JPs favor courthouse demolition

Most justices of the peace agreed Tuesday night that Faulkner County needed a new courthouse. The best place to put it, they contend, is 801 Locust St., the site of the existing Faulkner County Courthouse.

JPs voted 11-1 in favor of a resolution Tuesday night to level the existing courthouse and replace it with new court facilities at the Locust Street location and on land owned by the county near the Faulkner County Detention Center Unit II.

County Judge Preston Scroggin said talks have been ongoing between county officials and the public, and the issue hasn't been taken lightly.

"This will likely be a 15- to 20-year process, one that will probably outlive most of us here tonight." Scroggin said.

Scroggin said after the meeting that the justices of the peace have been involved with the courthouse issue for more than two years, and JPs were serious about having a "safe, efficient place to conduct county" business.

JP Jerry Park opposed the resolution.

"I think this is a bad, bad mistake," Park said. "That building was designed to be a courthouse. It should still be a courthouse."

Park said a local architect said the building could be restored and expanded for less than the quoted estimate of $600 per square foot the court received last year.

Asked if Park supported the building being repurposed for nongovernmental operations, Park said the building was built strong and needed to be restored and "remain the hub of county government."

"That building wasn't designed to be a concert hall," Park said. "The Arkansas Historical Society has suggested that it be saved."

JP Jerry L. Roberts said a month ago, he would have agreed with Park.

"I was one of the ones who wanted to save that building," Roberts said. "But this seems necessary.

"I thought there was a chance to save the building if private individuals were interested. But I don't think any discussions between them have worked out. I think they, too, see the shape the building is in and the money just isn't there. I've changed tonight and agree with the committee" that the courthouse should be demolished."

In other business, the court:

Approved a resolution that authorizes local business, Age Industries, 410 Commerce St., to receive refunds of local sales and use taxes;

Passed an ordinance allowing the county to collect and dispurse fire dues for volunteer fire departments that serve portions of the unincorporated areas of Faulkner County;

appropriated $38,000 to replace the roof at the circuit court building located at 1423 Caldwell St. County Administrator Jeff Johnston said the roof would be stripped to the concrete and replaced with a slightly graded flat surface.

"This is a serious repair that's going to give us many years of good use," JP Dan Thessing said.

Appropriated $1.2 million to the county road department to purchase asphalt, sand, gravel and machinery for road work and repairs. Scroggin said the recent rains have left many of the county's roads in rough shape. Scroggin said now that it appears to be drying up, road crews will be working full-force. Scroggin asked JPs to keep an eye on their area's road conditions and report findings to the road department.

"They've got a tough road ahead of them," JP Steve Goode said. "No pun intended."