County holds meeting over coronavirus

Quorum Court approves emergency measures

BENTONVILLE — Benton County’s Quorum Court on Monday night unanimously approved a series of emergency measures related to covid-19.

The World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic March 11, and President Donald Trump declared a national emergency March 13.

A special meeting was called after last week’s Committee of the Whole, and Quorum Court meetings were canceled.

One of the approved emergency ordinances amended the 2019 organizational rules allowing for public officials to participate in meetings by phone or other electronic means. All 15 justices of the peace attended the meeting by phone.

Benton County Judge Barry Moehring, County Attorney George Spence, County Clerk Betsy Harrell and Bryan Beeson, county facilities manager, were in the Quorum Courtroom on Monday night. Eric Ball from the Information Technology Department was on hand to address any technical issues.

Before the meeting, employees used a disinfecting fogger in the first-floor lobby, stairwells, elevator, thirdfloor lobby and the Quorum Courtroom, Beeson said. A large bottle of hand sanitizer was placed on a stand at the courtroom entrance.

Those who attended the meeting had to have their temperature taken and answer questions related to covid-19 before being allowed into the County Administration Building. Moehring

closed county buildings to the public March 16.

The third-floor lobby floor was marked with “Xs” in bright orange tape to show 6 feet of distancing. Signs that read “Public” were placed above chairs along a lobby wall. A telephone with a speaker was set up in the third-floor lobby so the public could hear the meeting. No one from the public attended the meeting. The county also didn’t receive any email comments from the public before the meeting, Harrell said. Audio of the meeting will be posted on the county website, Moehring said.

The Quorum Court approved an emergency ordinance to temporarily waive the $20 co-pay fee for prisoner-initiated medical services at the jail. The waiver would be in place for 90 days.

Other emergency ordinances approved included adopting revisions to the personnel policy to provide for emergency leave related to covid-19 and an ordinance granting Moehring broad temporary authority to maintain county functions for 90 days. Moehring declared an emergency March 16.

The court also agreed to allocate $32,775 to install a video conference system for Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green’s courtroom. This would allow for prisoners to remain at the jail on Southwest 14th Street instead of taking them to court downtown for hearings. Circuit Judge Brad Karren already uses a video system in his court.

Moehring said the county is committed to communicating directly to justices of the peace at least twice a week about any expenditures that result from covid-19 or any other priority updates about county operations. The county also will copy the justices on all internal employee communications and broad communications to elected officials, he said.

The next scheduled county meeting is Finance Committee at 6 p.m. April 14.

“As we proceed we will definitely look to improve our remote meeting capability and make improvements along the way. I would definitely like to get back to a regular cadence of meetings — remote or in-person — with our Quorum Court,” Moehring said.