[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6523484,"mediaKeyId","5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412","parentId",5030977,"title","Votes at a glance: Quorum Court approves handbook, appropriations, EOC funding and one CUP","audioSeconds",1648,"startMs",4364000,"endMs",6012000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412&start=4364&end=6012","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412/thumbnail_4364000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6523484/Washington-County/Arkansas/Votes-at-a-glance-Quorum-Court-approves-handbook-appropriations-EOC-funding-and-one-CUP","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523484-bb80c92a6e76a00cf1bc07248b65e767/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148106&Signature=nbYbowLLXiy6HVla7ZDdSQfZqolCjzZL3a4rP7xOQzQyepWPzZnoC-ufFIsxiHA6pwFegFz419pe22G~aFJGTTJAlnX-w-kuCZPVMuz7tZJIpBCbowZ-5WdI9IdkNgDPv-6da8OTRYdlVjbS1MS7tKmLMccyFgr3BalXIh84JccqP6gCrL9UCRerrTiv~4yPxM7aCk-CRyWEQWcFAuibatIJbeJjv4HRiGNTAiZaXRSNiqOViPEChTkwkfVyeEWI8HK4QPYNHeLtCD-a-FKqLOweyu2fcvL5sqVdvBFYNXiV~kEBVvM8OiV6MKzHniaIkPMBNgrqa4jW7ooumZflBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County","date","2025-06-20T12:50:40Z","article","The Washington County Quorum Court registered the following formal actions at the meeting:

- Washington County Handbook (Item 11): Adopted. After committee review and in‑meeting amendments the court passed an ordinance repealing ordinance 2018‑50 and approving the new county handbook. The motion to adopt followed successful suspensions to second and third readings and passed on roll call.

- Drug court grant appropriation (Item 12.1): Approved. The court recognized and appropriated $280,626.60 in additional revenue to the drug court grant fund for 2025.

- Small appropriation adjustment (Item 13.1): Approved. The court recognized $6,134.77 and appropriated the funds across line items and budgets for 2025.

- EOC construction appropriation (Item 14.1): Approved. The court appropriated $800,000 from general‑fund reserves to the Emergency Operations Center construction project fund for 2025. Justices described the EOC as a centralized facility to improve storm response.

- Conditional‑use permit: Social Sauna pop‑up (Item 15.1): Approved. The court ratified a CUP recommended by the planning board for a social sauna pop‑up with conditions described in staff materials (hours limits, privacy fencing, dress code, health‑department documentation). The motion passed after roll call; several members voted no during the roll call.

- Arkansas 250 resolution (Item 16): Approved. The court passed a resolution recognizing the Arkansas 250 commission as it begins work in the lead‑up to the 2026 bicentennial.

Items not approved for immediate advancement: two zoning ordinance items (creating new planning and zoning law and a repeal of ordinance 2023‑26) did not receive the supermajority needed to suspend the rules and were carried to a second reading at the next meeting.

The court took roll calls for most items; staff will upload official minutes and the recorded roll calls to the county website.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Quorum Court Meeting 6/19/25","oneSentenceSummary","At the meeting the court adopted the Washington County Handbook, approved several budget appropriations including $800,000 for the emergency operations center, and ratified a conditional‑use permit for a social‑sauna pop‑up. Two zoning ordinances were carried to a future meeting.","taxTitle","Washington County, Arkansas","taxId",4592,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6523489,"Quorum Court adopts new county handbook after hours of debate over drug screening and leave rules",1542,2824000,4366000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412&start=2824&end=4366","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412/thumbnail_2824000.jpg","/articles/6523489/Washington-County/Arkansas/Quorum-Court-adopts-new-county-handbook-after-hours-of-debate-over-drug-screening-and-leave-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523489-5457dfacd427fa91f4c2de61f81e39d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148106&Signature=GEMNl7dQH6RJItx8qFsaigXN1~iGVs3gGO7HUJhaLFOQnkJJ2KuKbBIEdirkTeyfMOS44xgbB2La~TTkoFWlNC141bGJ~i9rc-k5-hWIoyPkXzpGr~-DaYAALXb~cGwc6RfGC8OynwF0ou51s63XvQZ1feP04WrimlfbFP47MXUsKhTxQ1Cy1t8i5Bf4AYNuDgdG28tsg0UDgSPP9lsp8PRKUcZ8h2cchBAp-Iu2Fc~PgSqacIrohE6bPmbUgHKowA6D-0uIm1DDzk-zl2V19d-h2By17y24DDqeHJfMH6tckAjOblLSWf8eVFwdCQYmf0AU3U4z3Av7UjWPB4nTIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Washington County justices voted to repeal the existing handbook ordinance and adopt a new Washington County Handbook after debate and multiple amendments.

The county counselor and Human Resources Director (Director Bennett) told the court the packet before members incorporated committee changes and that the handbook had been circulated and discussed with staff. Justice Lyons and others proposed amendments to add post‑offer, preemployment drug‑screening language; Justice Lemming successfully moved to change phrasing from \"will\" to \"shall\" to make testing mandatory for the categories listed. Director Bennett described the handbook drafting process, said staff had solicited employee feedback and clarified that employees continue to accrue vacation and sick leave while on FMLA under the proposed language.

