By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the St. Francis County Personnel Committee are continuing to study proposals which might change the way county employees are paid.
On Tuesday, members of the committee presented several options to help create an even pay scale for employees based on the number of years with the county, position and other factors. Committee members Sam Armstrong and Jack Crumbly each presented versions of pay scales.
"This is something that I think that we as county government should consider. If you have someone working the same job in one office with the same amount of experience and the same training, then those two people, it would seem, would receive the same amount of pay. At this time there is no scale like that. In the federal government, a person working as a G-7 step 4 in Arkansas is paid the same as a person working as a G-7 step 4 in California. That's the type of level playing field I'm talking about," said Crumbly.
The proposal may have run into a road block when Crumbly questioned elected officials if the pay scales would be followed if implemented.
"I don't want to see us do a lot of work and get a proposal together if that proposal is then not followed by the people that actually manage the offices, the elected officials," Crumbly said.
St. Francis County Circuit Clerk Bette Green commented, "I understand what you all are trying to do, and I see the pluses to a system like this, but in any organization you have to understand that there may be some leeway needed when hiring new employees if you want to maintain retention. If you hire someone and that person knows that they may not receive a raise in salary for six months to a year, then they may be more willing to look for a position elsewhere. A lot of this should be left at the discretion of the elected officials because we're given the responsibility of managing our offices."
Green also commented on the need for more decision making power for elected officials when raises are in order.
"We're given the responsibility of handling any disciplinary actions that may have to be taken with our employees, and I feel that if an employee has earned more compensation, we should have more input into that decision also," she said.
The discussion took a turn when Crumbly asked fellow quorum court member Evans Seawood how salaries were paid at his place of employment, Sanyo Manufacturing. Seawood answered the question telling committee members that the pay scale was also level. Then Seawood made his feelings known about a proposal submitted to members of the quorum court last week which would increase the pay of only the employees in Green's office.
"At the plant, all employees are paid according to their labor grade. A level three employee in my department is paid the same as a level three in another part of the plant. The same works for the maintenance workers and everyone else. They're all paid the same according to level or position. At no time could my supervisor go and ask for a raise for the level threes in his department regardless of what happens with the other level three employees. It's not right for it to happen out there, and it isn't right for it to happen here. We, as a court, have to do what's fair," Seawood said.
"If we agree to give these raises, we could see all kinds of 'H' from the employees, and I don't blame them because if I were an employee in the assessor's office and we gave those raises, I'd be up here raising all kinds of hell," Seawood said.
The proposal from Green had not been mentioned during prior discussions of the committee.
Committee members agreed to continue studying the pay scale options, but took no action Tuesday night.
In other business, committee members agreed to allow St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith to hire a high school student as a summer employee.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
An argument between two teenagers Tuesday evening ended as one was allegedly shot in the back by the other as he tried to run away.
The Forrest City Police Department was called to the railroad tracks near B Street about 6:25 p.m. in reference to a shooting. When police arrived, they found Alfred Robinson, 16, of Forrest City, lying on the railroad tracks with a single gunshot wound to the back.
FCPD Criminal Investigation Division Sgt. Brian Davis said the teen told police he was walking on the railroad tracks when he was approached by Mario Bailey, 16, 111 Church St., Forrest City. Davis said Robinson told police he and Bailey had a brief conversation regarding some money, and he "turned to run and was shot in the back."
Robinson was transported by ambulance to the Cloverleaf Shopping Center from where he was airlifted to the Med Center in Memphis just after 7 p.m. Officials at the Med said Robinson is listed in fair condition today.
Bailey was later arrested at his grandmother's home on Bray Street, not far from where the shooting occurred, and is being charged as an adult with first-degree battery. Police also recovered the pistol that was allegedly used in the shooting.
Bailey was scheduled to be arraigned in St. Francis County District court this afternoon.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The City of Forrest City will have a new, expanded planning area if approved by the Forrest City City Council at its next meeting.
The Forrest City Planning Commission approved a plan Tuesday afternoon to expand the area in which city codes for buildings must be met.
"The planning area is the area outside of the city limits in which we can regulate what is built," said Danny Capps, chairman of the commission. "The purpose is to have the area meet the city's planning and zoning requirements. This is not an annexation of the areas, but it will require that they build to our regulations. It will also mean that Chester (Crossen, code enforcement officer) will legally be able to enforce codes in the area.
"We have the right to do this," continued Capps. "We are in a position to extend our boundaries for possible annexation later. If the areas are annexed later, it will save us time and money because the areas will already be in line with our city codes. I spoke with (St. Francis County Assessor) Craig Jones and he said he would work with the city to help us notify the people living in the areas that we are proposing to add to the planning area. Again, this is not an annexation, and it will not affect the taxes of anyone."
Capps presented a map that would extend the Forrest City Planning Area one mile south along the southeast side of Highway 1 South. The area is also one mile east of Highway 1. It then would continue west for three and a half miles. The area then would extend north five miles to the area about two miles west of the Interstate 40 cloverleaf. All dimensions of the new areas were represented in straight lines to make the mapping easier, according to Capps.
"Chester had also suggested that we go another mile and a half north to butt against the Caldwell city limit," added Capps. "I think that would be a good idea."
