JPs approve bid on courtroom expansion

The company had placed a bid for $15,325,000 to build the three-story, 34,000-square foot facility.

According Craighead County Judge Marvin Day, they held budgeted $10 million for the project, however they knew it could cost a little more after architectural firm Brackett-Krennerich and Associates had estimated the project would cost $12,160,000.

“We are going to have to work and tweak the project until we get it down to a reasonable price,” he said, noting some allowances that they could look at that might help to lower the price.

Craighead County Justice of the Peace Richard Rogers asked why the county had only received one bid, to which Day explained the combination of factors that played into the solo bid.

He reported that they had started with four perspective bidders but the others had backed out due to factors such as labor and supply costs and delays, Day said, noting that bricks alone could take up to a year.

JP Linda Allison inquired about the contract process with the company, to which Day explained that he would have to sign a contract and make adjustments to the order when they get everything worked out.

The new building will be near the corner of Madison Street and West Washington Avenue, where the old Craighead County Jail now stands.

The historic Art Deco structure, which was built in 1939, held prisoners until 1989 when the county built its existing jail on Willett Road and has been used for storage of records and janitorial supplies since then.

Day said that the expected completion date on the project is set for February of 2025.

Although this was the first reading of the ordinance to amend the Exempt Employee policy, the ordinance will amend Ordinance 2022-33, which established the budget for Craighead County for calendar year 2023 and set forth payroll and positions for all county departments.

According to the ordinance, changes to be made include:

Section 1 – Section 3 of Ordinance No. 2022-33 shall be added to read as follows: (a) the budgeted amount set forth in this Ordinance is that each exempt employee, unless provided elsewhere in the employment policy, is expected to work a minimum of forty (40) hours weekly on a monthly average; and (b) all employees shall turn in accurate time sheets and their supervisor must verify the time sheets.

Section 2 – Severability. If any provision of this ordinance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions of the ordinance, which remains effective, absent the invalid provision, and to this end, the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.

The court also passed two reappointments to the Craighead County Equalization Board.

The resolutions reappointed Bob Holloway, which will become effective on June 5 and expire on June 5, 2026; and Barry Kirby, which will become effective on July 27 and expire on July 27, 2026.

There were also two appropriation ordinances.

The first was an appropriation ordnance to add Line 1011 to Fund 3031, the Juvenile Probation Fee Fund, to allow for unemployment compensation in order to correctly record changes in the fund.

The second appropriation ordinance was to add Fund 3591, Department 0503 to include Rural Community Grant monies that have become available to the Brookland Fire Protection District in the amount of $15,000 to aid in the purchase of an air compressor to fill self-contained breathing apparatus.

The grant is a 50/50 match and the Brookland Fire Protection District’s match of a $15,000 contribution will be deposited in Fund 3591 in the County Treasurer’s Office per grant requirements for a total appropriation of $30,000 into the fund.

Allison inquired if the department already paid their portion of the monies, to which Day clarified that they had.

Without further discussion, the court moved on to an ordinance that approved the transfer and sale of a 2009 Construction Trailer Specialist (CTS) belly dump trailer from the Craighead County Road Department to Poinsett County for a sum of $19,000.

The Poinsett County Judge had contacted him in need of the equipment, Day explained, continuing that, after speaking with the Craighead County Road Department, the decision was made to sell Poinsett County one of the two spare the county possessed.

The court also discussed and passed the ordinance to do business with Garth Willard and A. Able Services.

According to the ordinance, Craighead County was in need of equipment, service and repair for HVAC units and other related heating and cooling issues.

Day explained that the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department had taken the bids and the local business had been the lowest, however, Willard is the owner of the company and married to Craighead County employee Tammy Willard.

In order to avoid potential conflicts of interest, Arkansas Code Annotated § 14-14-1202 has set forth guidelines for addressing such potential conflicts of interest; therefore the court had to approve the ordinance before the county would be authorized to contract related equipment, supplies, and services from Garth Willard and A. Able Services with the determination by the Quorum Court that such purchases of service and supplies are in the best interest of Craighead County.

During the public comments, James Elwyn Hinds spoke about his objections to the proposed regional airport.

“It will be the the biggest blackhole the county has ever seen,” he claimed, noting the lack of investors and its potential to cause a raise in taxes.

“It will go bankrupt and then we will lose the services we already have,” he warned.