Jul 12, 2022 Agenda Committee

[00:00:05]

MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION?

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

IT'S THAT TIME.

SO WE. WE'RE GOING TO GO HERE.

WE'VE GOT SUCH A LONG AGENDA.

I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THROUGH IT TONIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.

YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LIGHTS.

WE'LL START OFF WITH AN INVOCATION BY JUSTICE STOWERS, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY JUSTICE MCMULLEN.

THOSE WHO CAN STAND WITH YOU, PLEASE DO SO.

ALMIGHTY ALL KNOWING, GRACIOUS, GOOD AND.

HEAVENLY GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF PULASKI COUNTY.

WE ASK THAT YOUR BLESSINGS AND YOUR MERCIES AND YOUR WISDOM WOULD BE WITH US THIS EVENING AS WE GO ABOUT THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.

IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN.

THANK YOU JUSTIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? YES SIR.

14 MEMBERS PRESENT.

14, 13, 13, 13 MEMBERS PRESENT.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

WE CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNTY TONIGHT.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.

THOSE OPPOSED.

OUR MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR FROM OUR LAST MEETING.

I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS, SO WE'LL GO RIGHT ON INTO OUR NEW BUSINESS.

[22-I-49 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 21-OR-46 (2022 ANNUAL BUDGET, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS) TO RECOGNIZE AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR EIGHTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT AND TENTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT. Sponsors: Justices Massey, Blackwood, Coney, Lewison, Stowers]

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 21OR46, 2022 ANNUAL BUDGET TO RECOGNIZE AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR EIGHTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT AND 10TH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT.

JUSTICE MASSEY.

MOVE FOR THE ADOPTION. I MOVE THAT WE SEND THIS TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A RECOMMENDED DO PASS.

SORRY. THANK YOU, JUSTICE MASSEY.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

A MOTION WAS MADE WITH THE SECOND THAT WE SEND 22I49 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DO PASS RECOMMENDATION.

JUSTICE MASSEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN? I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COURTS THAT'S HERE AND IF WE COULD HEAR FROM HER TONIGHT.

BUT IT'S VERY EXCITING NEWS.

OK WE HAVE TWO, WELCOME.

GOOD AFTERNOON, QUORUM COURT MEMBERS.

HOW ARE YOU ALL TODAY? CAN I GET YOU TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN? GOOD AFTERNOON, QUORUM COURT MEMBERS.

GOOD AFTERNOON. TODAY JUST FINE.

THIS IS GWEN WILLIAMS AND I HAVE WITH ME A COWORKER WHO IS ALSO A PROBATION OFFICER AND HER NAME IS CHERIE LOWE.

HELLO AND HELLO WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY ASK.

WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO KNOW? WELL, IF YOU COULD JUST TELL US ABOUT THE GRANT, WHICH IS I GUESS IT'S KIND OF SELF-EXPLANATORY THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN TWO GRANTS, ONE FOR 79,000, AND THE OTHER IS FOR LIKE 16,000.

SO IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE GRANT.

IT'S ONE GRANT. ONE GRANT COMBINED WITH THOSE FIGURES.

AND THIS COMES FROM THE OFFICES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS AND.

OH, OKAY. YEAH.

DO THAT. YEAH.

JUST A BRIEF EXPLANATION.

WHAT THIS GRANT WILL BE USED FOR, BE APPROPRIATE.

IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR TRAINING IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR TRAINING AS WELL AS DOCUMENT AUTOMATION SOFTWARE.

UH, THAT'S GONNA HELP WITH THE COURTS AND THE SCHEDULING FURNITURE FOR THE STAFF AND FOR THE FAMILY WAITING ROOM.

IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR A JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM, WHICH IS LIKE A SECOND CHANCE LEADERSHIP BOOT CAMP.

[00:05:12]

OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION.

AND NOW I DO SEE ONE LIGHT ON, SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A QUESTION.

JUSTICE ELLIOTT.

[INAUDIBLE] SPONSOR.

OKAY. HE HE WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR.

JUSTICE CONEY.

YOU SAY A BOOT CAMP? YES. EXPLAIN FOR WHOM, THE JUVENILES.

YES. IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE JUVENILES.

IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH THE.

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THIS? OF COURSE. BUT NO, THAT'S FINE, TO ADD THAT EXPLANATION.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE ADJUDICATED.

AND IT'S MORE OF A PROGRAM, IT'S MORE OF A DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE AS PROBATION OFFICERS, WE WORK FIN'S CASES AS WELL.

