The Baxter County Quorum Court voted to table action on a resolution in support of the C&H Hog Farm in Newton County until it convenes for its June session and received a surprise announcement from one of its members at the conclusion of Tuesday evening’s meeting.
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The quorum court took care of three housekeeping ordinances at the top of the agenda in less than five minutes. It then spent about 45 minutes dealing with a resolution supporting the controversial C&H Hog Farm in Newton County. The proposed resolution is a similar document to one passed by the Newton County Quorum Court in February.
It notes Governor Hutchinson has publicly expressed support for C&H and agreed with the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission in its granting of a stay for the recently denied Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality permit. Supporting the resolution indicates C&H should be allowed to supplement the permit record through the appropriate appeals process.
The non-binding resolution is sponsored by District 11 Justice of the Peace Ty Chapman of Norfork who deferred to John Bailey, Farm Bureau’s Director of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs, to speak in support of the proposal.
Afterwards, six justices spoke about the resolution, beginning with Gary Smith who asked what advantage is it for Baxter County to become involved, to which Chapman expressed his concern for continued encroachment by the state on all aspects of farming. Smith also cautioned involvement with ADEQ based on the county’s troubled history with the state agency on landfill issues.
Justice Colonel Bill Lucas spoke next saying he wanted the resolution to be amended to reflect “where our dog is in this fight,” citing a need to express the county’s concern for rules made by state agencies “pulling the rug out from us.”
It was Lucas’ move to table action on the resolution until the June meeting while working with Justice Chapman on modified language that passed 8-3, with members Chapman, Kevin Litty and Lucy Soltysik casting the dissenting votes.
The court then spent an additional 15 minutes hearing from two members of the audience regarding the resolution.
As the meeting was concluding, Justice James Kerr, Jr. made a surprise announcement, saying he has taken an employment opportunity conflicting with his quorum court duties and would be resigning after Tuesday evening’s meeting.
Having advised Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass of his pending resignation, Judge Pendergrass told the court he was prepared for the justices to declare a vacancy Tuesday evening or wait until the June meeting. The court opted to move forward to declare the vacancy, allowing the governor to act on the opening as soon as possible. Kerr’s term expires at the end of the year, and he had already announced he would not be seeking re-election.
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