Pulaski County notebook

Road department pay rule approved

Pulaski County justices of the peace approved an emergency ordinance Tuesday night that would allow the county comptroller to reimburse the Road and Bridge Department for the use of the department's employees to do work elsewhere.

By law, road funds are restricted for use in road departments.

The county already has a system in place for the county clerk's office and for reimbursing the Road and Bridge Department for costs incurred doing maintenance on other county departments' vehicles.

The ordinance, passed 13-0, comes after two Road and Bridge Department employees did work in recent months for County Judge Barry Hyde's office on social media and answering phones.

Justice of the Peace Teresa Coney, D-Little Rock, was absent from the vote, and Judy Green, D-Little Rock, was absent from the meeting.

JPs advance ban of crime question

An ordinance banning the criminal history check box on certain Pulaski County government job applications got its first of three readings Tuesday night. After three readings at full Quorum Court meetings, justices of the peace may vote on adopting the ordinance as an amendment to the county's personnel policy.

The proposed ordinance by Justice of the Peace Lillie McMullen, D-Little Rock, is part of a national movement to "Ban the Box," which seeks to make competing for jobs easier for people who have been convicted of crimes. With the check box, an application of a person with a criminal background might be tossed aside even though the applicant might be qualified, advocates say.

The ordinance passed out of the Quorum Court's agenda committee April 12 with an 11-0 vote and four justices of the peace absent.

McMullen requested to suspend the rules Tuesday night to have it read a second time -- creating the possibility of a third reading and a vote that same night -- but the vote to suspend the rules fell three short, with only seven justices of the peace in favor, three opposed and three abstaining.

In the ordinance, a hiring manager would still be able to conduct a criminal background check after making a conditional offer of employment to a job candidate.

The ordinance would pertain to the hiring practices in only certain county departments. Several departments would be exempt: the sheriff's office, including patrol and jail personnel; the juvenile detention center; youth services; and any department that has access to county funds.

In 2015, at least 571 people were at one point employed in the exempted departments.

County uses grant for sports complex

Pulaski County officials are now closer to breaking ground on a sports complex in College Station, thanks to a $250,000 grant received from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and appropriated with Quorum Court approval Tuesday night.

A tornado wiped out baseball fields in College Station nearly 20 years ago. Pulaski County Community Services Department Director Frederick Love said the funds would go toward two new baseball fields, complete with concession stands, bathrooms, bleachers and lights for playing at night.

The department secured the grant and $250,000 more earlier in matching funds. The Progressive League of College Station contributed $120,000, 3M Co. contributed $88,000, and a grant from Arkansas Department of Rural Services contributed $33,000 in matching funds, Love said.

The Community Services Department applied for the grants.

The appropriation of the grant funds passed the Quorum Court 14-0 Tuesday night.

Treatment courts' $290,000 gets OK

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mary McGowan will be able to spend $290,000 in grants for the adult drug court and the veterans' treatment court after county justices of the peace accepted the funds into the court's budget Tuesday night.

Most of the money -- $276,500 -- will go toward adult drug court, for which McGowan told the Quorum Court earlier this month that she plans to contract with a mental health services provider to do counseling.

Additionally, McGowan would like to provide bus passes for participants who need them and provide rewards for people as they make it through the program.

The funds are made available through Arkansas Community Correction from Gov. Asa Hutchinson's discretionary fund, McGowan said.

Justices of the peace approved appropriating the grant funds into McGowan's court budget 13-0.

14-0 vote passes travel-pay policy

Pulaski County justices of the peace adopted a new county travel policy Tuesday night that will reimburse elected officials for expenses incurred while traveling instead of giving them a per diem allowance.

Elected officials will also now have to sign an agreement to reimburse the county for other travel costs, such as airfare and lodging, if the official decides not to go for reasons other than a family emergency.

Previously, the county would have to pay for such costs if a person booked their hotel and flight but decided not to go.

The county's elected officials took more than 20 trips last year.

Pulaski County Quorum Court Coordinator Justin Blagg said the county's travel ordinance was outdated and noted that it even required the county to contract with a travel agency to book trips, which the county had not been doing.

The ordinance passed ­14-0.

Metro on 04/27/2016

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