The Columbia County Quorum Court voted Monday night to pursue a request from Sen. Bruce Maloch to pave about a quarter of a mile of CR 14, per Weyerhaeuser’s request to have the road improved.
Maloch spoke to justices of the peace about the project during last night’s regular meeting.
He said that last year, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission was willing to provide funding for the improvement project but Weyerhaeuser was unwilling to commit to provisions that would essentially refund state money if it did not create a certain number of jobs associated with the project.
“AEDC was working to help (Weyerhaeuser) get new jobs,” Maloch said. “The company did not agree with ‘callback’ provisions, so there was no deal last year to get the road done.”
At that time, Columbia County’s portion of the project amounted to about $60,000, “but that went away,” Malch said. He acknowledged that the county has since adopted a road budget for this year but noted that, since the original deal failed, “new people have come on” at Weyerhaeuser, and the company would like to continue with the project.
He said trucks line up along the side of the road awaiting entry to the mill, and the road is a hot, dusty, muddy mess, depending on the time of year. He said it would be to the county’s benefit to help the company improve the road, especially since AEDC is again willing to provide funding.
If the company adds jobs, the state will provide $200,000 “to help build that road,” Maloch said. He said it was likely the project would ultimately bid “in the ballpark” of $275,000. The county would need to make up the difference, but again, he said, “road money has already been committed for the year.”
“It’s an important project,” Maloch said. “This is a critical economic development issue. It’s important to the county, and we want to keep that mill.” He encouraged justices to “work out the legal details” pertaining to its existing road budget and try to fund the additional funds to make the project happen.
Cammie Hambrice, executive director of the Magnolia Economic Development Corp., told justices that 245 people work at Weyerhaeuser and contribute to the local economy.
“We need to do our part,” she said, noting that MEDC helped two existing industries add about 100 employees last year and that Weyerhaeuser added 30 employees last year without assistance.
Maloch suggested the county use unappropriated reserve funds to help with the project or find a legal way to amend its road budget to accommodate it. He said the county could replace any reserve funds used for the project.
“I thought (the project) was off the table this year,” said County Judge Larry Atkinson, “but in the last 30 days, this has come about.”
He said the county has about $88,000 in unappropriated funds. “That money would be available,” he said.
Atkinson asked for $48,000 from the reserve fund to help pave the road, adding that the county would then need to find an additional $12,000 to cover its $60,000 portion of the estimated $275,000 project.
JPs voted to “pursue” the $60,000 needed.
In a letter to the quorum court, Michael Preston, executive director of the AEDC, said it was “pleased to support the growth of Weyerhaeuser in Emerson.”
He wrote that AEDC would commit up to $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds “to be used toward road upgrades at the company’s facility in Emerson. AEDC’s commitment is contingent upon the company creating a minimum of eight new full-time positions at an average hourly wage of $15, between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31.”
“If, by Dec. 31, the company has not created (those) positions, (Weyerhaeuser) will pay AEDC $25,000 for each position under the eight minimum. Job creation reports will be required until the jobs are created.”
The commitment is “good for three months from the date of this letter,” Preston wrote. The letter is dated May 29.
In other business justices:
• adopted an appropriation ordinance supplementing the county road fund budget in the amount of $40,000 (Highway Department projects);
• adopted an ordinance amending and supplementing the General Fund (sheriff’s office budget) for the purpose of upgrading court security for the detention facility. Columbia County received a state grant in the amount of $14,683.24 to pay for the installation of two new security doors, one of which has already been installed. Another will be installed for greater security for the circuit judge’s chambers.
The court also voted unanimously to extend its contract with Waste Corp. of Arkansas another three years.
When a JP asked whether the City of Magnolia’s recent decision to pursue its own solid waste collection program would have an effect on the county’s contract, County Attorney Becky Jones said the city’s actions would not affect the county’s ability to execute a legally binding document.