A committee of justices of the peace has studied the need for a new courtroom and voting center for the Eastern District. That process will take another step forward, as the quorum court authorized $10,000 to pay for a formal assessment of the county’s needs and budget. JP John Howerton said the money will pay for initial architectural work, in hopes of developing an estimated cost.
Howerton said an attorney general’s opinion will be needed to determine whether land at the detention center can be sold to the county, land that was purchased with a dedicated tax. The AG will also be consulted on using jail tax funds on the renovation of the evidence room.
Wind turbine talk continues
In recent meetings, opponents of a proposed series of wind turbines south of Green Forest have dominated the public comments period. Those comments continued last week, with former County Judge Richard Williams leading the charge. He has previously listed his reasons for opposition and used most of his three-minute allocation to complain about the time limits. “It appears the quorum court wants to have meetings in an hour or less,” he said. He was quickly fact-checked by JP Jack Deaton, who reminded Williams that the three-minute limit was already in place during Williams’s 2007-08 tenure in office. “That doesn’t mean it’s right,” Williams countered. “It can be changed.”
Other speakers raised a variety of objections. An audio playback of the sound around a wind turbine provoked a brief outburst from the audience, and County Judge David Writer asked for decorum. He also silenced further rounds of applause which had followed each speaker. Pictures were shared of turbines which had been struck by lightning, causing fires out of the reach of local departments.
After a long list of other complaints, Deaton expressed his sympathy for those living in the area. He offered a personal perspective, remembering the oil wells that surrounded his family’s small acreage in Oklahoma, and the accompanying smells and other problems. “I understand your frustration,” he said, before noting that Arkansas does not have state-level restrictions on this industry. He reiterated the quorum court’s lack of any legal standards to take action against the wind turbines.
In other business:
- April Griffith represented the Carroll/Madison library system. She reported on efforts to secure federal funding to connect more people with high-speed Internet. She also discussed a new program with a library staff member taking shifts with Meals on Wheels, to deliver books and conversation along with the meals.
- Robert Anderson continued a series of visits to quorum court meetings. He complained that he has not been restored to the rotating list of towing companies called by sheriff’s deputies when a vehicle is damaged or impounded. Anderson’s company was removed from the list during a previous administration, but current Sheriff Daniel Klatt has continued the suspension. Anderson said he continues to speak up during public comments “to try to get someone to take notice.” He said his business has suffered and he did not know how much longer he could survive. His facilities and business license are in order, and he said his competitors do not meet the same standards. “Are they paying someone under the table?” he asked. Deaton reminded Anderson that the quorum court has no power to tell an elected official how to operate an office.
- Holiday Island, a city of the second class, has contracted with the county to provide an additional sheriff’s deputy instead of establishing an independent police department.
- Howerton said Robert’s Rules of Order do not allow changing the agenda at the table. The quorum court has a resolution in place allowing a change in the agenda at the start of the meeting, depending on unanimous consent. He said more discussion is needed on the subject.