The quorum court held a brief meeting Monday night. Most issues on the table had already been sorted out in committee, and the remaining justices of the peace listened to the details and agreed with the recommendations from committee.
The budget committee had prepared an appropriation ordinance to add funds in several departments. JP Jack Deaton said this represented a head start on the usual year-end budget adjustments. Allocations went to the circuit and county clerks, the recorder’s cost fund, and a central dispatch capital project. An additional $45,000 was allocated to pay for the cost of housing juvenile offenders in Benton County. Deaton explained that this figure was higher than usual because of the backlog in the courts system.
The quorum court added another pay adjustment at central dispatch, as part of a continuing effort to increase pay in a department with significant turnover.
JP Chuck Olson said the county has begun advertising for bids for work on the Eastern District courthouse in Berryville.
In other business:
- JPs released grant funds of $14,000 from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program for an architectural survey of the old courthouse on the Public Square in Berryville.
- Olson introduced a resolution to temporarily replace Joe Foust with Richard Boyes on the board of the Inspiration Point Rural Fire Protection District. Foust will return to the board when circumstances permit. JP Matt Phillips asked Olson to let the other JPs know when that changeover takes place. All approved the replacement.
- In his closing remarks, County Judge Sam Barr reminded the members of the budget committee, “Elected officials can’t do anything without the people who work in their offices. When you consider raises, please look at them a little more.” Barr said he was not asking for an increase in his own salary. He also expressed his thanks for the use of the fellowship hall at Southern Heights Baptist Church for quorum court meetings requiring social distancing.
- During JP comments at the end of the meeting, Phillips said he wished all department heads would attend quorum court meetings. County Clerk Connie Doss said they already receive the agenda and other advance information, but she offered to renew the standing invitation with Barr’s approval.
- Deaton introduced the new head of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, JoAnn Griesenauer, who had been sworn in earlier in the day.