Changes Ahead For Benton County Rural Development

Elliott
Elliott

BENTONVILLE -- After 10 years working to bring water to rural Benton County residents, Cassie Elliott thinks it's time for a break.

Elliott is leaving her post with the Rural Development Authority, which has helped create and oversee rural water systems in the county.

AT A GLANCE

Rural Development Authority

The duties of the Rural Development Authority are to assist in obtaining grants for economic development in the rural areas.

Source: Staff Report

"There's probably 2,000 families in Benton County that have water now that didn't 10 years ago, so it's been rewarding," Elliott said.

The rural development authorities in Arkansas are created by county governments to assist residents in a variety of ways, according to Craig Hull, president of the Benton County authority's board.

"The RDA is a creature of county government that's allowed to issue bonds on behalf of water and other projects in the unincorporated areas of Benton County," Hull said. "Our agency was among the ones that financed the (Benton-Washington Regional Water Authority) when they built that."

The authority sells water to several small cities and rural water systems in Benton and Washington counties.

Elliott said Benton County's authority went on to help with four smaller water projects, with two eventually being bought by Highfill and Centerton, respectively. The two remaining systems supply water to areas of eastern Benton County. District 4 serves the area east of Lowell toward Beaver Lake and Distrait 5 serves the Arkansas 12/Rocky Branch area.

Those districts encountered problems with management, as they were governed by volunteer boards, County Judge Bob Clinard said. The county has helped the authority and those water districts secure professional managerial help in the last few months to handle finances and day-to-day operations. Clinard credited Elliott with keeping the process moving forward, and keeping the water districts functioning.

"They have had some issues, but she's done a good job of handling them," Clinard said. "She's just been a tireless worker, an unpaid volunteer, to help the people in the rural areas. She's someone who has given her all to people she didn't even know. She deserves all the accolades anyone can say."

Water District 4 had 210 customers and operating revenue of $150,000 in 2012, according to Sarah Wilson, county comptroller. Water District 5 had 539 customers and operating revenue of $431,000 in 2012.

The districts were formed with the help of bonds issued by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, and are supposed to make payments on that debt and cover operating expenses from their revenue, Wilson said. While both districts were making debt service payments, Wilson said, they needed help managing operations.

"They started running low on cash," Wilson said. "The RDA board came to the judge and said 'We need help to manage,'" Wilson said. "They were making the debt service payments, but their funds to cover their operating expenses were withering. Cassie was very instrumental in putting her foot down on the problem, and she came to the county to request assistance so these rural citizens can continue to receive water."

The county has contracted with the authority to help reimburse the water services manager for these districts, Wilson said. The RDA hired Rural Water Services of Lowell to work with these water authorities, to repair meters and service lines.

Elliott said the authority board has looked at other areas that might fall within its mission. Hull said the RDA is working with Clinard on the possible use of compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel. Elliott said there may be other areas the authority can work in now that the water district issues are under control.

"The board we have in place now is more open to that sort of thing than the board we had five years ago," Elliott said. "When you're focused on water, that tends to be what you look at."

Elliott said she expects leaving the Rural Development Authority board will just be a break, not an end, to her involvement in rural issues.

NW News on 03/15/2014

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