Public meeting is held over area projects

Building for the future
Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo, standing center, introduces Jim Langford, standing at right, with the SpiritArchitecture Group to attendees of a public meeting on Tuesday evening. The meeting was held to provide more insight to residents regarding the expansion of the county jail, the relocating of the district court and the repairs on the roof at the Ouachita County Courthouse. See related article.
Building for the future Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo, standing center, introduces Jim Langford, standing at right, with the SpiritArchitecture Group to attendees of a public meeting on Tuesday evening. The meeting was held to provide more insight to residents regarding the expansion of the county jail, the relocating of the district court and the repairs on the roof at the Ouachita County Courthouse. See related article.

— An opportunity for residents of Ouachita County to learn more about future building projects for the county was provided Tuesday evening at the Ouachita County Detention Complex.

Several local officials and organization leaders attended a public meeting regarding the adding of 80 beds to the Ouachita County Detention Center, the relocating of the district courtroom to the complex, and the repairing of the roof of the Ouachita County Courthouse.

A PowerPoint presentation operated by District 7 Justice Dennis Truelove was explained by Ouachita County Judge Robbie McAdoo. The first issue the presentation covered was the district court, and several reasons were cited as to why it will be more convenient if the district court is moved from its current location at the Camden City Hall to the detention complex, including the following:

• The current space at Camden City Hall for a district court is limited.

• The district court’s current location impacts the day-to-day operations at the Camden City Hall.

• There is limited parking space.

• There will be easier access for law enforcement if the district court is moved to the OCDC.

• Better security for residents - keeps law enforcement from having to transport inmates from court at city hall to the jail complex.

• The relocating of the district court will help with the synergy of other construction efforts.

The presentation then shifted to the roof at the Ouachita County Courthouse. McAdoo shared with attendees about how he had to find 11 buckets in order to catch water because of a rain storm on his first day in office as the county judge. The county applied for a $100,000 grant from the Arkansas Historical Preservation Program in March of this year, and received the grant earlier this month.

McAdoo stated that the courthouse roof will not be a flat roof like before, and will have some slopes to prevent water from storing up and causing leaks.

McAdoo said that the the courthouse roof repairs will likely get underway in the late winter due to the May 1, 2016 completion date for the $100,000 grant.

He then went talked about the jail expansion. The Ouachita County Quorum Court approved a $4-million-dollar project during its July meeting to expand the Ouachita County Detention Complex. McAdoo explained that the county has the resources to add to the jail, and that - with the expansion - the county will make $30 a day per state inmate that it houses. The jail currently holds around 200 inmates, with 80 of those spaces reserved for local inmates.

McAdoo stated that the expansion will have a positive impact on the local economy because state inmates’ families will likely stay in local hotels, purchase gas, and eat at local restaurants when they come for visits.

Ouachita County Sheriff David Norwood added that the money that the inmates receive for commissary items will also go towards the county.

An attendee of the meeting described the expansion as a “marketing plan” and wanted to know how the county can ensure that the additional beds will be used by the state.

McAdoo directed the attention of the attendees to a slide where the Arkansas Department of Corrections committed to supplying state inmates to fill up the additional beds for the next four years. He then explained that the four-year commitment is probably because the ADC did not want to commit past the length of the current administration because if a new administration is elected, it may want to handle the state inmates’ overcrowding in a different way.

Norwood added that the state will pay for 100 percent of the state inmates’ medical and doctor visits in addition to the $30 a day for each inmate the county will house.

McAdoo concluded the meeting by thanking everyone who attended and saying that he is excited about the county moving forward as a unified “team.”

“I feel like we are really coming together,” McAdoo stated. “As long as we are working together, we are going to see some good things happening here in Camden and in Ouachita County.”

The SouthBuild TEAM - which consist of Smith-Doyle Contractors, Inc. as construction manager/advisers along with the SpiritArchitecture Group serving as designers - will oversee all three of the projects for the county.

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