WARREN, Ark. – Bradley County Sheriff Herchel Tillman and County Judge Klay McKinney both spent some time during the monthly Quorum Court meeting conducted October 17 updating the Court on the cost of housing and transporting county inmates to various jails around the state.
The ability to house local inmates has been an issue of discussion for several years. It goes back to the past operation of a joint Bradley County and City of Warren jointly owned facility built in the mid 1970s. In later years the County terminated the joint agreement with the City and Warren bought out the County’s total interest in the Emergency Services Center which housed the jail. The County began farming out local inmates to other jails around the state.
The City of Warren has continued to operate a 24-hour holding jail while sending City prisoners to other jails. Judge McKinney told the Justices that serious consideration needs to be given to a long term solution which could include building a new County facility. That would require a funding plan.
Judge McKinney told the Court that the extreme dry weather is making it difficult and costly to keep gravel roads in the County graded. It is damaging for the grading blades and costing the County more and more to try to keep up the road grading. He also stressed the severe fire dangers and implored all residents of the County to abide by the burn ban.
In the ongoing saga of getting the Bell Tower repaired and re-installed, the Judge reported that the work on Tower is complete but work on the flue inside the Courthouse under the Tower is still underway. He hopes the project is close to being ready to put the Tower back in place. A large crane will have to be brought back in, and the Judge assured everyone it will not damage the brick streets.
The Judge reported on grants being worked on for the County and stated he was looking into matters relating to the private ambulance service for the County. He reported there have been some concerns voiced by residents.
The Court then adopted Resolution 283 authorizing the County to move ahead with building a new multipurpose building on Smith Road, utilizing American Rescue Fund money. Next, the Court approved ordinance 2222-777 dictating how the process of the funding will be implemented.