BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace touched on plans for a courts building, but delayed a full discussion of the project until next month.
The Committee of the Whole had location and costs of the proposed building on its agenda Tuesday as a discussion item. After hearing from the chairmen of the Finance and Public Safety committees, the justices of the peace took no action.
Building plans
County Judge Bob Clinard and representatives from Hight-Jackson Associates and other proponents of the downtown plan are revising the proposal for a downtown courts building. A report is expected to be ready for a June 9 meeting.
Source: Staff report
"The Public Safety Committee voted to recommend the downtown location. not a specific plan but the downtown location," Joel Jones, chairman of that committee said Tuesday. "We voted to send it to the June Committee of the Whole to allow time for the judge and architects to prepare. I don't think we're ready to have a full-fledged discussion tonight."
The downtown plan calls for a four-story building on Second Street with space for five courtroom and related offices and shell space for two courtrooms in the future. A sky walk would connect the new building with the courthouse, which would house the Prosecuting Attorney's offices, other court-related offices and one courtroom.
The initial plan for the downtown project has an estimated $31.2 million budget when renovation to the courthouse and the courts annex are included.
The Walton Family Foundation, which favors the downtown option, has provided a $2.8 million grant to begin renovation of the courthouse and offered another $2 million for renovation work if the courts are kept downtown.
Allen said the Finance Committee went over some funding alternatives, but won't make any recommendation until the location and design are more settled.
"All we're trying to do is get everybody educated and up to speed on the financing options," Allen said. "We're not there yet."
The justices of the peace also recommended approval of increasing the fees charged to cities for housing prisoners in the jail from $40 per day to $45 per day.
The committee also recommended approval of Michael James of Gentry as county surveyor. Ronald Ridout, who was re-elected to the post, died in March.
The committee also authorized the county judge to apply for a $250,000 grant to establish "zero tolerance" cultures for sexual assault in correctional facilities.
NW News on 05/13/2015