AND WITH THE FIN'S CASES, WE TRY TO DIVERT CHILDREN FROM COMING INTO THE SYSTEM AND WE OFFER SERVICES PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE USED.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE ON PROBATION THAT NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, AND THIS PROGRAM WILL BE ALSO USED FOR THAT. THANK YOU.

AND WHAT AGES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, THEY COME AS YOUNG AS TEN, BUT THEY'RE NOT AS MATURE.

SO I. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MORE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

JUSTICE MATLOCK. AND THEN I'LL GET TO YOU, JUSTICE MCMULLEN.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. JUSTICE MCMULLEN.

YES. I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED TO WHILE I'M THINKING OF IT, I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED ALSO.

BUT I DID WANT TO SAY THIS MUCH IN REFERENCE OF THEM HAVING TO BE ADJUDICATED.

I NOTICED THAT. NOW YOU CAN I MAY BE INCORRECT HERE.

YOU CAN INTERPRET IT.

FOR ME, THE PURPOSE OF THIS CAMP IS TO PROVIDE LOW AND MODERATE RISK OFFENDERS CHOSEN BY THE COURT.

AND I JUST ASSUMED THAT THAT WOULD MEANT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT AND THEN THE COURT WOULD DIVERT THEM BY, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, FROM THERE, THE COURT WOULD MARK THEM AS A CANDIDATE TO GO TO THIS, TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

BUT THEY INITIALLY DO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE COURT, WHEREAS THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT USED TO USE AND WE COULD RECOMMEND THE BOOT CAMP PRIOR TO EVEN, YOU KNOW, BEING INVOLVED WITH THE COURT SYSTEM.

WOULD I BE CORRECT? YOU ARE PARTIALLY CORRECT.

NOW, A FIN'S CASE IS A FAMILY IN NEED OF SERVICES, AND THOSE ARE CASES THAT PROBATION OFFICERS WORK.

THEY COME TO JUVENILE COURT BECAUSE THEY NEED ASSISTANCE AND THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE COURTS PER SE YET. AND THAT PROGRAM IS TO OFFER THEM A PROGRAM LIKE THIS SO THAT THE PARENTS, WHEN THEY COME, THEY'RE OVERWHELMED BECAUSE THOSE KIDS HAVE NOT BEEN ADJUDICATED AND THEY HAVEN'T COMMITTED A CRIME.

SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT THE COURT CAN DO AS FAR AS RECOMMEND SOMETHING.

AND THIS WOULD, OF COURSE, BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE RECOMMENDED.

SO THEREFORE, IT WOULD NOT THEY THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE RECOMMENDED BY THE COURT.

I GUESS THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'M SAYING HERE.

OKAY. YES.

THANK YOU. JUSTICE STOWERS.

YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. KEITH.

SO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING YOUR TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO BE HERE WITH US AFTER HOURS THIS EVENING.

I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I DO APPRECIATE I KNOW THAT WE HAD THREE TENURED JUVENILE JUDGES, TWO THAT RETIRED, ONE THAT WENT ACROSS THE STREET TO DEAL WITH ADULT CASES.

BUT TWO NEW JUVENILE JUDGES THAT WERE ELECTED IN THE LAST CYCLE.

AND I WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE WITH THIS BODY, COLLABORATE WITH WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE AS WE TRY TO DO A BETTER JOB AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SPECIFICALLY JUVENILE

[00:10:01]

AND JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW AND IF YOU COULD PASS THAT BACK TO THE THE TO NEW COLUMN NEW THEY'RE NOT STILL NEW.

BUT THE TWO JUDGES THAT ARE NOW IN JUVENILE THAT WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT DIALOG AND THAT CONNECTIVITY AND THAT WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE FOR US TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE NEED TO WE THERE'S GOT TO BE THAT CONTINUITY.

SO PLEASE, PLEASE PASS THAT TO THE JUDGES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU JUSTICE STOWERS, JUSTICE MCMULLENS, I SEE YOUR LIGHT AS ON AGAIN.

AND MY QUESTION IS, DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS PRIMARILY THE FIRST TIME THAT JUVENILE COURT HAS HAD SUCH A PROGRAM? DOES ANYONE UP HERE KNOW OR DO YOU KNOW? WE HAVE HAD INTERNS BEFORE THE FROM WORKING WITH [INAUDIBLE] AND THE LANDERS OF COLLEGE WHERE THEY WOULD SEND INTERNS OVER. OKAY.

NOW, IS THAT THE PAY? YES. THEY WERE NOT PAID IN THE PAST.

