BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials clashed Tuesday over a proposal to spend $2.8 million to renovate part of the county courthouse, with County Judge Bob Clinard telling justices of the peace he decided not to have the work done now, possibly forfeiting the grant money.
"After looking at every aspect of it, I'm not going to do that right now," Clinard told the Public Safety Committee. "I can't see spending $2 million renovating the first floor and moving 20-plus prosecuting attorneys. It would be extremely difficult if not impossibly disruptive. Second, we don't know the future of the first floor of that building. I can't see renovating it for one use when it may turn out to be a different use in the future."
Other Business
Benton County’s Public Safety Committee heard reports Tuesday on the county’s effort to find a replacement for the ambulance service now provided by the city of Springdale for unincorporated areas in southern Benton County. The panel also heard an update on the county’s plans for responding to a major ice or snow storm.
Source: Staff Report
The Quorum Court voted last fall to accept a $2.8 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to pay for some work on the first floor offices of the Prosecuting Attorney in the courthouse. The grant required the county to repair the roof in the building, have Hight-Jackson Associates oversee the work and to give the foundation written acceptance of the grant in November. Jay Allen , representing the foundation, said the organization took the Quorum Court's action endorsing the grant as formal acceptance.
Several justices of the peace expressed their disappointment over Clinard's decision not to do the work. Susan Anglin of District 9 was most vocal.
"I'm absolutely sick," Anglin said. "We voted on having this restoration of the old courthouse whether the courts are going to be downtown or out on Highway 102. I'm mad and I'm sick at my stomach just to hear this."
Tom Allen of District 4 said he will bring up the grant at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Finance Committee.
"I respect your decision," Allen said to Clinard, "I know that you're the judge and it's your decision. You're the person responsible for the buildings. But I respectfully disagree with the decision and would like to work with you on it."
Tom Allen said he wanted it understood the grant didn't commit the county to keeping the courts in the downtown Bentonville rather than on property near the County Jail. He said the conditions discussed when it was presented were the only requirements for the county's acceptance.
"There are strings attached, but the one string that is not attached is this is not going to steer the courts facility going out by the jail or staying downtown," Allen said.
The discussion of the grant came as the Public Safety Committee began work on the county's courts building project, with Clinard telling the justices of the peace he'll submit his decision to them for funding consideration.
Clinard told the panel he'll work with chairman Joel Jones of District 8 to provide information on the circuit court judges' caseloads, both in the past, in the present and projected into the future. He will also provide the committee with information on the design and location of the new facility, funding options for the project and possible uses by the county of the county courthouse.
"At the appropriate time and when this committee feels it has sufficient information I will select the option proposed for this committee to forward to the Finance Committee for approval," Clinard told the group.
The county has been considering a new courts building for the past few years and did a feasibility study on the project. The study identified three options. One option would be a new building on county property on Southwest 14th Street in Bentonville, near the Road Department and County Jail.
The county's six circuit court judges, in a letter to High-Jackson Associates, the architectural firm that worked on the study for the county, were unanimous in supporting a facility that could house all the judges and their courtrooms, staff, and other offices as needed and provide room for growth.
The judges pointed out they are in three buildings downtown, which multiplies problems with security and overall coordination. Building downtown would require acquiring additional property for expansion and also to move the Division 3 court housed in the Juvenile Justice Center on Melissa Avenue, near the 14th Street location.
The committee agreed to meet again at 6 p.m. March 2 to continue discussing the new courts building.
NW News on 01/28/2015