YEAH. I WAS THINKING [1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:04] YES SO I'LL ASK ALL OF THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE IF YOU'LL TAKE YOUR SEAT. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN OUR MEETING WITH THE WITH THE INVOCATION BY JUSTICE PERSON, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY JUSTICE CAPPS. IF YOU CAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? DEAR LORD, LOOK OVER OUR COUNTRY. DEAR LORD LOOK OVER THE WORLD. THE LORD LOOK OVER THE WORLD. LEADERS OF LOCAL AND ABROAD. LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MANY BLESSINGS YOU'VE BESTOWED UPON US DEAR LORD. THESE BLESSINGS WE ASK YOUR NAME. AMEN. AMEN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR ACTUALLY STANDING FOR OUR OPENING. JUST A REMINDER, YOUR MICROPHONES ARE ON AT THIS TIME. AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? PRESENT. CAPPS. HERE. MS. LEWISON. HERE. HERE. MR. PERSON. PRESENT MS. CURRY. PRESENT. MR. KEITH. WARD. HERE. MS. YOUNG-BAKER. YES. MR. ROBINSON IS ABSENT. MR. MCCOY. [LAUGHTER] ALRIGHT. MR. MCCOY. HERE. MR. STOWERS IS ABSENT. MR. ELLIOTT. HERE AND MS. MEDLOCK IS ABSENT. SO YOU HAVE 12 PRESENT TODAY. WE HAVE PRESENT. WE CAN DO THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNTY. IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM 5? MOVE APPROVAL. [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? SAME. OUR MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED FROM OUR LAST MEETING. AMY. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS, SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR NEW BUSINESS, WHICH JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE A RESOLUTION. SO, AMY, PLEASE READ. [26-I-07 A RESOLUTION OF THE QUORUM COURT OF PULASKI COUNTY OPPOSING FEDERAL COMMERCIAL TRUCK SIZE OR WEIGHT INCREASES.] PLEASE READ SLOWLY. 26-I-07. SLOWLY. NO. I'M SORRY. [LAUGHTER] NO. I'M SORRY AMY. GO AHEAD. A RESOLUTION OF THE QUORUM COURT OF PULASKI COUNTY OPPOSING FEDERAL COMMERCIAL TRUCK SIZE OR WEIGHT INCREASES. JUSTICE MCCOY. MOTION DO PASS, AND WE SEND IT TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT. SECOND JUSTICE MCCOY WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN? THANK YOU. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY AN ORGANIZATION CALLED CABT COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS. I SEE SOME NOES AND SOME NODS. TOWNSELL AND OTHERS. SO THEY'RE AWARE. BUT BASICALLY FREQUENTLY, I MAY SAY EVERY YEAR BASED ON WHAT I KNOW THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY WILL WANT TO COME AND LOBBY CONGRESS TO INCREASE THE SIZES OF SOME OF THESE 18 WHEELERS AND BIG TRUCKS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. AND IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY HERE THAT WANTS TO SEE BIGGER TRUCKS ON THE ROAD. ANYWAY, SO THIS IS A IT'S JUST A RESOLUTION. THIS IS SOMETHING THEY'RE TRYING TO GET PASSED THE MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. I'VE GOT SOME MORE INFORMATION HERE ABOUT WHO'S ENDORSED THIS TYPE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONGRESS. I'LL SAY NACO HAS SIGNED ON AS AN ORGANIZATION. SO I JUST THINK WE HAVE PLENTY BIG ENOUGH TRUCKS ON THE ROAD, AND I DON'T THINK THEY NEED TO GET BIGGER. OKAY. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. JUSTICE PERSON. YES. I DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS. I DUG A LITTLE, DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THIS AS WELL. AND WHILE I GET THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THE BLANKET STATEMENT OF WE DON'T WANT HEAVY TRUCKS ON THE INTERSTATE THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A COMPROMISE WITH THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY. THEY WANTED 97,000 POUNDS WEIGHT. AND THIS THIS BILL PUT FORTH BY REPRESENTATIVE WIED OUT OF WISCONSIN IS ASKING FOR 91,000. AND IT IS SAID TO WILL TO BE ABLE TO CUT DOWN ON TRAVEL TIME. [00:05:05] THERE'S ALREADY A TRUCKER SHORTAGE. THIS WILL BE ABLE TO CUT DOWN ON TRAVEL TIME AS WELL AS ADDRESS THAT SHORTAGE. SO JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE