JP Coger's Washington County UPdate 5/3/26

Beth Coger
May 3
6 min read

Updated: May 3

🔍 TRANSPARENCY CORNER

Washington County Building & Grounds is currently working with an architectural firm to assess county property, including—how it is being used---what maintenance needs exist, and how space can be better utilized. This includes early discussions about the potential addition of a “spare courtroom” to help address space needs.

This effort is still in the planning stage, and community input and feedback will be important as ideas begin to take shape.

🧭 Why It Matters

Decisions made at this stage can shape future county spending, facility needs, and long-term priorities—making early transparency and public input especially important.

🔍 Natallen Holdings, LLC, et al. v. Russell Hill, in his Official Capacity as Washington County Assessor (Case No. CC2025-32) involves a complaint for declaratory judgment filed on November 4, 2025, seeking a property tax exemption for The Hill School (88 W. Joyce Blvd., Fayetteville; Parcel No. 765-22229-000 and Parcel No. 765-13261-000).

On April 29, 2026, County Judge Patrick Deakins entered This Judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering Assessor Hill to approve the exemptions. The order also states that the Court will consider attorney’s fees and directs the plaintiffs to file a motion and supporting affidavit within 10 days; however, no rule or statute allowing fees is cited in the order.

👉New Filing in Gulley Ranch Appeal: Response of Jessica Rogers to Gulley’s Objection to Rogers' Motion to Intervene. In this response, Rogers alleges that Washington County failed to file an answer to Gulley’s Amended Notice of Appeal. Washington County Attorney Brian Lester disagrees with Ms. Rogers’ assertion. Read the back and forth email string HERE between Lester and Jacob White, Rogers’ lawyer.

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🏛️ This Week in Washington County

🏗️ Washington County Quorum Court, County Services Committee – Monday, 5/4/2026, 6:00 pm, Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Read Agenda HERE.

Agenda Highlights:

Item 5: Juvenile Detention Report - Chris Tinsley

JUVENILE DETENTION COMPARISON

Washington County | April 2025 vs. April 2026

Metric	April 2025	April 2026	Change
Total Intakes	21	25	⬆️ +4 (+19%)
Avg. Daily Intake	1.25	0.89	⬇️
Total Days of Detention	220	501	⬆️⬆️ +281 (+128%)
Avg. Length of Stay	42.85 days	14.31 days	⬇️⬇️ -28.5 days (-66%)
Average Age	15.96	15.99	➖ No change

Item 6: Sheriff’s Report - Jay Cantrell

Washington County | March 16 – April 15, 2026 At-a-Glance

Calls for Service: 2,484 ⬆️ (+297 from prior year)
Detention Intakes: 982 ⬆️ (+82)
Sent to Prison: 67 ⬆️ (+18)
Average Daily Jail Population (High Count): 737 ⬇️ (down from 787)

🔺 Increased Activity & Intake

Calls for service and jail intakes both increased year-over-year

🔺 More Individuals Sent to Prison

67 individuals were sent to prison compared to 49 last year 👉 Indicates increased case movement on the back end
State Prisoners: 206 ⬆️ (up from 158)
Federal Prisoners: 94 ⬆️ (slight increase)

Item 7: Regroup - Amber Fortin - County Emergency Communications - No information has been provided for this item.

Item 8: A resolution requiring Stewart Family Christmas Lights, LLC, Etal, to cease operations and go through the Conditional Use Permit process. This resolution was discussed at last month’s meeting. Read that summary HERE. While this item is presented as a resolution—which is not binding and does not create law—in my opinion the language goes beyond that of a typical resolution. Phrases such as “requiring,” “shall immediately cease operations,” and “shall be fined” read more like an ordinance.

Because this is a committee meeting, public comment is limited to two short windows: a 12-minute period before any vote on an ordinance or resolution, and another 12 minutes total (three minutes per speaker) at the end of the meeting after decisions have been made. It’s still an opportunity for the public to speak and be part of the process. These times may be extended by a two-thirds vote of the committee members.

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🏛️ Last Week in Washington County

Washington County Planning Board 4/30/26. Watch here:

First Part:

https://www.youtube.com/live/bmprRjh4scQ?si=K8MnS9UNPWvLZKnw

Second Part:

https://www.youtube.com/live/Yer8DXtpdoo?si=NFbMv1Vz9V8sg7HH

Read the transcript summary of the meeting HERE.

