VAN BUREN -- A new emergency communication center in Crawford County is set to receive additional covid-19 relief money.
The county's American Rescue Plan Committee approved nine funding requests totaling more than $1.6 million at its meeting Tuesday.
Six members of the county Quorum Court comprise the committee. Mark Shaffer, committee chairman, said the Budget Committee will consider funding the nine requests with American Rescue Plan money at its meeting Oct. 17. The Quorum Court will grant or deny approval that same night.
The biggest request came from County Judge Dennis Gilstrap, who asked for $517,205 to outfit an emergency communication center being built next to the Sheriff's Office and jail. The Sheriff's Office houses the county's current 911 call center.
Gilstrap said $132,614 of the request will go toward a communication tower, $11,561 for concept seating, $79,908 for base consoles and accessories and $293,123 for radios. He argued although it would cost about $32,000 more to build a communication tower than it would to tear down, move and reset the existing tower, the new tower would have all-new equipment and could be activated with the flip of a switch.
"Dispatch is 24/7 and cannot afford to be down for days," Gilstrap wrote in his application for the money.
The Quorum Court approved using more than $1.03 million in American Rescue Plan money to build the center itself March 21.
Joanie Best, the county's director of 911 communications at the time, said the project would provide a replacement facility with improved separation from the public and jail, proper ventilation and more space. The county consolidated all three call centers in its 911 system, which also included facilities at the Van Buren and Alma police departments, in January to bring the system into compliance with the Public Safety Act of 2019.
A groundbreaking for the building was held Sept. 23, Gilstrap said Tuesday. The entire project is expected to be finished by May. Fort Smith-based Tim A. Risley and Associates is the architect while A4 Services LLC of Cabot is the contractor.
"The dirt work is pretty much done now," Gilstrap said.
He said building the facility is expected to cost about $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan money, which is over the architect's estimate of slightly more than $1 million. Gilstrap attributed this increase to inflation and supply chain issues.
The second-largest funding request the committee recommended Tuesday came from the county Sheriff's Office, which asked for $376,820 to purchase six vehicles.
Chief Deputy Brad Wiley said 25 of the 40 vehicles the Sheriff's Office has in its patrol and transport fleet are from 2016 or before.
The committee also approved another request from Gilstrap, this time for $300,000 for a new roof for the county Circuit Clerk's Office in Van Buren, along with nine new air conditioning units for the facility.
"This is where our vital records are kept," Gilstrap said.
He said the county will accept a $102,413 bid to buy and install the air conditioners. However, the bids for the roof came in over what the county predicted for the project, so the county will rebid it to try to get a better price.
"A couple of our people that were supposed to have bid didn't get their bids in," Gilstrap said.
The county will use both what American Rescue Plan money is left after buying the air conditioners and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money to pay for the new roof, according to Gilstrap.
The committee recommended the following requests Tuesday as well:
• $163,484 for the nonprofit Crawford County Senior Citizens for operations.
• $163,000 for the Crawford County Health Unit for a new roof and some interior and exterior maintenance for its building.
• $41,580 for the county Assessor's Office to pay for an aerial flyover for property assessment purposes.
• $40,000 for the Crawford County Adult Education Center for a computer program pertaining to workforce training.
• $33,000 for Gilstrap to reimburse the county's bond forfeiture fund for a project to build a jury room for Division I of the county Circuit Court.
• $3,891 for the county District Court to fix some doors to help address security issues at its building in Van Buren.
Beverly Pyle, county treasurer, has said the county received more than $6.1 million in American Rescue Plan money in June. It received the same amount last year for more than $12.2 million total.
The construction site of a new emergency communication center is seen, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at the Crawford County Justice Center in Van Buren. The Crawford County American Rescue Plan Committee approved a request from County Judge Dennis Gilstrap to provide $517,205 in American Rescue Plan funds for a new communication tower for the facility, as well as to furnish the facility. Visit nwaonline.com/221009Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)Change in Management
Joanie Best resigned as Crawford County’s director of 911 communications effective Sept. 16. Hunter Wiley assumed the role on an interim basis immediately afterward.
Source: Crawford County