Polk County commissioners failed to agree with a suggestion by Commissioner Dewey Esquinance to “open up” the county attorney position to other attorneys who might be interested.
Esquinance made his suggestion when the subject of re-appointing the current county attorney, Eric Brooks, came up for approval at the commission’s regular meeting in Benton Thursday, November 19.
“I think it should be opened up,” Esquinance said. “I don’t have anything against Mr. Brooks...I wonder if we’re getting the best rate.”
Brooks charges the county $200 per hour.
His suggestion failed to gain support as Commissioner James Woody made a motion to move forward and re-appoint Brooks. The motion passed with commissioners Woody, John Pippenger, Mark Evans, Greg Brooks, Debbie Davis and Jeremy Kimsey voting yes.
Esquinance and Commission Chairman Samantha Trantham both passed.
In other actions, the commission agreed with a recommendation from the Road Committee, agreed to sell a piece of county property, tabled a request from the Benton Lions Club, and heard a Benton resident’s complaint over the ambulance service.
The Road Committee recommended the commission send a letter to Caleb Denton who neighbors allege has put gates across CC Camp Road, blocking them from getting to their homes. (See related story).
Commissioner Brooks told fellow commissioners Denton has “moved into our beautiful county” and blocked a public road. That road needs to be opened.
Commissioners agreed and Denton is to be sent a letter demanding the gates be removed by noon December 7 or county Road Superintendent Roy Gene Thomason will remove the gates.
Commissioners agreed to sell almost four acres of land to Polymer Components for $5,000 with the stipulation that if the owner does not build his company as he plans and decides to sell the property, the county will have first refusal to buy the land back at the $5,000 sales price.
Commissioner Woody presented the proposal from Ralph W. Britt, owner of Polymer Components, to buy the land. The county had made a deal with Britt five years ago and given him the property with a revert clause, stipulating he would expand. Though some improvements have been made to the land by Britt, the expansion has not happened.
The idea of an absolute sale to Britt was met with resistance by several commissioners. It was a suggestion from Esquinance that, “If he doesn’t build his company as he intends, he gives Polk County first right of refusal,” to buy the land back for $5,000.
Brooks was first to agree, saying, “You said what I was thinking.”
The commissioners agreed with Pippenger passing when the vote was taken.
Greg Squires of the Benton Lions Club asked the commissioners for permission to plant a tree and erect a plaque at the courthouse honoring the late Jerry Stephens, long time mayor of Benton who passed away on election day.
Pippenger told Squires, “Truly, the place for this is at city hall.”
Squires said he did not believe there was an appropriate location there.
Commissioners agreed for Building Committee members to meet with Squires to look at both locations.
Benton resident Matt West complained to the commission, saying when he called for a CareMed ambulance to take him to the hospital in an emergency, he ended up driving himself because no ambulance was available.
Commissioners agreed to look into the situation closely, study computer assisted dispatch (CAD) logs from 911 dispatch and pay sheets from the ambulance service, then discuss the matter with CareMed owners to determine exactly what had taken place.
Pippenger, chairman of the Ambulance Committee, said that group will further address the situation 30 minutes before the full commission’s December meeting.
Commissioners also agreed with Trantham to seek proposals to place automatic doors at both the Copper Basin Community Center and county courthouse.
She said that the heavy doors at the community center made entering and exiting the building extremely difficult, especially for senior citizens, a situation she witnessed during election day voting.
Commissioners agreed with Pippenger adding similar doors at the Election Commission office to the proposal.