might require the county to hire an additional employee.
Meeting enders
- A representative of Ozarks Regional Transit delivered a report on the way ORT has rebounded from a fire in 2017. “We’ve finally turned the corner,” Jeff Hatley said, explaining that ORT has received grants to pay for those buses not replaced by insurance. “Our numbers are up significantly from last year.” Within Carroll County, ridership has also increased by seven percent. In response to a question about publicity, Hatley said ORT has not had a promotion budget since the fire. JP Matt Phillips suggested adding a link on the county’s website.
- JPs authorized the county judge to sign and execute a grant for the Carroll County Airport. The airport will receive $220,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration and another $25,000 from the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics to perform a new assessment of the airport and surrounding properties. JPs also approved the extension of a loan held by the airport, with $12,000 remaining. JP John Howerton explained that this amount remains on a loan that the current commission has worked to repay.
- An ordinance appropriated $5,000 for the county’s website upgrade. The website will include information for county employees and the general public. The company performing the upgrade already does work for the assessor’s office and the voting program.
- Mercy Hospital will hold an anniversary celebration from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, and the public is invited.
- JP Jack Deaton reported that the work on the County Clerk’s office is almost completed and looks good.