INFORMATION IS OUT. I'M NOT A TRUCKER. I'M NOT IN THAT INDUSTRY. DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DOWNSTREAM RAMIFICATIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. BUT THAT'S JUST ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING THIS MATTER. OKAY. JUSTICE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. I YIELD. JUSTICE ROBINSON. YEAH. SO, I MEAN, I'LL ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT HERE. THE BIG TRUCKING, BIGGER TRUCKS ON OUR HIGHWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE WOULD SEE WITH THE LARGER TRUCKS. I MEAN, EVERYBODY, YOU ALREADY SEE THE NEWS WITH THE 40, 30 AND ALL THE POTHOLES AND EVERYTHING. JUST IMAGINE IF YOU HAD A TRUCK TWICE THE SIZE GOING DOWN THERE, THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND MOST OF OUR ROADS THAT THE CITY, THE COUNTY'S PRIVATE DEVELOPERS BUILD, BARELY STAND UP TO A GARBAGE TRUCK. THE INTERSTATES ARE A LOT BETTER. THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT ON THOSE ARE ARE A LOT MORE ADAPTIVE TO LARGER VEHICLES. BUT AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, A LOT OF THE A LOT OF THE FREIGHT COMES FROM SHIPS, GOES FROM SHIPS TO RAIL AND THEN RAIL TO TRUCKS. AND SO YOU HAVE TO STILL TAKE SOME OF THE BACK ROAD SIDE ROADS IN ORDER TO GET FROM ONE OF THOSE OTHER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. SO THERE'S MORE EGGS IN THE BASKET THAN JUST SIZE AND MOVING. SO YOU KIND OF ASKED. I THOUGHT I'D THROW A LITTLE INFRASTRUCTURE KNOWLEDGE OUT THERE FOR YOU ALL. OKAY. JUSTICE ROBINSON. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE RESOLUTION 26-I-07. LEWISON. YES. MS. BLACKWOOD. AYE. MR. PERSON. PRESENT. CURRY. YES. MR. KEITH. YES. MS. WARD. YES. MS. YOUNG-BAKER. YES. MR. ROBINSON. YES. MR. MCCOY. YES. AND MR. ELLIOTT. YES. YOU HAVE 11 AYES AND ONE VOTING PRESENT. 11 AYES. WE WILL SEND 26-I-07 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A DUE PASS RECOMMENDATION. JUSTICE CAPPS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? FOR YOUR ITEM TO BE HEARD. DOES IT NEED TO BE READ FIRST? OKAY, I'LL MOVE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. SECOND. AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ 26-I-09. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 25-OR-52-2026 ANNUAL BUDGET, [Additional Item] PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, TO RECOGNIZE AN APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR THE 11TH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURTS ADH PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST GRANT. JUSTICE CAPPS. MOVE TO SEND IT TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DUE PASS RECOMMENDATION. SECOND. A MOTION WAS MADE WITH THE SECOND THAT WE SEND 26-I-09 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DUE PASS RECOMMENDATION. JUSTICE CAPPS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN OR DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN FOR YOU? TRACY'S HERE TO EXPLAIN IT. OKAY. GOOD DEAL. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE THAT Y'ALL GET ME TONIGHT INSTEAD OF JUDGE JAMES. SHE HAD AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS SO LATE THAT SHE HAD SOMETHING ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT, BUT SHE WANTED ME TO GIVE HER APOLOGIES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE. SO Y'ALL GET ME TONIGHT. SO WE WE APPLIED AND WERE ABLE TO GET A GRANT FROM THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR A PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL BRANCH. THIS WILL THIS GRANT IS FOR $75,000 A YEAR. RIGHT NOW, IT'S FOR THREE YEARS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GO UP TO SEVEN YEARS. THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO ADD A SECOND PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST TO OUR COURT. WE ALREADY HAVE ONE. AND SO THIS WILL BE ABLE TO ADD A SECOND ONE TO OUR DRUG COURT WHERE WE HAVE AT LEAST 50 PARTICIPANTS AT A TIME. STEVEN RUNS OUR ALUMNI ALREADY WITH, WITH OUR FORMER GRADUATES AND THOSE THAT ARE IN PHASE FIVE. