PHOTO: Clark County Judge Troy Tucker discusses public business with justices of the peace during a Quorum Court meeting April 14, 2025. Pictured in the foreground are justices Jimmy King and Jenna Scott.
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Clark County justices of the peace made official Monday a professional service contract between the county and an as-yet undecided ambulance service that will respond to 911 medical calls.
Until a contract is awarded, Clark County remains under a formal agreement with the Hope-based Pafford Medical Services to provide a continuation of emergency medical calls for its jurisdiction. The 90-day agreement was signed when Pafford bought Baptist Health’s ambulance assets in a private business deal.
In the meantime, ambulance service companies will have the option to submit proposals to earn the 911 contract to a county judge-appointed selection committee, which will report its findings to the Clark County Quorum Court for a decision that will be finalized by a resolution. The county judge would sign the final contract.
County Judge Troy Tucker fielded questions from justices, including whether it would be possible to split the contract between two services or rotate medical calls, how often the contract would be renewed, and how the county would advertise its Request for Qualifications (RFQs) to all providers.
The term’s length will be negotiated in the contract.
Responding to Justice Stuart Thomas’s inquiry about whether the contract could be shared, Tucker said only one company would be granted a 911 service contract. Justice Michael Ankton asked if a rotation between providers — as law enforcement agencies rotate wrecker services — would be feasible. Tucker replied that there could be liabilities under such scenarios, and Justice Garry “B.J.” Johns, a law enforcement officer himself, cautioned that patients in need of an emergency medical transport would want the closest service available — not always the case with a rotating service of calls.
Tucker said the county would advertise the RFQs in The Southern Standard and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. If permissible, RFQs would be advertised in a professional trade publication.
Tucker called the selection process, based on a provider’s qualifications, the most fair way to level the playing field. “We owe it to the citizens of Clark County to provide the very best service that we possibly can have,” he said. “And may the best person win [the contract].” He added a grim truth that “Whatever we do, somebody is not going to be happy.”
At the motion of Ankton and Justice Zach Bledsoe, the court gave a unanimous 10-0 nod to adopt the ordinance with an emergency clause.
OEM gives update on April storm, flood damage
Tate Chanler, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, gave a PowerPoint presentation outlining several photos of local highway damages sustained as a result of flooding in early April.
While Chanler and Tucker agreed that there was no area in the county unaffected by the flooding, noteworthy damages were highlighted at the following local roadways: DeGray, Blish, Terrell, Hearn, Arkansas Highway 51 near the 53 junction; Bateman, Hays, Skipper Creek, Lookadoo and Base Camp. Bridges that were washed out include ones on the following roads: Hays, Bateman, Graysonia, Stevenson and Davidson Campground.
The state Department of Transportation paid a local visit last week and are set to follow up with inspections at bridges that will likely require repairs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in town Tuesday, April 15, to visit about 25 homes whose owners submitted storm damage claims to the county OEM. Chanler said there is no guarantee that FEMA will grant individual assistance declaration. FEMA’s public assistance assessment will begin next week, Chanler reported.
Landfill rates set for increase
Patrons of the Clark County Landfill can expect to pay a little more when dumping waste at the Joan site.
Justices approved an ordinance, proposed by County Judge Troy Tucker, to establish new sanitation rates. Customers who dump at the landfill will pay $12 per ton, an increase of $5 per ton prior to the ordinance’s passage.
The judge said the rates, unchanged in the past 20 years, will primarily affect commercial customers. The ordinance has no effect on residential sanitation rates.
Though the ordinance would make the rate increase effective immediately upon its passage, Tucker said he is giving customers 30 days notice before enacting the ordinance.
Justices OK overtime pay for county employees working during disasters
In other business, the court gave unanimous approval to an ordinance allowing overtime compensation be paid to certain county employees during a state of emergency declaration.
Prior to the ordinance, county employees like deputy sheriffs, 911 dispatchers and road crews received compensation time for any work over the regular 40-hour workweek. Judge Tucker explained that passage of the ordinance will keep county employees on the job once the disaster and recovery are over, rather than providing them the required time off during slower months ahead.
Tucker said the county should receive 75% reimbursement by the federal government to cover the expense of overtime pay.
Interlocal 911 center agreement gets nod
Another noteworthy ordinance passed Monday approved an interlock cooperation agreement between the county and the municipalities within to join an emergency communications center.
In recent months and at the requirement of the State of Arkansas, a consolidated 911 center was established and began operating in the former OEM offices in the Court Complex. Prior to the merger, both the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Arkadelphia Police Department served as Public Safety Answering Points, or places where 911 calls were answered and from which emergency services were dispatched.
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