Progress with the Pulaski County Jail is well under way with the ordinance passage of the contract with Siemens Inc to repair all the mechanical and fixtures in all county owned buildings starting with the detention center. The Sheriff has been appropriated funds to repair the roof over the old section of pods A and B. In the next 30 days, the prisoner work center will be vacant and ready for non-violent offenders, such as burglars and car thieves.

Unfortunately, even with all the progress the county has made in the past year the City of Little Rock is still threatening a lawsuit against the county. But, the good news is, after some meetings with a few of the city board members, a solution may be reachable. The city attorney and the county attorney along with a third party lawyer will meet to arbitrate the issues in question by the city. I have great hopes that, with both parties sitting down at the table, both views can be heard and we can come to a reasonable solution.

I would be in favor of throwing out the current inter-local agreement between the county and the cities and re-writing an agreement that makes sense for all the citizens of Pulaski county, one that will keep us safe.