DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY
montcnews2@windstream.net
MOUNT IDA – Discussion teetered on heated, but stayed civil for the most part as concerned citizens shared their grievances with the Montgomery County Quorum Court Monday night.
The meeting opened with a presentation by Pat Smith on behalf of ARCO in Action. She shared some geographic, economic and demographic statistics regarding Montgomery County before discussing some issues and possible solutions proposed by ARCO in Action.
Montgomery County has seen a decline in population, school enrollment and income over the last several years. Smith stated that while Montgomery County is one of the larger counties in size it is also one of the oldest in population age.
She shared that local schools need to promote and provide an education that fosters entrepreneurship and trade school training. Smith also stated that better cell phone and internet service are key factors to growing the community as both an attractive location for entrepreneurs and tourists.
She asked the Quorum Court to get involved in the economic development plan ARCO in Action envisions as part of the solution. She stated that she believes the annex building could be utilized as an innovation hub and hoped the JPs would become involved in a feasibility study on that project.
Judge Sammy Jones stated that he has heard similar proposals from several groups and wish they would all get together. He believes all rural counties in Arkansas are suffering from the same declines as Montgomery County. He believes infrastructure is important to bringing big job providing facilities to the county.
Justice of the Peace Kenn Greene, who is also involved with ARCO, stated that bringing entrepreneurs into the area could help provide jobs.
Smith responded to the judge by saying that ARCO is not saying the area needs one big company to move into the area. She stated that they would like to grow the economy through entrepreneurship.
“We don’t want to undo the wonders of what we have.” She said.
The next order of business was an ordinance to reestablish Montgomery County Fire district boundaries. The issue was tabled until a map marked with the new boundary lines could be brought to the meeting.
JPs also approved a resolution that encourages the U.S. Forest Service to reopen Albert Pike Recreation Area.
The rest of the meeting was dedicated to issues regarding the Montgomery County Fair and the governing board of the event.
Kim Miller was the first to speak. She shared packets with each of the JPs outlining her concerns regarding the upkeep of the fairgrounds. She read a letter she had written to the JPs outlining her concerns which were included in the packet.
Her concerns revolved around what she considered to be run down conditions at the fairgrounds. She also stated that she had submitted an FOIA request for all financial records for the past five years. She included that request and the response by a fair board member which state they would take the request under consideration, but had not released the requested information at the time of the quorum court meeting.
Miller stated that she was asking the quorum court to assist in filling her request for the financial records.
Jeff Robertson, President of the Montgomery County Fair Board. He stated that they have all the packets she was requesting, but added that “I don’t think that’s something that needs to go throughout the county personally myself, but we have it with us and you are more than welcome to look at it.”
He responded to her statements about the deterioration of the facilities by pointing out that the fairgrounds is over 90 years old. The fairgrounds was used as a depression era CCC camp before it was converted into the fairgrounds. He added that the rodeo arena was built in 1947.
The fair board is a non-profit volunteer organization that works on a limited budget and their annual utilities bill runs around five to six thousand dollars.
Judge Jones stated that he understands money is tight and mentioned a $4,000 grant available to the board annually through the state.
Robertson stated that they had not applied for the grant this year because they weren’t able to close last year’s grant in time for this year’s deadline. He and Judge Jones explained that the grant was a 50/50 grant with the grantee required to provide $4,000 in matching money or “in kind” labor. The labor is figured at $18 per hour, but they were unable to verify enough hours. At $18 per hour they would have to have logged just over 222 hours mowing and weed trimming at the fairgrounds.
Robertson was asked what they were doing to get new volunteers.
He answered by sharing how someone becomes a board member, which caused some confusion for a while. A person has to attend every fair board member for a year and then the current board members vote to add them to the board.
The Montgomery County Fair Board of Directors meets every third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds. The meetings are open to the public.
A volunteer does not have to be a board member and Robertson encouraged everyone to come help with the upkeep and maintenance at the fairgrounds.
Some of the people in attendance asked if the 4-Her’s could be used as volunteers and wanted to know if hours they had worked at the fairgrounds could be used toward the grant requirements.
Board member Jennifer Barrett stated that volunteer work had to be related to the grant in order to count toward the requirement. The 4-H project at the fairgrounds was for a 4-H merit.
Robertson was asked if they were going to say it was going to get better. He responded that he would like to say it was, but referenced Smith’s earlier statement about the declining economy as a factor in the current state of the fairgrounds.
Judge Jones shared that he had received several complaints about raw sewage in the rest rooms during the county fair. Robertson stated that they were aware of a drainage problem and thought they had it fixed before the fair. However, there was overflow in some of the bathrooms during the fair. He cited that drawings of the fairgrounds showed there was only one septic tank servicing all of the bathrooms. It was later shared by another board member that there are three 750 gallon septic tanks hooked into the system.
Misty Beggs also shared a list of concerns regarding the way the livestock judging is handled. She stated she didn’t agree with the practice of the board hiring the livestock judge when they have family competing. She added that at one time the extension office hired the judge, but the fair board started doing it because they said they could find someone to do it at a cheaper price.
She also stated that her kids had not been allowed to show certain animals because their paperwork had not been properly filled out and turned in on time, while other children, who she alleges were related to fair board members, were allowed to compete without turning their paperwork in on time.
She also stated that she had heard the board members were provided meals at each of their meetings and wanted to know why money was being spent to feed them.
She also stated that parents had provided shavings for the barns because they were told the fair board did not receive enough shavings this year. Beggs alleged that some of the kids found bags of shavings stored in a building and wondered why these shavings weren’t used.
Several board members responded to her accusations.
In regards to hiring a judge, they stated that they were able to get someone from Oklahoma who offered to do it for free. The most they have had to pay is $150 to $200.
Lisa Simpson responded to the meal question by saying the only time they eat at a board meeting is in December and it is a pot luck meal.
She stated that they do provide meals for volunteers working during the county fair.
It was stated that Ward Shavings had not been able to supply enough shavings this year.
Wayne Simpson stated that they did have 21 bags of shavings in a storage building that wasn’t used in the barns. He did not give an explanation why they weren’t used.
Jennifer Barrett stood up and said that while everyone was talking about what needed to be done no one was talking about what had been done.
She shared that they recently installed a new building at the rodeo arena that is being used as a concession stand. They are working on replacing the bleachers at the rodeo arena and re-roofing the buildings.
JP Matt Rae asked about having multiple family members on the fair board. Barrett stated that while they did have multiple members of some families on the board, there can only be one member of a family serve as an officer. There are currently four officers and 18 board members total.
She added that it isn’t uncommon for families to have multiple members on a fair board and pointed out that the state fair board association has an award they give to families for their service.
Judge Jones asked Lisa Simpson if she would provide Kim Miller with the requested financial information. She stated that she would give them to her Monday at the meeting.
Judge Jones asked if both sides could come back in January with solutions to the problems discussed. Everyone agreed to do so.
An ordinance declaring employees of the Montgomery County Library to be county employees was tabled and the meeting was adjourned.