Justice Koger proposed several amendments meant to preserve employees’ control over vacation use during family or medical leave — specifically to prevent automatic substitution of vacation for unpaid leave and to allow employees to choose whether to use vacation during FMLA. Those amendments failed for lack of a second and on subsequent votes. Several justices emphasized the handbook’s goal of balancing employee protections with county administrative needs; Director Bennett said the language aims to avoid creating gaps in pay for employees who would otherwise have no accrued leave.

Procedure and votes: the court suspended the rules to move the handbook to second and then third reading; on the third reading the court passed the ordinance adopting the Washington County Handbook. The final passage followed roll‑call voting. The judge’s office instructed staff to supply any additional requested clarifications in advance of the handbook’s effective adoption.

What’s next: The new handbook is adopted as the county’s governing personnel policy; staff are to implement the changes and communicate them to county employees, and several justices asked HR to continue outreach to employees about the new provisions.

","The court approved a new Washington County Handbook after a series of amendments and votes; debate focused on post‑offer drug testing language and whether employees must exhaust vacation or sick time before unpaid leave or FMLA.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6523494,"Quorum Court postpones zoning overhaul as residents press moratorium, enforcement and CUP concerns",1666,324000,1990000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412&start=324&end=1990","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030977-76f1d4636e4d5d9ed5b79c9ab9db6412/thumbnail_324000.jpg","/articles/6523494/Washington-County/Arkansas/Quorum-Court-postpones-zoning-overhaul-as-residents-press-moratorium-enforcement-and-CUP-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523494-418b0b20a9cedfa9b07b4348ad0367ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148106&Signature=RGDAxx4nsCuoipy8rShkR8-xim2j~dBAbS~PGzeNhzLAZTlLTGUKclS3LsGr4~71jzoQLGA4UxYuu4d6mcb8Po~Wdqtv86rEzJjPYh48ntvJWXWC5EEPKbMba0BI6icg0OxijGzJxMjtcDIrUlS8NOPliZSU~pYF02vfTSXxlGuZf6-a9A4wbLNuaT-BLIofYB0T3ZslCRxFlUdPvLDB0UmkZFqBiju8Khbl06yDiSMSpJzSmyU-KqRJqBMDjB25JcX32rdQTo3ZRFVPra094JhWVo1ZUBwcsvu~dD9qJx7erKbaKnSCyRK9oDEUzyC9epDGceoiE9v9lEJ4UByq9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Washington County Quorum Court members declined on a procedural vote to advance a proposed ordinance creating new county planning and zoning rules and a related repeal, sending both measures to a second reading at a future meeting.

Residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to press the court on multiple land‑use issues. Nikki Lockett of Prairie Grove asked the court to place a five‑year moratorium on “industrial wind farms,” citing turbine height, wildlife impacts and quality‑of‑life concerns. Rez developer Madeline Farquhar outlined an early‑stage wind project north of Lincoln and said the company had held outreach and commissioned environmental studies; she also cited the recently passed “Arkansas Wind Development Act, Act 945” as regulatory context.

Other public commenters urged consistent enforcement of existing rules. Charles McKinney urged the court to require Eagle Crest — a residential treatment facility that several speakers said has been operating without a conditional‑use permit — to comply with the same CUP process as other applicants. He cited federal cases including Oxford House v. City of Virginia Beach in arguing courts have not exempted residential rehabilitation centers from zoning requirements. Nearby residents Michael and Betsy Kemper and others raised safety, septic and driveway‑visibility concerns about a separate conditional‑use permit for a social‑sauna pop‑up (the “Ali” proposal), saying emergency response and septic capacity merited further scrutiny.

On the agenda, Justice Seki moved to pass the new planning and zoning ordinance on an accelerated schedule. A subsequent motion to suspend the rules and advance the ordinance to a second reading failed on a show‑of‑hands, so the item will return for a second reading at the next meeting. A related item — described by the county counselor as “an ordinance repealing ordinance 2023‑26” — likewise failed to receive the supermajority needed to suspend the rules; the court clerk said the motion produced eight supporting votes and that suspension requires 10.

Court members and counsel clarified enforcement roles during debate: the state fire marshal enforces state fire code, and the health department enforces septic regulations; county staff typically refer applicants to those agencies. Justice Lyons said one purpose of the proposed zoning changes is to define household‑occupancy thresholds that county attorneys say are central to existing litigation involving Eagle Crest.

What’s next: both zoning items are scheduled for a second reading at the next monthly meeting. The planning‑and‑zoning debate, public comments about wind development and repeated public appeals to enforce CUP, septic and fire requirements left clear that the court will return to these interrelated land‑use and enforcement questions.

","Washington County justices declined to advance new planning and zoning ordinances to a final vote, sending the measures to a later meeting amid public calls for a wind-farm moratorium, debate over treatment-center zoning and local conditional-use permit disputes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Quorum Court approves handbook, appropriations, EOC funding and one CUP

Quorum Court adopts new county handbook after hours of debate over drug screening and leave rules

Quorum Court postpones zoning overhaul as residents press moratorium, enforcement and CUP concerns