https://youtu.be/sHl7gdenIRQ
Formally passing the ordinance which will provide pay raises for many county employees, the Nevada County Quorum Court in its regular June meeting Tuesday evening took a series of votes to suspend readings and to pass the ordinance to make sure to get their decision properly on record. It also heard reports.
The new business items on the agenda were the series of votes to bring the pay raise ordinance into effect immediately. The ordinance, numbered 23-3, amends the 2023 budget by allotting $55,129.22 to raises of $2 an hour for full-time courthouse employees and $1 an hour for part-time courthouse employees. It also raises the pay of drivers for the county with commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).  A series of procedural votes to suspend readings were taken, the court voting in favor of each. In the last vote, the ordinance was passed.
Another ordinance was passed in the same manner that says the current ARPA funding budget is now $1,216,357.31. The votes on the two ordinances were necessary because the court did not follow strict Association of Arkansas Counties procedure in May’s special meeting to approve the raises.
The meeting began with Nevada County Economic Development Office Director Mary Godwin reporting that sales taxes in the county were up this month over last year. She also spoke about the availability of USDA grants for rural renewable energy systems for small businesses. The 50 percent grant/50 percent loan allotments are now available through a simplified application process now, Godwin said.
Godwin also asked that members of the Quorum Court help promote to prospective workers and to prospective employers the Job Fair to occur tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Potlatch Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. She said the fair was being held in part to help the 74 employees displaced by the Holcim layoffs but was open to everyone.
According to Godwin, the employers and services setting up booths there will be Aerojet (from Camden), Paramount Fuels, Stayton and Associates, Love’s Travel Center, Historic Old Washington Park, Georgia Pacific (Gurdon), Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (for retraining help financed at least in part by the state for former Holcim workers), Rainbow of Challenges (Hope), Brentwood Industries (Hope), Hope Baking Company, Manpower, Spectra, SAU Tech (Camden), Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Arkansas Department of Corrections (Ouachita Unit), Alomar, Pafford, Southwest Planning and Development District. Applications will be available there.
Justice of the Peace Willie Wilson asked how much of a benefit former Holcim employees could expect if they enrolled at UAHT for retraining. Godwin said she would have that information by Thursday and would answer Wilson then. Wilson also asked that Godwin call the Prescott and Nevada school districts to see if they would come to the job fair.
Katelvn Kirkham, Nevada County Family Consumer Science Agent in the area of Family and Food Service reported on the results of students attending the District-O-Rama Tuesday. “Three of our kiddos placed first and three second, one placed third and one placed fourth,” she said.  Quiz Bowl and Skill-a-thon competition is next.
A representative from the county’s Office of Emergency Management answered a question about post-storm cleanup. The representative said by 1 ½ to 2 ½ months from now, work and paperwork should be complete.
After the ordinance votes, a citizen asked about garbage pickup not being on time. County Judge Mike Otwell said a garbage truck “blew up,” and the county is working to catch up. He also pledged to meet with the citizen later to discuss progress on road work.
JP Patricia Grimes spoke on the necessity to work to bring new businesses and industry into Nevada County. She spoke to Godwin about the need to have new businesses who would take up the slack in the labor market after layoffs. Godwin responded that she has been working to persuade the county and cities to invest funds in marketing toward potential employers. Grimes then asked about a previous report from Godwin on an industry looking into coming in, which Grimes had heard no more about. Godwin responded, “It’s still in the confidential stage, Pat.”
Asked about possibly buying property in the industrial park on which a prospective business could locate, Godwin said the city of Prescott “calls the shots on that.”
Godwin later suggested a meeting of the Nevada County Budget Committee to “come up with some ideas” and using the remaining ARPA money on “major marketing.”
JP Wilson said the Intergovernmental Committee could talk about the matter.
Asked about the arrival of the county’s dozer purchase and whether the city could help reimburse the county, County Judge Otwell said no meetings had occurred about this.
At this, the Quorum Court adjourned.