The first meeting of the Independence County Quorum Court in 2019 on Jan. 14 will not begin until an ordinance is passed that sets the regular meeting time and place and sets procedural rules to follow.
During the beginning process, there will be quorum court committee organizational meetings. In those brief meetings, a committee chairman will be selected. There are seven “standing” committees: budget, law enforcement, recreation, road, solid waste, policy, and shooting range.
All committees, excluding the policy committee, will consist of five members. The policy committee has three members. A justice of the peace (JP) cannot serve on more than three committees, and the term of office of the chairperson is one year (but a person may be selected to serve successive terms).
Another ordinance for 2019 will amend a 2017 ordinance and modify the sick leave policy that is spelled out in the employee handbook.
And a third ordinance calls for increasing the salary of two of the court bailiff positions.
JPs Tim Stewart, Tammy Pearce and Bill Lindsey, in that order, will introduce the three ordinances before the court.
Reports will be heard from Sheriff Shawn Stephens, Treasurer Bob Treadway, Juvenile Detention Administrator Jonathan Pickering, and County Judge Robert Griffin will discuss economic development and county roads.
The JPs will be sent reports on assessment reappraisal, the district court, and the number of jail inmates housed in the detention center for the previous month.
Under new business, the court will be asked by Judge Griffin to re-appoint Ashley Walker to the library board.
The Independence County Quorum Court meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the Jess Carpenter Building at 368 E. Main St., downtown Batesville, above the Independence County Library. For more info, click here.
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