Miller resigning treasurer’s post
FORT SMITH — County Judge David Hudson informed the Sebastian County Quorum Court during its regular meeting Tuesday that the county treasurer/collector, Judith Miller, 69, had tendered a letter of resignation effective Dec. 31, according to audio recordings of the meeting provided by the county judge’s office.
In her resignation letter, dated Nov. 15, Miller cited an unspecified “life changing event” as her reason for leaving the post. Miller also recommended that Tammie Brown be appointed as interim treasurer/collector to serve out the remainder of Miller’s term, writing that Brown has more than 11 years of experience in that office.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Sebastian County as their treasurer/collector for the last 11 years,” Miller wrote.
Brown said her current title is chief deputy treasurer.
The procedure for appointing an interim treasurer/collector includes the Quorum Court passing a resolution that must be published before the meeting, Hudson said. The Quorum Court would then be responsible for reviewing applicants and appointing the treasurer/ collector.
“Legal review is currently in process concerning the term of office and time period and administrative procedures to implement this appointment,” Hudson wrote in his executive report for the meeting.
Nesa Bishop, chief deputy of the Sebastian County clerk/ recorder’s office, said Miller was elected in 2018 for her current four-year term. Sebastian County Human Resources Director Steve Hotz said the yearly salary for the position is $93,731.
After JP’s death, vacancy declared
FORT SMITH — The Quorum Court approved a resolution officially declaring the District 13 justice of the peace position vacant. The position was previously held by Rick Reedy, who died Nov. 10. An obituary provided by Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith stated that Reedy, 61, of Fort Smith died in Anthony, Kan. Reedy’s replacement will be appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
JPs also approved a motion by District 6 Justice of the Peace Danny Aldridge that the county compose a resolution from the Quorum Court recommending Reedy’s widow, Karla Reedy, as the appointee to Hutchinson.
Nesa Bishop, chief deputy of the Sebastian County clerk/ recorder’s office, said Reedy was elected for a two-year term in 2018. The yearly salary for a Sebastian County justice of the peace is $6,812, according to Sebastian County Human Resources Director Steve Hotz.
Port development funding approved
FORT SMITH — As part of an appropriation ordinance amending the 2019 county budget, the Sebastian County Quorum Court approved appropriating $22,500 from an 11% county sales tax account for the county’s share in a grant opportunity through the Economic Development Administration that will support the development of an intermodal port in the region.
County Judge David Hudson said the administrative staff at the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District identified this opportunity. The grant opportunity is an 80%-20% match and is proposed at $450,000, which requires a $90,000 local match. The local match is to be equally shared between Sebastian and Crawford counties, and the cities of Fort Smith and Van Buren. The grant application will be submitted by the Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority in partnership with those four entities.
“This is a highly competitive grant program, and applications should be submitted as soon as possible,” Hudson wrote in his executive report. “A normal EDA grant usually requires a 50% match, however, this funding is disaster grant monies and the grant requirement is only 20%.”
The application would consist of completing an environmental review that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked on in draft form for the Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority; initiating and finishing all permitting for this project site; and any other environmental documentation. Such documentation could include a no rise certificate, completing an engineering study to project costs and needs of all utilities for the port project, and conducting a preliminary design for the port and multimodal facility, according to Hudson.
All four entities will be represented, Hudson said, in procuring all engineering, environmental and consulting services. Administrative fees for the project consist of completing the application to the Economic Development Administration, and conducting all correspondence among it, the Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority and the four entities. Once funded, this would necessitate completing all paperwork, conducting meetings, completing pay requests, assisting in all procurement, attending bid openings and all project meetings, in addition to completing close-out work.
Personnel change OK’d for defender
FORT SMITH — The Sebastian County Quorum Court approved a proposal from the county public defender’s office to convert an investigator position to a deputy public defender position as part of the 2020 county budget. The county currently funds the investigator position for the office.
On Nov. 12, justices of the peace decided to table the proposal. Materials provided in the packet for that meeting state that it costs $49,796 per year to fund an investigator position as opposed to $86,659 to fund a deputy public defender. Converting the position will result in a yearly cost increase of $36,863 for the county.
Sebastian County Public Defender Ernie Woodard previously said his office has eight deputy public defenders, plus himself. He said an additional deputy public defender would help the county criminal justice system work more efficiently overall, thus saving the county money.