FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County officials on Thursday approved a resolution supporting the state's Freedom of Information Act.
The Quorum Court voted 10-3 in favor of the resolution, with justices of the peace David Wilson, Kyle Lyons and Lisa Ecke voting against it.
The County Services Committee on Oct. 2 had recommended approval of the nonbinding resolution declaring support for the state's Freedom of Information Act in an 8-3 vote.
Justice of the Peace Evelyn Rios Stafford said she began drafting the resolution when the FOIA became a subject of last month's special legislative session.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sought to curtail the FOIA, getting some of the provisions she wanted regarding the governor's personal security. Stafford reminded court members Monday the resolution is nonbinding, a simple declaration of support of open meetings and records.
Wilson and Lyons both said they thought the resolution was unnecessary since elected officials take an oath to support the laws. Ecke questioned several of the words used in the resolution, saying the county and its elected officials are already open, but she didn't agree that the public should be "fully" informed about all aspects of government or of all of the "actions" of elected officials, saying the meaning or intent of the resolution was unclear to her.
Stafford said the language or the resolution was taken from the FOIA handbook produced by the Arkansas Attorney General's Office and used in the resolution to echo those sentiments.
Justice of the Peace Coleman Taylor said he couldn't understand why any of the justices of the peace would not support the resolution. He pointed out that since the special session of the Legislature, people from across the spectrum of political opinion have come together to support the FOIA.
"I can't think of an instance where I would want less transparency in government," Taylor said.
He said he supports the idea that the FOIA gives people the right to see "what goes on behind the curtain" of government.
"The FOIA says there is no curtain," Taylor said.
The justices of the peace also voted to accept a $550,000 federal grant to establish a mental health court program.
The Quorum Court voted unanimously to accept the grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program.
Both Benton and Washington counties were awarded $550,000 grants for mental health court programs from the federal government.
District Judge Terra Stephenson has been working on a mental health court proposal for Washington County. Circuit Judge Tom Smith in Benton County said that county has also received notice the grant has been awarded. Benton County will start training employees in January, and the mental health court should be up and running by the end of 2024, he said. Bridget Russell, grants administrator for Washington County, said she expects a similar timeline for the Washington County mental health court.
The money is meant to assist in planning and implementing the mental health court programs over a three-year period. Michelle Barrett, with the specialty court programs in Benton County, said the grant money will be distributed in three phases, with $100,000 available the first year and $225,000 in both the second and third years.
The money awarded to Washington County for the mental health court planning and implementation must be expended by Sept. 30, 2026. According to Russell, the award requires an escalating percentage or in-kind match. The federal money may not cover more than 80% of the total project costs in the first two years and no more than 60% in the third. The planning phase of the grant award is expected to last no more than the first 12 months. The counties can reapply for money beyond the initial three-year grant period.
Mental health court requirements
Treatment plans will include requirements such as:
Mandatory attendance at frequent court appearances
Random drug/alcohol testing
Group and individual counseling
Intensive community supervision by court staff and mental health case managers
Other requirements that are determined to be appropriate by the mental health court team. The mental health court may order an individual to be prosecuted for their original offense if theres a lack of compliance with the courts instructions.
Source: Washington County