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP US SO MUCH WITH THAT. WITH PART OF THIS TOO. IT'S IT HAS AN EDUCATION PIECE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WILL DEVELOP A CURRICULUM TO KIND OF GO OUT IT SAID TO WORK WITH STAFF. [00:10:09] SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO INCORPORATE IT IS WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH AN AGENDA TO DISCUSS HOW PEER RECOVERY IS SUPPORT SPECIALISTS ARE USED IN OUR COURT HOW OUR REFERRAL PROCESS WORKS FOR DRUG COURT AS WELL AS A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER COMPONENT EXPLAINING YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIERS, STIGMAS BEHIND THAT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE JUSTICE INVOLVED. AND PLAN TO DO THOSE THINGS WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE HOPEFULLY THE LOCAL BAR, THE STATE BAR ASSOCIATION AND WITH CSI IN THE JAIL, THE PROGRAM IN THE JAIL. WE WORK REAL CLOSE WITH THEM AS WELL. SO THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN OF THIS PROGRAM, TOO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, TRACY. JUSTICE LEWISON. YEAH. I WANTED TO BE ADDED TO. OKAY. THIS AMY. THANK YOU. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE ADDED. OKAY JUSTICE BLACKWOOD JUSTICE CURRY. BE ADDED. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS? QUESTION THAT LAST ITEM IN THE BUDGET WAS ABOUT $11,000. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT'LL BE FOR? THAT'S THE MONEY THAT GOES BACK TO THE COUNTY FOR THEIR 15%. OKAY. SO THIS IS WILL BE THE COUNTY'S MONEY. ALL RIGHT. OUT OF THE GRANT. EVERY GRANT THAT I HAVE WHETHER IT'S STATE OR WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL THE COUNTY GETS 15% OF IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WOULD KEEP IT IF YOU'D LET ME. [LAUGHTER]. I WOULD SPEND IT FOR YOU. GRANT. [LAUGHTER] ALRIGHT. THANK YOU TRACY. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THAN YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT JUSTICE MASSEY HAS ARRIVED? AND IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MCCOY. YES. MR. ROBINSON. YES. MR. YOUNG-BAKER. YES. MS. WARD. YES. MR. KEITH. YES. MS. CURRY. AYE. MS. MASSEY. AYE. MR. PERSON. AYE. MS. BLACKWOOD. AYE. MS. LEWISON. YES. MS. CAPPS. AYE. MS. DAVIS. YES. YOU HAVE 13 AYES. 13 AYES. WE WILL SEND 26. WHATEVER THAT WELL I-09 OKAY. GOTTA HIT IT MYSELF. IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE FOR ADJOURNMENT. SECOND. ALL RIGHT, WITHOUT OBJECTION, OUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED. ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? EARLY VOTING STARTS 17. 17. SO. SO EARLY VOTING. PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE. ADAM. AND ELECTION DAY IS THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY. OKAY. EARLY VOTING STARTS. IT'S CRAZY. THE 17TH AND CONTINUES THROUGH ELECTION DAY. SO GO VOTE. TAKE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. IF SOMEBODY NEEDS A RIDE, DRIVE FOR THEM. [LAUGHTER] OKAY. MARCH 3RD IS THE DATE FOR THIS. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. JUSTICE CAPPS. I'M TRYING TO FIND MY CALENDAR REAL QUICK. A FEW OF US ARE AFFECTED ON THAT MARCH. FULL QUORUM COURT DATE. THE 24TH. THERE ARE ACTUALLY FIVE TUESDAYS IN MARCH, AND I WAS CURIOUS IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE IT TO THE 31ST. IT'S SPRING BREAK FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS KIDS. AND SO I JUST WAS CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY MAJOR OPPOSITION TO. [LAUGHTER] WELL, THAT WON'T BE HERE. BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO AGREE ON IT. SO SOMEBODY WILL EMAIL US AND WE'LL SORT IT OUT. BUT JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL. SPONSOR AN ITEM TO, I BELIEVE, TO CHANGE A FULL QUORUM COURT MEETING. YOU WILL HAVE TO DO SO BY ORDINANCE. SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO IT AS A LATE ITEM. I GUESS A SORRY. