JPs vote to add Midway as SWA member

After being delayed by one week, the Hot Spring County Quorum Court met Tuesday for its first regular meeting of the new year.

The meeting was originally scheduled to take place on Jan. 12 but had to be proposed as county officials waited for the Arkansas Department of Health to approve a proposed plan for the meeting.

County Judge Dennis Thornton told the justices of the peace that legislation allowing virtual meetings expired on Dec. 30, 2020.

Prior to the regular meeting, members of the court’s Solid Waste Authority Committee and the Rules, Board and Commissions met to discuss items before bring them to the full court.

Andrew Daily was named chairman of the SWA Committee and Mike Fletcher was named chairman of the Rules, Boards and Commissions Committee. During the SWA Committee meeting, Daily introduced an ordiance to add the town of Midway as a member of the Solid Waste Authority. Daily said during the committee meeting that Midway has been a participant in the authority for years but has not been an official member or had representation on the board.

The ordinance was passed by both committees before also being approved by the full court.

County Attorney George Hopkins noted that Friendship and Donaldson, the other members of the authority, have also voted to accept Midway as a member.

During the meeting, the JPs approved a resolution asking state legislators to amending an outdated law involving a position on the SWA board.

More information about this resolution will be included in an upcoming edition of the Malvern Daily Record.

The court also approved an ordinance to establish the Hot Spring County Department of Emergency Management program and to give authority to the county judge to establish the requirements of the program and the authority to supervise the director of the program.

Along with the action items, the court also approved the second reading of an ordinance to create a new line item for the Magnet Cove Fire Protection District.