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📰 JP Coger’s Washington County Update Week of May 11, 2025 📣 Stay Connected. To Subscribe📞 Call/text: 479-306-9994📧 Email: ejcoger@gmail.com

Updated: 9 hours ago

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY QUORUM COURT MEETS THURSDAY 5/15/25 AND THE AGENDA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:


Agenda Item 10.1:  An ordinance that will allow Eaglecrest Recovery to operate without a Conditional Use Permit.  (P. 9 of Agenda)


Agenda Item 11.1:  The new proposed zoning ordinance with rules and regulations for all unincorporated areas of Washington County.   (P. 10 - 166 of Agenda)

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Washington County Meetings Week of 5/11/25:


📅 Upcoming Quorum Court Meeting


Thursday, May 15, 2025 — 6:00 PM Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR In-person only. Watch live on YouTube ➝


Key Agenda Items:

🔹 Ordinance Highlights

  • Item 8.1 – FOIA Case Appropriation of $9,735.00 for attorney’s fees awarded in Coger v. Deakins et al., where both the Circuit Court and Court of Appeals ruled the county violated public meeting laws. Here’s all the testimony at the Coger V. Deakins trial, this is the official court record, word for word.   Read that to see what really happened that led to the lawsuit. It wasn’t just one meeting.

  • Item 9.1 – CRI Lawsuit Defense Funds Transfer of $38,142.50 to hire outside counsel for a lawsuit filed by the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition. Read the complaint ➝

  • Item 10.1 – Eaglecrest Recovery Ordinance Proposal to allow Eaglecrest Recovery to operate without a Conditional Use Permit.

  • Item 11.1 – Countywide Zoning Ordinance Major zoning overhaul affecting all unincorporated areas of the county. (Pages 10–166 of the agenda)


Public Comment (up to three minutes each speaker):

  • 15 minutes at the start of the meeting (at beginning of meeting)

  • 12 minutes before each ordinance/resolution vote


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🗳️ Washington County Election Commission Meetings


The Washington County Election Commission will convene for two public meetings at the Election Commission Office:📍 2721 E. Brink Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72701 Meetings are livestreamed here.


📆 Tuesday, May 13, 2025

  • 10:00 AM – Absentee ballot canvassing (until complete)

  • 1:00 PM – Tabulation of absentee and early voting ballots

  • 7:30 PM – Tabulation of Election Day ballots begins

🔒 Note: No election results will be released until polls close at 7:30 PM.


📆 Thursday, May 15, 2025

All meetings are open to the public and will take place at the address listed above.

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 📌MEETINGS TO WATCH FROM LAST WEEK:


The Washington County Quorum Court’s Finance & Budget Committee met Tuesday 5/6/25.  You can watch the meeting here.  


There was a lot of back and forth debate about the ordinance to pay my judgments in the AFOIA case of Coger v. Deakins Etal.  Even after the county lost in the lower court, the quorum court appropriated $20,000 to hire an outside law firm to represent the county on appeal.  


The debate on this ordinance starts at 21:37 in the video.  The original ordinance incorrectly referred to me as “JP Beth Coger,” as the judgment holder. I brought the lawsuit in my individual capacity as a citizen of Washington County, not in my official JP capacity, thus, the judgments are in favor of “Elizabeth Coger.” 


Thank you to JP Suki Highers and JP Shawndra Washington who spoke against the ordinance naming me in my official capacity.  JP Highers said she had never seen an ordinance like this one and JP Washington spoke about decorum and partisan politics and about being nice to one another.  JP Washington amended the ordinance to remove the “JP” mention. 


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🌀 Renewable Energy Update: Potential Wind Farm Near Lincoln & Siloam Springs


Last week, I visited with Madalyn Farquhar from RES (Renewable Energy Systems), which describes itself as “the world’s largest independent renewable energy company.”  We discussed a wind farm project they’re exploring, with a proposed location roughly five miles north of Lincoln and five miles southwest of Siloam Springs.

📄 Company Brochure: [View Here]🌐 RES Website: res-group.com


If you have questions or would like to learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m happy to help track down answers.


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🏛️ Detention Center Snapshot (as of May 10, 2025)


  • Total detained: 715

  • Homeless/Seven Hills addresses: 70

  • “309” Trustees: 40

  • ADC Commitments (awaiting transfer): 117

  • Failure to Appear: 218

  • Holds for Other Departments: 248



📚 Learn More:Read the 2020 Criminal Justice Assessment Study ➝ – Discover why costly jail expansions are not the answer to public safety. We know what we should do, but we are not doing it.

 

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📑 County Bid Opportunities (as of May 10, 2025)


🔧 Pre-Procurement Disaster/Weather Relief RFP

  • Posted: April 17, 2025

  • Clarification Deadline: May 12, 2:00 PM

  • Due Date: May 28, 4:00 PM

  • Opening: May 29, 9:00 AM📄 Download bid packet ➝


🏠 Property Insurance – Buildings & Content

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👩‍💼 County Job Openings (as of May 10, 2025)

Featured Job:

  • Administrative Assistant – Prosecuting Attorney💼 Full Time | 💰 $38,708.80 – $42,660.80/yearApply now ➝


📋 Additional Openings:

Job Title

Pay Range

Status

Adult Detention Officer

$21.91/hr

Open Until Filled

Deputy First Class – Patrol

$24.38–$26.86/hr

Open Until Filled

Deputy Treasurer I

$21.25–$23.42/hr

Open Until Filled

Election Poll Worker

$14/hr

Open Until Filled

Juvenile Detention Officer

$21.25–$23.42/hr

Open Until Filled

Peer Recovery Specialist

$17.05/hr

Open Until Filled

Planning Technician

$21.25–$22.31/hr

Open Until Filled

Mechanic III – Road Dept

$29.92–$32.98/hr

Open Until Filled

Equipment Operator – EQ1 to EQ4

$16.90–$31.10/hr

Open Until Filled

📌 Contact Info:

The Road Department (479-444-1610) and Sheriff's Office (479-444-5700) are consistently hiring.

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.

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