New Council To Meet Tonight

Seven New Police Officers To Be Sworn In Alongside Aldermen

— Three new City Council members will join returning aldermen for the first meeting of the year tonight. Seven new Bentonville police officers will be sworn in alongside the eight-member City Council at 6 p.m. at 305 S.W. A St.

New council members Roger Thomas, Leah Williams and Burton Head will serve in Wards 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Thomas replaces Ryan Parks, who chose not to seek re-election. Williams defeated Ed Austin in the general election. Head is filling the seat of Jim Dotson, who was elected to the state Legislature.

Williams
Williams

Six of the seven new police officers are replacing officers who left or are leaving the department in December and January, said Chief Jon Simpson. Five of those leaving are taking jobs at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

The incoming Bentonville officers are Kevin Albert, James Boothman, Nicholas Brown, Adam Corbett, Andrew Corbett, Andy Oliver and Ben Peters. Simpson said two of the officers have more than five years of experience each, and two others were previously employed as emergency police and fire dispatchers within the city.

The City Council approved the addition of six new police department positions in 2013 — four patrol officers and two detectives. The department is also set to add three new dispatchers.

The new positions will bring the department head count to 95, with 65 of those sworn officers.

“This puts us at a very favorable 1.8 officers per thousand population,” Simpson said.

Head
Head

Simpson said he anticipates filling several of the open positions by the end of the month. The new positions will add one additional officer on each shift and two on the evening shift.

“These additional officers will help reduce response times and increase the safety of our own personnel as well. Additional detectives will help accomplish the detailed investigations and narcotics investigations alongside our day to day investigations,” he said.

The new council will have a light agenda for its first meeting. Members will consider accepting $264,724 from the Homeland Security Grant Program for the Bentonville Bomb Squad.

The grant will pay for a new robot, firing devices, tactical vests and helmets, communication sets, a full-protection bomb suit and several training courses, according Sgt. Russell Hinds, director of the Bomb Squad.

One of the training courses, the Advanced Electronics Course, will be held in Bentonville and attract technicians from across the state, Hinds said.

The grant is sponsored through the Faulkner County Office of Emergency Services. The city will first purchase the items, then submit invoices to the Faulkner County office for reimbursement.

Thomas
Thomas

Also on the agenda is payment of an incentive award to ARCO Construction for early completion of the parking lot expansion at the district court building at 2706 S. Walton Blvd. The $78,978 project will cost the city an extra $1,250 since the contractor completed the lot five days ahead of schedule, according to agenda documents.

Council members will also select a contractor for construction at Electric Department Substation C. The expansion project will “add reliability to our electric delivery system in the northwest section of town,” said Travis Matlock, engineering director.

BBC Electrical of Joplin, Mo., and Koontz Electric Co., of Morrilton bid on the project. BBC Electrical submitted the low bid of $353,509.

At A Glance

2013 Bentonville City Council

Ward 1

Mary Baggett

Chris Sooter

Ward 2

Roger Thomas•

Shane Perry

Ward 3

Leah Williams•

Bill Burckart

Ward 4

Burton Head•

Jim Grider

• Indicates new City Council member

Source: Staff Report

Upcoming Events