________________________________________________________________
WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS MEETINGS WEEK OF 9/15/24:
🌟 Washington County Quorum Court Regular Monthly Meeting. Thursday, 9/19/24, 6:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is an in person only meeting. You can watch the meeting as it happens on the county’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/washcoar
"AN ORDINANCE CREATING NEW PLANNING AND ZONING LAW IN WASHINGTON COUNTY; AND, FOR OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING THERETO” IS ON THE AGENDA AS ITEM 9.
This ordinance has the potential to change the landscape of Washington County for decades, if not forever. I welcome comments and questions about this matter.
There will be a fifteen (15) minute public comment time at the beginning of the meeting (Item 5). There will also be a twelve (12) minute public comment time before the court votes on any resolution or ordinance. COMMUNITY INPUT AND INVOLVEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT! If you’re able, please attend this meeting and let us hear from you.
You can also contact your elected officials here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M90HMXWclgwjzC67qzl31FFOOqrD4GsbcWBRDKnfLso/edit?usp=sharing
________________________________________________________________
🌟 Washington County Election Commission Meeting 9/16/24 1:00 PM, Road Department Building Conference Room, 2615 S Brink Drive, Fayetteville, AR. The agenda includes:
Cane Hill Precinct 1 and Cane Hill Precinct 2: Local Option Special Election
Election Preparation Update
Other Business
Meetings are live-streamed on the County Election Commission’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpX-GrzfCvEF0PszfEr6V3Q
________________________________________________________________
MEETINGS FROM LAST WEEK:
🌟 WASHINGTON COUNTY QUORUM COURT COUNTY SERVICES AND FINANCE AND BUDGET COMMITTEES met in a joint meeting 9/10/24. You can watch the meeting at this link, and I urge you to do so: https://youtu.be/r4dmZvMO68o?si=93qsHbNFMjA9hwUp and here: https://www.youtube.com/live/iqhw9L_6NB4?si=lsw97JhJ3xs-DvVz
I removed my ordinance for a feasibility study from the agenda because it was very narrowly written and only required a study as to the cost vs benefit analysis of converting the NWA CCC building into a satellite jail. We needed that knowledge and information before we evicted the Department of Corrections.
The county apparently (at least as far as the public knows) canceled the lease with no real plan in place as to the use of the building, or how the taxpayers will fund any kind of repurposing of the building.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, we discussed a resolution turned ordinance that would require JPs to cite sources when writing resolutions that contained statistics or data. That ordinance was withdrawn by its sponsor, JP Ed Bowerman.
We also heard a report from the county comptroller, Mr. Paul Sherman, and HR Director, Patty Burchett, with an introduction of the proposed 2025 Compensation Plan for county employees. There’s not a lot of detailed information available at this point, but we learned that the county will do away with the sheriff and jail “Step Plans” as well as the road department’s. All county employees will be under one compensation plan.
I’m excited that we’re talking about funding salaries for county employees first in the budget. I look forward to hearing from county employees and other elected officials as they will be the ones impacted most by any plan or budget we adopt.
________________________________________________________________
🌟 UPDATE ON THE NWA COMMUNITY CORRECTION CENTER (“CCC”)
The Department of Corrections has removed all women clients from the facility. I do not know when the county will take actual possession of the facilities under the terms of the lease agreement.
________________________________________________________________
🌟 UPDATE ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COMMITTEE (“CJCC”)
No news on that front either.
________________________________________________________________
🌟 UPDATE ON THE NWA CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT (“CSU”)
I have no update on the CSU.
Here’s how you can contact your county officials.
________________________________________________________________
⇒ 🌟 DETENTION CENTER INFORMATION 9/14/24
As of 9/14/24, there are at least 751 people reported as incarcerated in our county jail (likely several more as some bookings are “restricted” and don’t show on the public dashboard) 81 of those are listed as homeless or unsheltered.
Here’s the link to the Detailed Charge Report:
⇒ 🌟 CRIME IN WASHINGTON COUNTY IS WAY DOWN! SEE THE 2023 CRIME STATISTICS BELOW COMPARED YEARLY SINCE 2013
Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center https://www.acic.org/crime-statistics
If we had real pretrial services, expanded drug courts, more public defenders, mental health services, drug addiction treatment for everyone, we would see our jail population reduced too, but we’re not doing that.
________________________________________________________________
COUNTY BID POSTINGS
🌟 Here’s the link to current RFQs and bids: https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/purchasing/bids-proposals-4260
COUNTY JOB OPENINGS THIS WEEK (8/25/24)
Here’s a link to the current job postings: https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/human-resources/job-postings