Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Judge breaks tie for flood plane budget

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown had to cast a tie-breaking vote for the flood plane program.

At the July 14 meeting of the Nevada County Quorum Court only eight members were present to decide the issue of funding the flood plane program administrator  Dale Booker.

The court had passed an ordinance to join the program at the June meeting but needed to budget the position to make the program effective. Brown informed the court the budget for the post would be $2,562 per year, with Booker to work two days a week on the flood plane issue.

He said part of the funds would come from county general, with the other to be paid from the road and bridge department budget. Booker is also to work three-days-a-week as the county's 9-1-1 emergency telephone coordinator.

However, when it came to the vote, the justices split 4-4, as only eight of the nine officials were on hand. This meant Brown had to cast the deciding vote, which he did  in favor of funding the position.

The court was scheduled to discuss the overtime situation again, but, Brown said, several members seem to have misplaced their information. This led to the issue being tabled until the August meeting.

There was a brief discussion about the medical costs incurred by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office for prisoners.

JP Gary Lewis said there isn't much to be done about it, as the situation is being handled as well as possible and the office is working to keep the costs down.

The Nevada County Ambulance Service, he said, works with the county in transporting inmates as inexpensively as possible.

Brown said several years ago the court passed an ordinance requiring inmates to pay their own medical expenses if they were able.

Act 1188 was discussed at the meeting. This act was discussed last month and basically will add another $5 to fines imposed by the judge in district court cases.

Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe issued an opinion this could be done in Pulaski County, for the Pulaski County jail as it is the only detention facility in the county.

Garland County adopted a similar ordinance, as has Nevada County.

The extra $5 per fine will be used to help defray the expense of keeping prisoners in jail.

Under Beebe's opinion, a special fund must be established by the county treasurer for this money, which is to be used for the maintenance and operation of the jail.

When asked how much revenue this would bring in, Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell said it should generate about the same amount a $5 increase on fines imposed two or three years ago does. This money, he added, is the law enforcement equipment fund.

Nevada County Treasurer Karen Cobb said the amount generated by the ordinance varies from month to month.

Joe Graham, the county's attorney, said this fund should generate even more money because the NCSO's equipment fund doesn't get any money from city fines, but will get all of the $5 from this ordinance.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, updated the court on projects he's involved in.

He opened saying the building for Prescott Rubber, Inc., is coming along in the industrial park, with a target date for completion of Oct. 6.

"Everything's going according to plan," he said. "There haven't been any cost overruns yet, and this bodes well for the project."

A pre-construction conference is expected at the end of July for the rural water project, he said. After this conference, the project can be let for bids.

However, he added, because the bids can in under budget, some areas which had been cut out can be replaced in the project.

There is an apparent low bidder for the sidewalk project for downtown Prescott. However, before the bid can be awarded, it must be approved by the state as the grant is from the Arkansas Highway Department.

"The materials have been gathered and sent to Little Rock," Chadwell said. "It could take 15-30 days to get permission. I hope to begin work on the sidewalks in the next six weeks."

The project will include improving drainage at East Third and Elm, as there is a flooding problem in front of the Prescott Fitness Center and Whistlin' Gopher when it rains.

Additionally, Chadwell said, all sidewalks will be handicap accessible, with the project greatly benefitting people.

The owners of Prescott Rubber, Inc., are looking to collect books written in English for people in Malaysia to help the Malays learn the language, he said.

The new library should be open in September. Shelving is being put up now.

"It will look nice," Chadwell said. "It's a very nice facility, something the citizens should be proud of. It impressed visitors more than anything else."

It's unusual, he said, for a town this size to have library facilities the scope of the new Nevada County Library. It includes a community room for public use. This room has a roll-down gate to separate it from the rest of the building for after hours gatherings.