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BENCH? THERE BEING NONE. WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, MR. [Public Comment] MICHAEL WHITE. THANK YOU. AND, AMY, ARE YOU THE OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER? MR. WHITE, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND AMY. PULASKI COUNTY. I ALSO HAPPEN TO BE HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS AN ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER HERE IN PULASKI COUNTY. TAKE THAT JOB VERY SERIOUSLY. I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A HIGHER CALLING IN PUBLIC SERVICE THAN PROTECTING THE PEOPLE'S VOICE. THE ONE THAT PUTS YOU BEHIND THAT SIDE OF THE DAIS. [00:15:02] MAYBE SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH AT 6:39 P.M. I TO MY OFFICIAL COUNTY EMAIL RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM QUORUM COURT MEMBER PHIL STOWERS, WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT 13. IT READS VERBATIM. I'VE BEEN WAITING. DOT DOT DOT. JUST WONDERING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BRING YOUR BAT SHIT CRAZY PAPER BALLOT IDEA TO THE PULASKI QUORUM COURT. YOU SEEM SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, BUT GOOD LUCK WITH THAT IN PULASKI COUNTY, A TRIPLE DOG. DARE YOU! TWO MINUTES LATER HE REPLIED TO THIS MESSAGE WITH. WE WILL EAT YOU UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER, BUT GO AHEAD, MAKE OUR DAY. THAT ENDS THE MESSAGES I RECEIVED FROM MR. STOWERS. NOW, AS I SEE IT I BELIEVE YOU MIGHT HAVE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS IN FRONT OF YOU. OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST ONE IS PRETTY BLATANT. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DISRESPECTFUL. THERE IS NOT ANY INCH OF PROFESSIONAL SPACE IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED. AND I HAPPEN TO THINK, AND WHILE WE OFTEN FALL SHORT, THAT MAYBE GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T FIND ITSELF EXEMPT FROM STANDARDS OF DECENCY. MAYBE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIETY TODAY, AT LEAST IN THE SECULAR WORLD, IS WE'VE FORGOTTEN THAT, THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE THE EXAMPLE OF DECENCY IN THE SECULAR WORLD. BUT THAT'S NUMBER ONE. PROBLEM NUMBER TWO IS I AM INCONVENIENTLY A SWORN ELECTIONS OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTY, AND THIS ELECTION CYCLE HAPPENS TO BE AN ELECTION OF FEDERAL IMPORTANCE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT COULD BE CONSTRUED THAT INTIMIDATION TO BOTH SILENCE OR SUPPRESS MY VOICE IN REGARD TO THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, MIGHT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A FELONY IN STATE LAW AND POSSIBLY FEDERAL LAW. THAT'S PROBLEM NUMBER TWO. PROBLEM NUMBER THREE WOULD BE THAT HE HAD THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. HE SAID, WE AND OUR. WHICH MEANS AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT I WOULD DO. I MEAN, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT I WOULD DO. IF I WAS ON THAT SIDE OF THE DAIS. WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ADMONISHING THIS BEHAVIOR AND SEPARATING YOURSELF FROM IT FORTHWITH, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT I WOULD NECESSARILY WANT TO FIND MYSELF ATTACHED TO SOMEBODY SPEAKING FOR ME AND SAYING SOMETHING THAT MIGHT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF SEVERE ETHICAL CONCERNS AND POSSIBLY LEGAL CONCERNS, AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, ASK FOR A PUBLIC APOLOGY AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, IT MIGHT BE GOOD BUSINESS TO ASK FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION. BECAUSE HERE'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE. I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY THAT HAS THE DISDAIN FOR THE PEOPLE'S PUBLIC VOICE SHOULD BE REPRESENTING ANYBODY IN THIS COUNTY FOR ONE SECOND. IT IS THE VOICE THAT PUTS YOU IN OFFICE. MY JOB IS TO DEFEND THAT VOICE. AND SO TODAY YOU CAN EITHER STAND UP FOR IT OR YOU CAN EXPLAIN LATER WHY YOU HAVEN'T. I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. I'M NOT HARD TO FIND. I DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE. WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. NEVER ASSUME YOU ARE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.