A packed agenda awaits the Clark County Quorum Court’s monthly meeting in August. After some routine business, justices will move on to new business. 

Here’s a rundown of what the quorum court will be discussing when it meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14:

Sheriff’s update

Sheriff Jason Watson will give an update on his office and talk about centralizing dispatch/911 services and the equipment associated with it.

Professional development recognition payment

Justices will consider an appropriation ordinance that would provide a $538 professional development stipend or “recognition payment” to the assessor’s office. The ordinance does not incorporate the payment into the base pay for future salary adjustments.

Juvenile Services

Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner will make a presentation to request to move Juvenile Services, which shares office space with the prosecutor and handles juvenile intake and supervision of juveniles on probation.

Turner tells us his staff needs more space as they have boxes of files stacked up and staff is working in “cramped” spaces. Additionally, he said, Juvenile Services needs space to meet juveniles and/or their families confidentially.

Separating the two office spaces, he added, would add a level of security to the confidential files maintained by each department.

Library update

Clark County Library Director Betsy Fisher will give the annual updated on the library.

1/2-cent sales tax talks

Three citizens are set to address the quorum court regarding the 1/2-cent sales tax that is collected and funds the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County.

The three who are on the agenda are Bruce Bell, Johnny Harris and Barry Jefferson. Bell and Harris have both been outspoken opponents of how the “new” tax is being distributed according to new guidelines proposed by the EDCCC and set by the court. Jefferson is the president of Jacksonville’s NAACP.

Appropriation ordinance

Justices will consider a proposed appropriation ordinance amending the county’s budget.

The Budget Committee met for 17 minutes on Monday, Aug. 7, and voted, without much discussion or question, to send several budget additions to the full court for its approval.

The proposed appropriation ordinance spends $53,253 from the General Fund, leaving $183,331 unappropriated; spends $8,312 from the Road Fund, leaving $110,531 unappropriated; spends $6,099 from the Sanitation/Solid Waste Fund, leaving no change to the $767,132 in unappropriated funding due to a bank refund matching the expenditures; spends $73,478 from the Jail Maintenance Fund, leaving $155,398 unappropriated; adds $22,000 from grants to the Office of Emergency Management Grant Fund, leaving a zero unappropriated balance; adds $11,363 from grants to the Special Grants Fund, leaving a zero unappropriated balance; and adds $251,006 from additional state revenues to an existing $261,597 in the county’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, leaving a balance of $512,603 in unappropriated funds.

Quorum court meetings are held in the upstairs Circuit Courtroom of the Clark County Court Complex, 419 Clay St. The meetings are open to the public.