The meeting in its entirety can be seen just below this story. 

The ordinance was brought up under New Business. It passed through a first reading and then two subsequent readings by title only on its way to a unanimous vote in favor by the Justices of the Peace. The ordinance splits the funds among different accounts the county holds.  

Treasurer Ricky Reyenga said the funds would be used to purchase the $77,000 dump truck in accordance with an ordinance passed in the court’s August meeting. Some will be used to buy culverts and gravel to help make Wildcat and Landfill Roads more passable as a stopgap until bridges on them can be fully restored by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. (The county will be able to keep the temporary materials after the state’s work is complete). The rest of the funds would be allotted to the solid waste and roads and bridges budgets. 

At the start of the meeting, authority to run it was given to JP Herbert Coleman in the absence of County Judge Mike Otwell after a motion by JP Eric Jackson and a unanimous vote. 

Reyenga presented a financial report to the JPs that he said showed the county general budget is $70,000 in the negative but that, as things stood that evening that part of the county budget is really $80,000 in the black. The county had to make payroll three times this past month, Reyenga said, but tax receipts had come in after the report was compiled. 

JP Chris Fore asked Reyenga about a expenditure. Reyenga said the $45,000 or so was the ten percent matching fund for a highway project that had been financed in large part by an ARDOT grant. 

Coleman then asked Prescott and Nevada County Economic Development Office Director Mary Godwin for her report.  She mentioned her presentation of written data on tax receipts and county fair activities. 

“The parade was last night,” Godwin said. “We've got several events, and really want you to encourage the people in your districts to come out to the carnival. Last year, they did not do very well and we were iffy on if they were going to come. This is by far the best carnival we've ever had. They're so clean, and they just got new rides. So please encourage folks to come out.” She also mentioned that the purchase of $20 armbands Wednesday, Thursday and Friday entitled their wearers to ride any ride the whole day and into the night. On Saturday, patrons will need to buy a separate armband for the day and the evening. 

JP Willie Wilson described a quandary regarding fair attendance. If there is no carnival at the fair, there are complaints, but in the past when the EEOC and the Prescott-Nevada Chamber of Commerce have brought the carnival, it has not been well attended. Wilson, a school counselor, said “We’ve been pushing it at the schools.” 

“I hope so,” Godwin said, “Because if they don’t do well this year, they’re not coming back. Everything is so nice out there, all the booths, all the things, the pageant, the cattle and all the animal shows will be tomorrow.” The pageant and the rodeo will take place Saturday. 

Wilson said that he would promote the carnival by having its presence announced on the intercom at the Prescott public schools. 

Godwin then said at a meeting in Hope representatives of the Arkansas Broadband Office had announced that September is the first month that the office will receive applications for grants from internet service providers to connect rural places to high speed internet. She said if no local companies bid to do the work in an area, then adjacent internet providers may be asked to undertake the work. If there are still no takers, Elon Musk’s company StarLink would be asked to be the last resort provider. It provides internet service from satellites that have been placed in orbit. 

Asked about the availability of classes for the non-broadband savvy, Godwin said these would be scheduled later with funds left after the broadband connection work is completed.  Reyenga said he checked with local ISPs and found that Hope-Prescott Cablelynx would be applying and that Walnut Hill in the Falcon area is “thinking of applying.” He said he had sent StarLink a message but had not had a response. 

Godwin said she had been told at the meeting that Arkansas would have enough money to complete its work of connecting rural households to fiber-based internet service,  which is better than many states who have reported they likely would not have enough money from the $42.45 billion provided by the broadband portion of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Act which passed Congress and was signed by President Joe Biden November 15, 2021.  Arkansas received a little over $1 billion to expand broadband access. 

After Godwin’s approach, questions arose about the Wildcat and Landfill Roads. Dennis Pruitt said Wildcat Road is open and passable. Reyenga said the cost of the materials and labor used by the county as a temporary measure to open those roads would likely be reimbursed by the state and by the federal government but that it may take up to six months. 

Coleman then switched topics to that of a resolution providing for the county’s allotment of funds to the state for landfill security. Reyenga explained that every three years the state requires counties to provide funds to defray the cost to the state in case a county abandons its landfill.  The county will place $5,500 in an account for this purpose.  The motion passed to approve the resolution. 

County Clerk Tammie Rose announced that those appointed to the county library board will need to visit with her at the courthouse to be sworn into office. On August 22nd, County Judge Mike Otwell appointed Lizzie Hale, Jamie Hillery, Herb Langston, Patricia Roberts, Carlos Van Hook, Terri Vandiver and Dow Wright to make up the board. The county library board essentially went dormant, not meeting for seven years. 

In the time for public comment, citizen Jeremy Jones, who appeared at the July and August meetings to seek clarity on whether a road accessing his property is or is not a county road. He said he could find no record in quorum court minutes going back as far as 2004 of the county’s abandonment of the road. 

Reyenga, who had not been present at the July and August meetings, said the minutes would not record a decision by the then county judge about the roads since the quorum court is only a fund-allocating body.  Jones had been told by Farmers Bank that to get a low-interest loan for his farm he needed to show he had legal access to his property either by means of a purchase or an easement agreed to by the property owners of the land the road coursed through.  Godwin advised that the county could seek professional help with the matter with the Arkansas Association of Counties. 

Coleman suggested a committee be formed from members of the court to address Jones’ issue. Three members volunteered.  

Former JP candidate Shane Horn asked about the status of an ordinance tabled last month that would have imposed penalties for those placing obstacles on county roads. County Clerk Rose said the ordinance was still tabled.

Shortly after this, the meeting adjourned, having met for about 35 minutes.