Committee Approves New “ARP Administrator” Spot for 2023

JPs spent most of the December 13 Personnel Committee meeting hearing JP Jerry Boyer (R, Dist. 12) lay out Ordinance 22-59 — a “request by County Judge-elect Allen Dodson” to create a new “ARP Administrator” position for 2023.

The quick approval for Ordinance 22-59, together with passing a salary hike for the Coroner and a “clean-up” adjustment to the County’s health insurance program completed the Committee’s business for the 25-minute meeting.

A newly constituted Personnel Committee — soon to be named by Judge-elect Dodson — begins meeting in January after newly elected JPs take their seats.

Personnel Resolution 22-10, Coroner’s Raise

Personnel Chair JP Tyler Pearson (D, Dist. 7) explained that, responding to his request, County Judge Jim Baker provided the $84,000 salary figure in Personnel Resolution 22-10 as part of the package of salary increases for all County employees for 2023.

JP Kris Kendrick (R, Dist. 9) noted the Class 6 average salary — from data provided by the Coroner per Ordinance 21-22 — is significantly lower, at $66,649. However, Pearson replied the average has “an outlier” that “drags the average down” so he would “not rely” on the average provided in the documentation.

Pearson remarked that the Faulkner County Coroner holds more certifications “in comparison to the other Coroners in the other Class 6 counties … the Coroner is certainly warranted a raise to put them more in line with those positions.”

Ordinance 22-59, ARP Position

Boyer’s Ordinance would create a new position to

• oversee ARP funds/contracts to ensure compliance with federal law (“ARP Administrator”),
• “properly execute” the County’s self-funded health insurance program (“Insurance Administrator”), and
• act as the Roads Department procurement/contract officer to ensure the “road system is properly maintained” by handling “multiple contracts and purchases” worth some $16,000,000 (“Roads Contract and Procurement Specialist”)

This new position in the Judge’s office would be fulfilled by converting an existing $38,000/year Road Department position that Boyer said “will be vacant,” so the proposed personnel change is “position neutral.”

He explained it would be “budget neutral” because the new position is to be funded half from ARP funds until they run out in 2026 (Fund 3046), 1/4 from the Road Department (Fund 2000) and 1/4 from County General (Fund 1000). The Budget & Finance Committee has already passed all these budgets in 2023 Budget meetings that concluded last week.

ARP regulations allow up to 3% of the total funds to be spent on a consultant or administering the funds, which “could be well over $700,000,” Boyer pointed out, adding the new position “will aid proper accounting by the cities” that have been awarded Faulkner County ARP funds.

Position Would Be Permanent, No Sunset

The plan “down the road” is to “potentially grow the position more in the other areas that it’s concerned with …” like “administration of the finances here in the County,” said County Attorney Phil Murphy, who also said “It’s not necessarily a promise that it will be 100% funded out of Road and County General going forward.”

Responding to questions from Kendrick, Murphy confirmed that the position would not sunset when ARP funds run out in 2026. Kendrick also confirmed that County Administrator Tom Anderson is the person who currently handles health insurance administration, as well as a portion of the Roads contract procurement (along with the County Attorney and “one administrative officer at the Road Department”).

Ordinance 22-61, Remove Part-Time from Health Insurance

Anderson explained the “clean-up” Ordinance 22-61 removes part-time employees from being eligible for County health insurance coverage.

He said the stop loss carrier Faulkner County has contracted with “to keep us from catastrophic losses … will not cover part-timers,” adding that over the years, “we’ve not allowed part-time people to get it” anyway.

Entire meeting:

Videos edited from original video on Faulkner County’s YouTube channel.)

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