Quorum Court approves jail cameras funding; Midway Route deterioration

A new camera system should be installed at the Drew County Detention Center in the near future following a vote by the quorum court to appropriate additional funds for the project. Sheriff Tim Nichols has sought an updated and improved system for the facility, and plans to pay for it with revenues from a $5 fee that persons who are booked into the jail pay when they are assessed fines and court costs. 

The quorum court had initially approved $212,583.41 for the project, but one earlier bid did not include a yearly service and support fee. Nichols said that he had negotiated with the potential vendors and been able to secure a lower than initially-quoted price and service contract, but the total cost will still be $282,813.00. The justices of the peace unanimously approved an additional appropriation of $70,229.59 at their April meeting Monday night.

The court also agreed to pursue grant funding to help pay for an industrial magnetic sweeper device to be used at the landfill. Drew County stands to receive approximately $5,000 in funding from the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District, with some conditions on the way the money can be spent. County Judge Jessie Griffin told the justices that the large magnetic sweeper would qualify, and could be used to help keep the roads and public dumping areas at the landfill free of nails and sharp metal objects, decreasing the potential for tire punctures. Griffin said that he did not yet have a total cost for the device, but would find out and begin pursuing grant funding if the court wished. The justices unanimously agreed and a resolution to that effect is to be prepared. 

The group also discussed how best to address the deteriorating condition of Midway Route, Griffin presented information from Arkansas Department of Transportation personnel regarding an estimated cost of $6,272,640 to level and resurface 16.2 miles of Midway Route from the county line north to its intersection with Main Street. However, communications from ARDOT pointed out that this would only smooth out the surface for the near future, and that the current conditions could return in just a couple of years, depending on the amount of heavy truck traffic. The justices noted that additional data, and analysis of that data by a qualified party, were needed to create a long-term plan for Midway Route, as well as other high-traffic county roads.

Griffin asked if any of the justices had followed up on his request from last month to talk to water associations in their districts regarding the associations doing the billing and collecting yearly dues for volunteer rural fire departments. JP Zach Hill said that he had reached out to the Lacey-Ladelle Water Association, and the manager of that system had expressed concerns about the difficulty of getting water customers to pay fire department dues. Griffin again encouraged the justices to contact the associations in their district regarding this matter.  

In other business, the court:

• Reappointed Diana Harton to a three-year term on the County Equalization Board
• Planned to have a budget committee meeting immediately prior to the May quorum court meeting to review year-to-date spending and expenses. County Treasurer Charlie Searcy noted that there had been expenses related to the recent runoff election for secretary of state and a construction project at the county health department. Reimbursement will be forthcoming for some of the costs, he said, and noted that sales tax revenues had been up slightly in the first three months of the year. 
• Was told by Griffin that bridge installation had been completed on Lacey-New Hope Road and was set to begin Tuesday on Green Hill-New Hope Road. He also displayed a road sign that had been pried off its pole and reminded the audience that stealing road signs was a safety issue that made it more difficult for emergency personnel to locate houses.