YEAH, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND I WAS JUST WONDERING TO KICK IT OFF.

I KNOW THAT THREE SEASONS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THAT SUMMER, SPRING, I MEAN, SPRING, SUMMER AND AUTUMN AND OUR IS SO THAT'S LIKE THREE MONTHS.

MAYBE EACH IS ARE THEY ALLOWED? WOULD ONE PERSON BE ALLOWED TO DO IT FOR SEVERAL SEASONS? WELL, I'M BELIEVING THAT FOR THESE JUVENILES OR NOT JUVENILES, I'M SORRY FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.

THE JUDGES WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN THE IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO WORK AMONG JUVENILES, TO FIND OUT HOW THIS WOULD HELP THEM IN THEIR OWN CAREERS. SO SHE HAS THEY HAVE TO IDENTIFY, TOO.

SO THEY WANT THE THE JUST THE COLLEGE INTERN AND THEN THE LEGAL INTERN THAT WOULD COME FROM THE LEGAL SCHOOL, FROM THE LAW SCHOOL.

AND THEY WOULD GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT GOES ON WITH JUVENILE COURT, WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CHILDREN COME INTO THE.

ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.

I WAS. SO RIGHT NOW, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO ONE SEASON.

EACH INDIVIDUAL OR MAYBE THAT INDIVIDUAL COULD EXTEND IT TO TWO SEASONS PER INDIVIDUAL.

THAT'S OKAY.

WE'RE STILL IN THE IN THE PLANNING STAGES ON THIS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IT SOUNDS GOOD.

I JUST KIND OF WHEN I SAW IT, BROKE IT DOWN AND ADD IT UP WITH THE, YOU KNOW, 20 HOURS A WEEK SALARY AND HOW MANY SEASONS, $45,000 COULD, YOU KNOW, COVER.

BUT SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING IF IT'S GOOD, REFINANCED, REFUNDED, RATHER.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. JUSTICE MCMULLEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO MORE QUESTIONS.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

JUSTIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? 13. 13 AYES.

WE WILL SEND 22I49 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DUE PASS RECOMMENDATION, IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE HAVE ADJOURNED OUR REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.

[Announcements]

SO JUST LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT.

OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR.

[Public Comment]

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.

JUSTICE CHRISTINA GULLEY.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZE ME.

I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL OPPORTUNITY.

IF ANY OF YOU ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING MY UNIQUE SITUATION.

I DO WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT IN SPITE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED, I'M STILL INVOLVED IN MY DISTRICT, WORKING WITH MY CONSTITUENTS AND LEADERS AND RESPONDING TO THEIR CALLS, AND I

[00:15:03]

LAST WEEK WE DISCOVERED SOMETHING WITH MY CASE.

I DON'T THINK I SHOULD JUMP AHEAD OF MY ATTORNEY AND DISCLOSE THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE DO PLAN TO FILE SOMETHING IN COURT THIS WEEK.

SO ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR ME? I MEAN, WE'RE ALL HERE.

WE'RE ALL HERE. I MEAN.

NORMALLY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

WE GENERALLY DON'T DO A QUESTION AND ANSWER.

BUT IF IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY, HOW ABOUT THIS? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? THERE'S NO OBJECTION.

GO AHEAD. JUSTICE MCMULLEN.

WELL, ALL RIGHT, THEN.

I'D THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING I GUESS MAYBE THE QUESTION I'M IS PROBABLY IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THERE ARE STILL MOVING PARTS.

YES, MA'AM.

THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT IN THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE OUTCOME OF THE OF THE JUDGMENT OR WHATEVER.

YES, MA'AM. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO DISCLOSE THAT.

I WANT MY ATTORNEY TO PRESENT IT TO THE TO THE JUDGE HIMSELF.

SO BUT WE JUST DISCOVERED IT LAST WEEK.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE, BUT IT'S VERY INTERESTING.

ALL I CAN SAY. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US.

YES, MA'AM. I THINK IT IS OUR.

OF OUR INTEREST TO BE AS BE INFORMED.

YES, MA'AM. THOROUGHLY IN THAT THE I WOULD THINK THAT THE FINAL DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT POSITION IS GOING TO BE FILLED WOULD PERHAPS FALL UPON US.

YES, MA'AM. AND SO, THEREFORE, WE CERTAINLY DO WANT TO BE INFORMED AS TO HOW THINGS ARE LOOKING.

SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO.

THANK YOU, CHRISTINE.

ALL RIGHT. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO CLAIM OUR ATTENTION, WE ARE OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.

OKAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.