JP Coger's Washington County Newsletter 7/13/25
- Beth Coger
- Jul 13
- 6 min read
UPCOMING EVENTS & THINGS TO KNOW:
🚩THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE IS ON THE AGENDA AGAIN FOR THURSDAY 7/17/25. Read more below.
➽ The regular monthly meeting of the Washington County Quorum Court is happening Thursday, July 17, 2025, 6:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is an in person meeting only. The meeting will be live streamed here on the county’s YouTube channel.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: When the judge announces “Public Comment Time”—whether at the beginning of the meeting or just before a vote on an ordinance or resolution—I recommend that anyone wishing to speak promptly rise and form a line. A visible line of speakers increases the likelihood that the court will suspend its standing rules and allow everyone the opportunity to speak for up to three minutes. That's what should happen.
This meeting may be the most consequential since the pivotal 2019 Jail & Law Enforcement Committee meeting that halted the $48M jail expansion—what many of us thought would be the end of that chapter for good. With major decisions on the zoning ordinance, the Eaglecrest ordinance, and a proposal involving the potential use of the former women’s facility for detention space, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
CALL TO ACTION: If possible, attend the meeting in person. If that's not an option, please watch the meeting online here. In the meantime, contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel about these important matters.
AGENDA ITEMS I AM HIGHLIGHTING:
➽ ITEM 8.1: ORDINANCE TO ALLOW EAGLECREST RECOVERY TO OPERATE WITHOUT CUP. We cannot — and should not — deny a CUP just because the clients of a rehab center are people in recovery. That does not mean we should do away with the CUP process altogether. Who even thought of that?
➽ ITEM 9.1: NEW ZONING ORDINANCE. The ordinance starts on Page 32 - Page 205 of the agenda. The ordinance is on its second reading. It may be read Thursday and moved to a third and final reading in August. It may be read for the second time Thursday and moved on for a third and final reading at this same meeting.
I will not revisit here all the reasons I and many others believe this ordinance is fundamentally flawed and unnecessary—they’ve been thoroughly discussed since March 2024.
My concerns go way back to the beginning when the community was not included in the planning, when the county judge and county attorney were intent on pushing the ordinance through but refused to hold public meetings throughout the county even though asked by several JPs and Washington County citizens, when the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission was told their services were no longer needed.
➽ Items 10, 11 and 12: These items are in reference to an appeal from the 5/5/25 Planning Board decision to approve the Genesis RV Park CUP application. Neighbors have filed this appeal.
If you missed the 5/1/25 Planning Board meeting where the Genesis RV Park was approved by a vote of four to one, you can watch the meeting here. That will give you more background and help you understand the issues with the project. Genesis RV Park starts at 6:43 in the video.
➽ Item 17: See Page 257 of agenda.
A resolution authorizing the county judge to apply for a grant. This resolution is necessary for the county judge to apply for a grant of $1.5 Million Dollar from the Arkansas Community Assistance Grant Program. I do not support expanding the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) at this time for several reasons. I know from my background in criminal justice work and from the Criminal Justice Assessment Study of 2020 (prepared at the request of Washington County by the National Center for State Courts) that there are better and more effective programs to pursue that will help many more people at a fraction of the cost of the program the judge is proposing to somehow fund.
Essentially this proposal is for an expansion of the Community Rebuilding Initiative that was brought forward in January, but has only been in operation for about two months. It also only recently reached capacity (30 men). This proposal does not align with what we were told by the county judge and others in January when the CRI was first initiated.
The public needs to understand that this $1.5M grant is only for renovations to the facility formerly known as the women’s prison (and very likely will not be sufficient to cover all the renovations in order to bring that facility up to jail standards). See the application.
The judge said at last week’s Finance & Budget meeting it would take “...a million dollars a year…” to run the program. None of the funds from this grant can be used for that - to “run the program.” He also said, “...we’re looking at other sources to, um, support this program…” We’re being pressured to make a major decision under an arbitrary deadline tied to a grant application due July 31st, with no actual funding in place to operate the program.
It’s already taking somewhere around $1.3 Million to run the existing 30 person program (part of that is the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Grant), so how can an additional 70 beds/people only be one million?
Read here and study the application and some of the items required. The deadline for this grant is 7/31/25. Here is a list of things that must be included in the application (I asked for some of these items and the county judge, grants director and director of building and grounds told me they did not have the documents):
Certification letter
Resolution (likely the only reason this is now before the court - otherwise the county judge would have just moved ahead on his own)
Project Budget with total estimated costs, sources of funds, matching funds, and amount of funding requested
Quotes or price comparisons for eligible project cost
Proof of Contracted Architect (if project is over $100,000)
Proof of Contracted Engineer (if project is over $25,000)
Deed, title, or lease showing proof of ownership, or legal possession of properties being improved by the project
Documentation of matching funds, including notarized affidavit of in-kind materials and labor
Completed and signed application
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⇒ MEETINGS FROM LAST WEEK:
The Washington County Quorum Court Finance & Budget Committee met Tuesday 7/8/25. You should watch that meeting here.
I was unable to attend this meeting due to a family member’s health emergency, but I watched it online two times and you should, too.
These items from F&B are on the consent agenda for Thursday’s full quorum court meeting:
CONSENT AGENDA
16.1 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ASSESSOR’S BUDGET FOR 2025 TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RECOGNITION PAYMENTS
16.2 AN ORDINANCE RECOGNIZING REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,490.78 IN THE COURT SECURITY GRANT FUND
16.3 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE AOC JUVENILE COURT DIVISION 3 GRANT FUND FOR 2025
16.4 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY’S BUDGET FOR 2025
16.5 AN ORDINANCE ANTICIPATING ADDITIONAL REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $149,900 IN THE WHEELER ROAD BRIDGE GRANT FUND
16.6 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BUDGET FOR 2025
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WASHINGTON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER INFORMATION 7/12/25
As of Saturday, July 12, 2025, there were 703 individuals detained at the Washington County Detention Center. The breakdown is as follows:
83 individuals reported their address as either “homeless” or 1832 S. School Street (Seven Hills Homeless Shelter).
40 detainees are classified as 309 Trustees.
117 individuals are ADC Commitments—they have been sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections but remain in our jail due to a lack of available DOC beds.
194 individuals are being held on Failure to Appear charges.
212 individuals are being held for other jurisdictions (Hold for Other Departments).
Here’s the link to the Detailed Charge Report:
You can check the “Calls for Service” board here.
Here’s a list in alphabetical order to search for people.
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County Bid Postings (as of 7/12/25)
No new RFQs or bids
View all RFQs and bids [here].
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County Job Openings (as of 7/12/25).
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 / HR | |
Temporary | Open Until Filled | 14/Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $16 - $17.62 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $23.42/hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.91 - $24.14 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $18 Hr | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $21.25 - $22.31 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $29.92-$32.98 | |
Full Time | Open Until Filled | $16.90-$31.10 |
Below is the link for all posted job openings in Washington County. The road department and sheriff’s offices are almost always hiring. The road department is 479-444-1610. The sheriff’s office is 479-444-5700. https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/human-resources/job-postings
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