Financial concerns tied to the federal shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and resulting delays in state reimbursements dominated discussion Tuesday evening during the financial report portion of the Nevada County Quorum Court meeting, as county officials described the strain caused by Arkansas being unable to reimburse counties for state inmates housed in local jails.

A video of the meeting from the point of the financial report is available below the photos.

Following presentation of the county financial report by Treasurer Lorelai Hale, Justice of the Peace Dennis Pruitt said Nevada County is facing the same problems as counties across Arkansas because state money has not been flowing to local governments.

“We have no control over it,” Pruitt said. “When I went to the meeting in Little Rock, I did ask two or three other JPs up there how they were going with finances, and they’re having the same trouble we are, because they’re not getting their money.”

Discussion among quorum court members indicated the state has not been reimbursing counties for housing state inmates because of broader funding disruptions tied to the federal shutdown situation.

County Judge Mike Otwell expressed hope the county’s finances would stabilize once payments resume. “I believe when they pay their bills, we’ll be able to pay our bills,” he said.

Pruitt said uncertainty remains over how long the situation could continue. “I don’t know how long we’re going … They owe us the money.”

Nevada County Fire Chief and Office of Emergency Management Coordinator David Gummeson said he had heard additional inmates could soon be transferred into the county jail. “I did hear in the hallway earlier that they were early next week going to pick up some females,” Gummeson said. “So I would assume that means they’re planning on bringing their numbers up quickly.”

The discussion later turned to rising operational expenses, particularly food and fuel costs connected with jail operations.

Otwell noted the volatility of fuel prices is affecting county budgets. “I can buy fuel for $21,000. Thirty days later, the same little fuel will cost me $43,000,” he said.

Later in the meeting, Nevada County Economic Development Director Mary Godwin reported on a proposed grant application involving rehabilitation of a water tower serving the Number Four and Twenty Four Water Association in Bluff City.

Godwin said Southwest Planning and Development District recently contacted her office concerning the possibility of applying for a Community Development Block Grant to repaint and rehabilitate the water tower. “The Number Four and 24 Water Association is wanting to do a grant to paint the inside and outside of the water tank that is located in Bluff City,” Godwin said.

She explained that because water associations are not eligible to apply directly for the grant, the county would need to sponsor the application by passing a resolution. “The grant will not be due until October. I would be probably around 250,000,” Godwin said.

Godwin said the grant would be fully funded. “It’s a 100 percent grant,” she said. Though there’s no guarantee the application would win the grant, she said there is great need for it. “You can see, by the photograph, see how it is corroded the top of that,” Godwin said. “These have to be done periodically to keep the drinking water at quality.”

JP Willie Wilson made a motion supporting the county’s participation in the application process and the motion passed unanimously.

Godwin also announced the county had received funding for sewer improvements in the New Town area near Wildcat Road, which should gratify numerous residents when the work gets started. “We did receive notice, just maybe last week, that we did receive that grant, and it’s for a half a million,” Godwin said.

Wilson described longstanding sewer problems in the area. “For years, if it rained two consecutive days, there were residents in that area that could not flush their commode,” Wilson said.

“It was very needed,” Godwin replied.

Wilson thanked Godwin for her work on the project. “I really thank the Lord working through Mary Godwin,” he said. “I know it’s a lot of people, but you spearheaded.”

Nevada County Fire Chief and Office of Emergency Management Coordinator David Gummeson also presented a report on FEMA operations, infrastructure work and the county’s new weather monitoring system.

“FEMA is back up and running,” Gummeson said. “It’s taken them a little bit to get there, but so far, everything’s running smoothly.”

Gummeson said the Nevada 227 May Creek project had been approved, though a separate Brushy Creek project on Nevada 63 was denied. He also updated the court on the county’s early warning weather system CodeRed and newly installed HazCams weather camera network.

“It’s had a couple of hiccups along the way, but I think everything’s been ironed out,” Gummeson said. “One thing left to do is really just spread the word and get everybody signed up and get that early warning.”

Gummeson demonstrated the camera system, which can be seen on the web or on the HazCams app, downloadable on the Apple or Google Play app sites, and described how it assists meteorologists, firefighters and emergency personnel. “One of the biggest perks, and this is my personal favorite, obviously, is the weather,” he said. “Nevada County kind of sits in the hole. We do not have the best weather capabilities, radar capabilities from Shreveport or Little Rock.”

He said the live camera feeds are now being watched by meteorologists around the region during severe weather events. “The last storm we had, there were 180 something people watching it,” Gummeson said. “Among those people were the National Weather Service, or meteorologists from all over watching the cells that come to southwest Arkansas.”

Gummeson also showed a time-lapse video of a recent storm over Prescott.  On the big screen in the Nevada County courtroom, about two grey cloud drifts could be seen going from left to right across the sky above Prescott. He noted the cameras were installed at no expense to the county and the app is free to the public.

Near the close of the meeting, Pruitt reported on more information learned during the recent Arkansas Justices of the Peace conference in Little Rock. He told fellow quorum court members that candidates are now required to report campaign finances online rather than through the county clerk’s office.

“If you are a candidate, you have to go online and declare your funds for your campaign,” Pruitt said. “It has to be done online. It cannot be done through [County Clerk] Tammy [Rose]. You have to do it yourself.”

He warned officials of the approaching filing deadline. “You only have until the 20th to get that done,” he said. Pruitt made clear the requirement applies even to candidates receiving no campaign contributions.

He also discussed a proposed ballot issue that would allow local governments to offer tax incentives aimed at attracting new small businesses.

“It’s issue three,” Pruitt said. “It comes up in November on the ballot.” According to Pruitt, the proposal would permit cities and counties to temporarily reduce certain taxes for qualifying new businesses. “What it allows us to do is to give incentives by cutting property taxes,” he said.

Pruitt noted as a drawback of the proposal that incentives would apply only to new businesses rather than existing ones.