Benton County officials get courthouse update

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace had an unscheduled discussion of the courts building Tuesday night, which drew objections from two members of the Quorum Court.

Justice of the Peace Joel Jones added a briefing on the status of the project to the meeting, but the talk wasn't on the published agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting. Jones said he attempted to reach Kurt Moore, justice of the peace for District 13 and committee chairman, through the County Clerk's Office, about having the item on the agenda but was unsuccessful.

What’s next

Benton County’s justices of the peace will continue their discussion of a new courts building when the Quorum Court meets at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Quorum Courtroom in the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.

Source: Staff report

Barry Moehring, justice of the peace for District 15, said having a detailed discussion of the project without public notice troubled him.

"I'm just going to ask one more time why this wasn't on the agenda," Moehring said. "We've gone through two public workshops with no public noticing as we normally have for our meetings. There are no members of the public here. I had no idea this was coming tonight. I think this is going way beyond other business. I have the concern that we are yet again going through a discussion of one of our most significant projects with no notice."

Brent Meyers seconded Moehring's objection, saying much of the information the justices of the peace were dealing with is no better than someone's guesses.

Pat Adams, justice of the peace for District 6, agreed much of the information is speculation, but said the justices of the peace need to have the discussion.

"This is just an update," Adams said. "There's no way these are going to be the final numbers on this. On Nov. 1 we're not going to be able to say 'We're going to build it here and this is how much it's going to cost.' I anticipate this process continuing into 2017."

Adams said he agrees the county should do more to provide public notice of any discussion of the project, but said he doubts there is much interest at this stage.

"I believe the public will want to be more involved in how we're going to pay for it than where it's going to go," Adams said.

The justices of the peace agreed to have the discussion added to the agenda for the Quorum Court meeting Oct. 27 and to make sure the third workshop on the project, set for Nov. 1, is listed on the county's website and meeting calendar.

The committee also heard a brief report on renovation work recently completed on the courthouse. The space used by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office was refurbished and the exterior of the building was restored and waterproofed with a $2.8 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation,

Also Thursday the committee endorsed raising the daily fee charged to cities for holding prisoners in the jail. The county is charging $45 per day and will increase to $50 per day beginning Jan. 1. Brenda Guenther, comptroller, said the increase will generate about $16,500. In 2015, Guenther said, the county reported holding about 3,300 city prisoners.

The state reimburses the county $30 per day, which was increased from $28 per day last year. Officials have lobbied for the state reimbursement to increase to cover the cost, placed by the county at about $48 per day.

NW News on 10/12/2016

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