Veterans services completes move in Benton County; opening set for today

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's Veterans Services Office will open today in newer, bigger offices at the Public Services Building on Southwest 14th Street.

Patrick Robinson, veterans services officer, said the move should improve service for veterans. The new location on Arkansas 102, about 3 miles west of Interstate 49, will be more easily accessible than the old offices on the third floor of the County Administration Building downtown, he said. The offices will have more space, and the layout will offer veterans more privacy while discussing their concerns with the staff.

"The new offices, everything will be handicapped-accessible," Robinson said. "Not all of our veterans can get around that great, and being on that first floor out there is huge. Also, there's parking right there by the front door. They won't have to go far at all. Some days, especially when [the county is] having a big court day, it can be hard to park [in downtown Bentonville]."

The bigger space will make it more comfortable for veterans who have to wait for an appointment, Robinson said.

"In the old location we had two offices and a tiny reception area with just one chair. I felt really bad having to tell vets, 'You can sit out in the hallway,'" Robinson said.

County Judge Barry Moehring said he will use the vacated offices for the county engineer and communication director. Both will report to him, making their proximity to Moehring's third-floor office important.

"I would like to site the engineer and communication director in this building," Moehring said. "And the third floor of this building is not optimal for Veterans Services. At the Bogle Public Services Building they'll have first-floor access, a larger reception area, and the wheelchair access is much better. They'll have [Southwest 14th Street]-facing signs, and the parking situation is better for them. It's a solution that just sort of presented itself."

Pete Rathmell, a Navy veteran and one of the leaders of the Northwest Arkansas Veterans Coalition, said the move will probably benefit veterans.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's not an issue," Rathmell said. "Going out on [Southwest 14th Street] at least you can find parking. They're going to have more room. In the old offices there was no real privacy. They're going to have that in the new facility."

Robinson has spread the word about the move, informing all veterans who have had or made appointments since the decision was made, providing information to the Veterans Coalition, and spreading the word on the county's website, on Facebook and on other social media.

"I think he did a very good job of informing his veterans contacts," Rathmell said.

The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, in the last two years, has placed state service officers in eight strategically located offices throughout the state. The ninth and final district office is scheduled to open in the coming months in Hope.

Information for this article was contributed by Hunter Field of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Metro on 03/27/2017

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