BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace agreed Thursday to send out a generic request for qualifications seeking a consultant to advise the county on a proposed courts building.
County Judge Bob Clinard said he will send a final draft of the RFQ to the justices of the peace for their review and, if no serious objections are made, send out the request Monday.
"If I don't hear any comments by Monday. it's going out just like I revised it," Clinard said.
The county is looking for local architects who will work with a nationally-recognized firm with experience in designing courts buildings in urban and suburban settings. After some discussion Thursday, Clinard and the justices of the peace agreed to limit the details included in the RFQ and see what responses the county receives.
Benton County has been considering a new courts building to house the circuit judges and related offices for the past few years. A study in January 2014 identified three potential sites -- two in Downtown Bentonville and one on county land on Southwest 14th Street, near the Road Department and Jail. Current cost estimates range from about $26.7 million to $30.6 million.
Clinard has favored the 14th Street location, citing ease of construction with no disruption of courts and other offices during construction and no need to design a building to fit into a lot.
The Quorum Court has expressed its support for keeping the courts and related offices downtown, as has the Walton Family Foundation, Downtown Bentonville Inc. and other downtown interests. The foundation has given the county a $2.9 million grant to help renovate the county courthouse and offered another $2 million to offset construction costs for a downtown courts building. Several justices of the peace balked at Clinard's insistence on keeping the Southwest 14th Street location as an option.
The downtown options were questioned last month when the six circuit judges sent Clinard and the justices of the peace a letter saying they couldn't support the downtown plans being considered. The letter, signed by circuit judges Robin Green, Brad Karren, Thomas E. Smith, John R. Scott, Xollie Duncan and Doug Schrantz, cited concerns over security, access for both the public and judicial system employees, parking and future expansion.
Clinard said the judges' concerns weren't acknowledged in any of the plans considered and need to be addressed by the consultants. Although they weren't included in the RFQ, Clinard said, they'll be part of the process.
"Whether you put it in there or you don't put it in there, we're still going to discuss these things," he said.
Allen said the county has to find answers to the issues raised by the circuit judges if the project is going to move forward but the judges can't make the decisions about how the building is designed.
"To try to go ahead without the support of the circuit judges is problematic at best," Allen said. "But, with all due respect to the circuit judges, they're not the ones designing the building, They're not the ones who have the degrees and the expertise."
Susan Anglin, justice of the peace for District 9, said she feels like the county is "at square minus-zero" with the courts facility.
"I feel like we're going in circles," she said.
Clinard said he's simply keeping all of the options open for consideration until a decision is made. He said the consultants will be given all of the information the county has on possible locations, the three identified in the earlier study and another downtown site that would see the courts building built where Dave Peel Park is now located.
"I want to see our options," Clinard said.
4-H youth honored
Benton County is recognizing October as National 4-H Month, honoring the youth involved in the program and the adults who mentor them. Benton County Judge Bob Clinard read a proclamation honoring the group at Thursday night's meeting of the Quorum Court, which began after a reception hosted by a group of 4-H youth members.
Source: Staff report
General News on 10/28/2015