Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde celebrated last year's accomplishments and laid out this year's goals in his annual State of the County address Tuesday.
Now in his third year and second term as the county's chief executive officer, Hyde pinned down three objectives that he hopes to achieve by the end of 2017: the establishment of a curbside recycling program, the creation of a "crisis stabilization unit" for diverting mentally ill patients from the jail, and the addition of six deputies to the sheriff's office.
Later this month, the Quorum Court will consider increasing trash-collection fees for the unincorporated parts of the county by about $4 to $26.58 per month. The increase will pay for Waste Management's higher charges as well as the expansion of the county's contract with the company to include recycling services.
The county is negotiating a five-year contract with the company.
It would be the first collection increase since 2009, when the Quorum Court raised rates from $16 to $20.80 per month. In 2004 and 2005 the Quorum Court had increased rates incrementally as Waste Management's annual contract fee -- which is tied to the consumer price index -- rose.
The new proposal anticipates rising costs in the future and is aimed at building a reserve fund.
"The anticipation is that we won't be coming back for another increase for another five to seven years," Hyde said. "I'm told that historically people don't want us to keep making little increases every year. They want to get it one time and not have to address it for several years thereafter."
If approved by the Quorum Court, the recycling service would go into effect June 1.
Hyde and several justices of the peace, said county residents continue to put pressure on elected officials concerning crime. Also feeling that pressure was Sheriff Doc Holladay, who requested six new patrol deputy positions.
"Because the No. 1 issue I hear about when I talk to the citizens of Pulaski County is concerns over crime, and their fear for their security in their home," Hyde said, "I'm definitely going to step up and support [Holladay] in that request."
In Holladay's re-election campaign last year, he also emphasized the need for raising the $34,000 starting salary of deputies for the county to be more competitive with surrounding jurisdictions. By comparison, salaries for Little Rock officers start around $40,000.
The issue wasn't one of Hyde's priorities, he said. However, he said he "hopes we can consider that by the end of the year. I'm interested in doing some work to collect data in advance of next fall's budget committee."
The county also has plans to take advantage of Act 423, or the Criminal Justice Efficiency and Safety Act of 2017, which was passed by the Legislature and endorsed by the governor this month.
The act will allow Pulaski County to create a crisis stabilization unit under a partnership with the state's Health Department. People who have not committed serious crimes and are mentally unstable would go to the treatment facility instead of the jail.
According to county officials, between 20 percent and 30 percent of inmates at the Pulaski County jail, which has 1,200 beds, suffer from mental illness.
"To make matters worse, it is more than likely that mental-health issues will be exacerbated when an individual is thrust into the boisterous and stressful environment of a detention facility," which could lead such a person to commit more serious crimes while locked up, Hyde said.
The crisis stabilization unit with its 16 beds will be able to treat 20 people a day and will be staffed with state doctors. People would be able to stay there for up to 10 days.
A site for the unit has yet to be identified, although Hyde did confirm that it would be in an existing building in an incorporated area of the county.
The unit is expected to open before the end of the year.
Metro on 03/15/2017