Several items before the Planning Board this month highlighted a recurring challenge in Washington County’s development process: projects must first receive approval for their use through a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) before the detailed plans—such as lighting, drainage, traffic flow, and layout—are fully reviewed and approved.

This means decisions are made before many of the specifics that most directly affect neighbors are known. While additional review occurs later during the large-scale development phase, concerns raised at this stage often reflect real-world impacts that cannot yet be fully evaluated. As Planning Board member Micah Thompson stated during the meeting Thursday, “...once the horse is out of the barn…”

🗳️ Planning Board Outcomes Summary

🎻 HS Studios Violin Studio (Home-Based Lessons) – CUP

Outcome: ✅ Approved (unanimous)
Notes: Strong community support; minimal impact concerns

🏡 Genesis Ranch (Girls Residential Treatment Facility) – CUP

Outcome: ✅ Approved (not unanimous)
Next Step: ➡️ Moves to Quorum Court for final ratification
Notes: Significant neighborhood concerns; details deferred to later review stage

🏢 Fox Hunter Landing (Commercial Flex Space) – CUP

Outcome: ✅ Approved (unanimous)
Notes: Concerns included traffic, lighting, harmony and compatibility with residential area

🏘️ Bethel Estates Part 1; Part 2; and Part 3 – Preliminary Subdivision

Outcome: ✅ Approved
Notes: Minor concerns about flooding and septic; application to be corrected for errors

🌊 The Reserve at Wildcat Creek - Part 1; Part 2 and Part 3– Preliminary Subdivision

Outcome: ❌ Failed (tie vote - four members present)
Next Step: ➡️ Applicant may appeal to County Judge
Notes: Major concerns about flooding, drainage, and road safety
The discussion on this was outstanding. I thought the applicant, his representative and the entire board did a great job of vetting this project and bringing important issues forward.

🏗️ Allen Meadow Estates – Final Subdivision

Outcome: ✅ Approved
Notes: All infrastructure completed; met all requirements

🏗️ Musteen Road / Autumn Ridge - Part 1; Part 2 and Part 3 – Final Subdivision

Outcome: ✅ Approved
Notes: No changes from preliminary; no opposition

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🏛️ Next Week in Washington County

Next Week Finance & Budget Committee (Quorum Court) 🗓️ Tuesday, May 12, 2026 ⏰ 6:00 PM 📍 Quorum Court Room, 280 N. College Ave., Fayetteville

The agenda for this meeting will be published Wednesday 5/6/26 and I will have details on that in next week’s update.

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👉 🔍💰 Follow the Money: I am keeping this posted because it's important.

Former Women’s Prison a/k/a “Old Jail” To date, I have documented $512,978.47 in county expenditures (2025–2026) for repairs and renovations at the former women’s prison. The County Judge has made clear his intent to expand the Community Rebuilding Initiative (CRI) into this facility—an approach that will require substantial additional investment.

Based on the current trajectory, this expansion is likely to function as a de facto jail expansion, increasing capacity under a different label. At a time when more effective, lower-cost justice reform strategies are available, this level of spending raises serious concerns about priorities, transparency, and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

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📊 Washington County Jail Data Dashboard

⚖️ Detention Center Data

Snapshot Date: May 2, 2026

Individuals Incarcerated in WCDC: 683

Homeless/Unsheltered: 66

🔎 Public Data Resources

Detailed reports are available here:

Detainee Charge Report:https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/sheriff/detention-information/detainee-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 05/03/26):

ACTIVE BIDS:

Bid 2026-10 Sheriff’s Office Outdoor Range Acoustic Reduction. Bids Due: 4:00 PM, 5/4/26. Proposals Opened 5/5/26 at 9:00 AM, 280 N. College Avenue, Suite 530, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Bid 2026-11 - Razing of Structure located at 19443 Nob Hill Road/Loop, WC 389. Bids Due: 4:00 PM, 5/18/26. Proposals Opened 5/19/26, 9:00 AM, 280 N. College Avenue, Suite 530, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

You can view all closed bids here. View all RFQs and bids [here].

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🧑‍💼Here are the Washington County Job Openings as of 05/03/26

There are several new job opportunities available - check them out and share!

View and apply for job openings HERE. New postings include “Network & Computer Administrator - Sheriff IT," full time, $73,444.80 - $80,953.60, depending on experience.