Montgomery County News

Justices work through myriad of ordinances, hear from Pike Co. JPs on regional jail possibility February 15, 2007 - No reporter cited

By Mike Wallace

MOUNT IDA - Eight of the nine Justices of the Peace of the Montgomery County Quorum Court worked through a long agenda of resolutions, ordinances and court orders Monday night. The JP absent was Dan McCarter who had called to say he was sick.

The evening began with adjustments of the 2006 budget to match what was actually spent by the various county departments. Most of the adjustments to the 2006 budget line items were very minor and ranged from one cent to several hundred dollars.

State law requires that no line items in any department be in the red at the end of the year. Some bills arrive in late January, have to be charged against the proper line item, and it may put that item in a situation where the actual amount spent was more than what was in the budget.

So, a transfer ordinance was read by County Clerk Debbie Baxter which moved monies around within department budgets. It was read in its entirety once, by title only the second and third reading, and passed 8-0 by the JPs. This is a normal procedure and happens every year in February.

That first ordinance was numbered 2007-03.

No. 2007-04 appropriated $88,961.58 of Title III monies to the Assessor’s Budget for the mapping project of the county. This was not put into the original budget made in the final months of 2006 for this year. County Judge Ted Elder told the Justices this was merely an oversight. It passed 8-0.

No 2007-05 appropriated $10,000 of Title III monies (USFS grant) to the County Judge’s budget for 2007. This will allow the county judge to pay volunteer fire departments their expenses when they put out a fire on Forest Service land. In past years, those VFDs sometimes had to wait several months to recoup their expenses.

A resolution was next in order to be discussed. It was No. 2007-01. It certified local government endorsement of business to apply to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration for reimburse of sales tax paid locally for a new business.

Crystal Geyser Roxane, LLC, is constructing a new business on Highway 8 west of Black Springs to sell bottled water. Consolidated Incentive Act of 2003 allows a business to get back what it paid in sales tax for locally bought items. Judge Elder stated this new business will provide jobs for county people and asked the JPs to approve it. It passed 8-0.

Court Order 2007-07 from Judge Elder appointed eight people to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for a two year span. This committee works with the Ouachita National Forest and advises the Quorum Court on USFS management plans which could affect the county. Appointed were Bob McLane, Mike Lenard, Bob Hatton, Charline White, J.D. Krause, Paul Spurling, David Spurling and Frances Dobbs.

Court Order 2007-08 appointed Jerry Elizandro as the Department of Emergency management Coordinator for Montgomery County. He is a retired UPS manager. The former appointee resigned to take a job elsewhere. Elizandro was approved by an 8-0 vote.

Ordinance 2007-06 adjusted the 2006 Sheriff’s Office Budget. It transferred $9,000 from the Emergency Rescue Fund to the Sheriff’s General Budget to pay for fuel, oil and lubricants used in 2006 to the actual expense matched the budgeted amount.

Ordinance 2007-07 rescinded an ordinance passed in January which allowed Sheriff Wendell Adams to use money received by the county for the sale of two weapons. Adams wanted to use the money to purchase a used truck and the remainder for upgrading the police vehicles.

He asked for a new ordinance where $6,000 would be used for the truck, and $10,000 be used for the purchase of weapons, cages for patrol vehicles, first aid kits and computers. Adams said the police department computers had not been updated in five years. He asked that part of the $10,000 be used to purchase computer units, and that next year when the Tax Collector’s Office receives new computers, those three there will be converted into usage by the police department.

The JPs approved the new ordinance 8-0.

Adams also asked for an additional $5,000 to purchase two new computers capable of handling the jail’s needs. These two new computers necessitated moving money from the County General Fund to the Sheriff’s budget. It was approved 8-0.

Three members of the Pike County Quorum Court asked to speak to the Montgomery County JPs. Johnny Plyler and Dwight Mack spoke about the need for a new jail in Pike County, and asked if the Justices here would request assistance from a state agency in finding funds for a regional jail located between Pike and Montgomery Counties. Plyler said Pike County is looking for ways to fund it, and sets aside money each year toward that project.

Sheriff Adams and Judge Elder agreed with Plyler and Mack that Montgomery County would eventually need a new jail facility. They all agreed on the future necessity of a newer jail, and no one was obligated by this preliminary discussion.

The final item of business was a request from the Sheriff’s Office for a part time jailer dispatcher which would be paid from 911 funds. The cost will be around $10,700 and would eliminate the overtime and comp time which builds up in the Sheriff’s Office.

It was approved 8-0, and everyone went home.

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