Another addition was proposed by member Ken Patterson.
"If we extend the area two miles south along Highway 1 instead of one, we will have the area where the new bypass (from Highway 70 West to Highway 1 South) comes out at," said Patterson. "If we extended it from there to the west three and a half miles it would include a good part of the bypass."
The commission agreed to the plan, which included the additions suggested by both Crossen and Patterson.
Crossen stated that he would have a map drawn up in time for the Tuesday, July 6, meeting of the city council.
In other news, the commission approved a requested 14-foot variance of the 25-foot setback requirement for Dion Wilson and Sharon Wilson. They are the owners of the property of 304 North Izard. The request will also be presented to the city council for final approval.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A meeting to discuss options for the county should the Phillips County landfill close turned personal Tuesday after Quorum Court Justice Evans Seawood accused county government of providing a cushion for a local garbage disposal firm.
During the first meeting of the St. Francis County Solid Waste Committee Tuesday, Seawood leveled his accusations after committee chairman Regan Hill asked justices for the authority to compose a letter of intent for the creation of a landfill in St. Francis County with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. According to Hill, a county-owned landfill is one option for the county should the Phillips County Landfill close due to lack of compliance with federal authorities.
"We have got to begin to look at what our options will be if at some point the federal government comes in and closes the landfill in Phillips County. We currently have two landfills that area waste disposal companies use. One is in Phillips County, and the other is in Crittenden County. The Phillips County landfill is currently out of compliance and has been out of compliance for awhile. The problem that we face is that if that landfill is closed, the Crittenden County landfill does not have room for expansion and could not handle the load from surrounding counties, which would force us to send the trash somewhere else. That would cost the county more. I would like to see us move in the direction of establishing a solid waste disposal site here in St. Francis County," Hill said.
Seawood responded to Hill's comments. "Where are you going with this Mr. Hill? I'm not playing any more games. I know that St. Francis County is trying to give King Disposal a cushion, and this is just another attempt to do so. If you open a St. Francis County Solid Waste Disposal site, who will haul to it. I smell politics going on, and I think this is just another attempt to give King another cushion."
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, who also serves as the 2004 chairman of the East Arkansas Solid Waste District, said the proposal is not an attempt to show preference to any company.
"Our garbage is currently being hauled to a site that is out of compliance with state and federal guidelines and has been for the past year. At this point, the state is not going to close them down because they understand that there is no place else to go, the federal government doesn't care about that and could close them down at anytime because of the conditions. What this is proposing is an option for the county to look into, and it's not going to give anyone the upperhand," Cisco said.
"The alternative is that we do nothing, and if the landfill is closed, we end up having to pay to have garbage hauled to Little Rock, which will cost the county a considerable amount more than we're currently paying. Craighead County has already made a change by opening up a landfill there which only services Craighead County," Cisco said.
Seawood also voiced displeasure about the appointment of Hill as chairman of the newly-created committee.
"I would like to know why it was decided, judge, that Regan Hill was going to be the chairman of this committee. Every other committee votes to decide on who the chairman is going to be, but you just stuck Mr. Hill in as the chairman," Seawood said.
Cisco responded, "I did not appoint Mr. Hill as chairman. I appointed him as acting chairman. The committee can vote to do whatever it wants and choose whomever it wants," Cisco said.
The committee, consisting of Hill, Seawood and justices Earline Smith and Donald Cagle, voted to have a letter of intent written and forwarded to ADEQ. No site has been considered or selected for the potential landfill, according to Hill.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A decision to move the St. Francis County Election Commission last week has been reversed, partially.
According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, County Assessor Craig Jones has agreed to share the space by giving up a portion of the office that he was using for mapping.
"The Election Commission said that they needed an area to work after hours in, and Craig said that he could give up a closet area and about six feet of space in the office. We're in the process of building a wall and moving a door way so that they will have a secure space to work in," Cisco said.
While the office will give the commission a working area, Cisco said that he is unsure how much of the equipment and documentation that was moved to the vault in County Clerk Elizabeth Smith's office last week would be moved back.
"The decision on what will information can go back down there is totally up to Elizabeth. By state law, some of the election material is supposed to be placed in the vault following an election, and she will have the answer as to what can and cannot leave the vault," Cisco said.
Smith was not available for comment this morning.
Last week, St. Francis County Election Commission Chairman Joe Young resigned from his position with the commission following the decision to move the commission's office. Cisco said that he was also unsure whether Young would re-consider his resignation.
The body of an 8-year-old Wynne girl has been sent to the state crime lab for a determination of what caused her death.
Foul play is not suspected in the death of Shelby Ratliff, 8, of Wynne, according to Roger McElroy of the Cross County Sheriff's Department.
McElroy said the girl was at the Baptist Youth Camp in Cross County on Tuesday.
"They were fixing to open up a snack shop, and two girls ran down to their cabin to get some money to buy snacks," said McElroy. "When they got down to the cabin, one girl said the other girl started talking funny, her eyes rolled back in her head and she just dropped.
"At this time we don't suspect anything, we're just waiting on the crime lab to do an autopsy and give us an idea of what happened. They're supposed to holler at us as soon as they know something."