FAYETTEVILLE -- The Washington County Veterans Service Office has moved to a building on North Street near the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks campus.
The office is open, but renovations continue on the 1980s-era building at 62 W. North St., about a mile northeast of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The former office at 2682 Brink Drive is closed, said Josh Medina, the county's veterans service officer.
About 34 veterans per month used the county office last year, according to a report by Medina. That number should reach about 55 per month this year, according to the report.
Washington County has roughly 14,400 veterans, Medina said. He said he expects to see more veterans coming to the office at the new location.
County veterans service offices statewide help veterans file claims and connect with other services, said Sarah Jones, public affairs director at the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.
Washington County expects to spend about $15,000 renovating the building, said Dwight Gonzales, the county's buildings and grounds supervisor, during a Jan. 31 committee meeting. The expense is covered in Gonzales' budget, he said. The employees are from several county departments, all of whom report to Washington County Judge Joseph Wood.
Gonzales later referred questions about the project to Brian Lester, the county attorney.
The new office is in a building that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences leases from the county for $1 a year, Lester said. That lease was not set to expire until 2029, according to county documents, but Medina said UAMS agreed to let the county take the building back.
The building has been vacant for about nine years, Gonzales has said.
The county can take the property back if it benefits the U.S. "Veterans Administration," according to a lease amendment in 2009. But that means the county must pay to maintain it, Justice of the Peace Eva Madison said. Madison is a Democrat representing northeastern Fayetteville.
The county is looking for underutilized resources -- like the vacant building -- to bring better services to residents, said Justice of the Peace Harvey Bowman, a Republican representing northern Springdale.
Metro on 03/04/2017