SILOAM SPRINGS — Poor conditions on county roads and the future of the old Benton County Courthouse were the main topics raised by county residents Tuesday night at the first “County Hall” meeting organized by County Judge Bob Clinard.
Residents of the west side of the county were given the first opportunity to grill county officials and about 20 people attended the forum in Siloam Springs. Clinard has promised to hold similar meetings in other locations around the county so elected officials can hear the concerns of residents.
County Clerk Tena O’Brien, County Assessor Glenn “Bear” Chaney, county administrative staff and representatives of other offices also attended.
While making introductions, Clinard said county roads and bridges were among his responsibilities. The condition of some county roads was also among the first complaints Clinard fielded.
Bill Steele, who said he lives on Chamber Springs Road in the southwestern part of the county, quizzed Clinard and Gary Black, the county public services administrator, about the condition of that road and of Kincheloe Road. Steele said the county closed a bridge on Chamber Springs Road three or four years ago, forcing residents to take a longer route to Siloam Springs that includes driving on Kincheloe Road. Steele said poor roads combined with a large number of chicken trucks makes the drive hazardous.
AT A GLANCE
BCAlert
BC Alert (Benton County Alert) is an alert notification system allowing county officials to immediately contact you during a major crisis or emergency and can deliver important emergency alerts, notifications and updates to you on all your devices: e-mail account (work, home, other), wireless devices (cell phone, pagers), landlines and smartphones. For more information go to BCALERT.com or contact the county Department of Emergency Services.
Source: Staff Report
“Kincheloe Road is just one lane in places,” Steele said after the meeting. “When one of those trucks is coming, you either have to wait for the chicken truck to pass or get off into the ditch.”
Steele said the bridge wa an old Works Progress Administration structure dating to the 1930s. He said he thinks the county should at least repair the bridge so it can handle passenger car traffic.
Black, who oversees the Road Department, said Chamber Springs Road is on the county’s list of projects. Black said the county is trying to get right of way for road improvement and residents of the area can help by encouraging their neighbors to grant the county the room needed to do the work.
Former Justice of the Peace Karl Mounger raised a question about the use of the old Benton County Courthouse on the downtown square in Bentonville. Mounger, who worked in the building while he was with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, said the building was potentially hazardous to the public.
“When they’ve got a jury call and there are 250 people in that courtroom on the third floor, how would they get those people out of there in an emergency?” Mounger asked.
Mounger said the county needs to find some way to move the courts and other offices. He said the property now used by the county jail and road yard, which is also the site of the new juvenile justice center, would make sense. He said it would be more accessible and save the county money now spent transporting prisoners from the jail to court and back.
“That old courthouse has far outlived its usefulness,” Clinard said. “It’s an old, worn-out relic.”
Clinard said the county has considered moving the courts and other offices, but said those discussions were always held up by the cost to build a courts facility.
“It’s money,” Clinard said.
Josh Billis, the county’s director of emergency communications, briefed the audience on the county’s BCAlert system. Billis said the county is working to expand the system, which provides tornado warnings and other emergency information. Billis encouraged everyone to learn about the system and said he would “walk you through it” if they were interested in setting up an account.