The Jefferson County Quorum Court Committee hosted its monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 7th, and approved several items on their agenda to the full Quorum Court. Of those items approved on the agenda was an ordinance to provide an appropriation to fund the 3525 Gang Reduction Initiative of Pine Bluff (G.R.I.P) Grant.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods was present at the meeting and spoke with Deltaplex radio about the appropriation of approximately $107,000 that will go towards G.R.I.P’s first-year funding. He stated that the Sheriff’s Department applied for the grant but due to delays in Washington, they are not sure when they will be awarded the grant. This additional funding will help make up for the time it may take for the grant award to be approved.
Woods also stated that on the agenda in the next meeting the ordinance will specify the funding that’s for the first year of the initiative.
On another subject, of the items approved was an appropriation ordinance to appropriate funds in the county general in the amount of $173,527.87 to finish the building fund for the Sheriff’s department. Justice Conley Byrd explained that they will save $14,731.13 in the interest that they would have had to pay in 2022. He talked more about the ordinance to Deltaplex News.
Also approved in the meeting was a Christmas Bonus for the 2021 year and an addendum for the 2022 budget of the general fund to provide for a supplemental appropriation for a salary increase for elected officials.
The full quorum court meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 13th to discuss all of the items approved in the committee meeting.
