Editor’s Note: An email message quoted in this report has not been edited for spelling, grammar, punctuation or clarity.
The Carroll County Quorum Court’s agenda for its regular meeting Tuesday, July 16, did not include any items related to Scout Clean Energy’s planned wind-energy project near Green Forest.
That didn’t mean there was no discussion of the issue, specifically the persistent pressure applied to county officials by opponents of the project. Both County Judge David Writer and District 1 Justice of the Peace Jack Deaton addressed that aspect of the controversial issue during their comments near the end of the meeting, with Writer focusing on communications he has received from former county judge Richard Williams, an outspoken opponent of the project.
“I want to bring your attention to all of this,” Writer said during the segment of the meeting reserved for comments from the county judge, holding up a thick stack of papers. “This is FOIAs (requests for information pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act), this is letters mostly from one person. Is this what the county wants me to spend my time doing? All of this, and this is not even all of it. I have a lot more. Let’s stop this. Please. Please. Let’s stop this.”
Writer then held up a letter he said was written by Mark Whitmore, chief legal counsel for the Arkansas Association of Counties.
“I’m just going to read one sentence of it to you,” Writer said. “ ‘The level of attacks on this county judge for pursuing widening of county roads is unprecedented. It’s bullying, plain and simple.’ ” Writer issued a statement June 20 saying he intends to sign a road-use agreement with Scout. Writer said the road-use agreement will prevent the county from bearing the expense of road maintenance and repairs related to Scout’s “Nimbus project.”
Scout, based in Boulder, Colo., plans for the project to expand over 9,000 acres — about 14 square miles — in Carroll County, much of it along County Road 905 southeast of Green Forest. Williams, the former county judge, lives on County Road 905.
After Writer issued his June 20 statement, Williams sent emails to Writer and others, including news outlets, on June 24, June 26, June 27, June 29, July 9, July 12 and July 15.
Williams’ June 15 email reads: “County Judge David Writer, Am I correct that you have stated many times that if you Do Not Sign an RUA with Scout they Will Use the Roads Anyway? Is this an accurate statement? If so, is this truly your “Only Reason” To Sign such an Agreement? If so, “And Remember”…”You Show No Favor to Scout”, does that mean “Anyone” who wishes to Preform Whatever Work, Modificatiions, Alterations or Any Other Form of Construction or Reconstruction to Any Carroll County Road because the current design of the Road does not allow them to do accomplish whatever they deem necessary for their profit, comfort or for any reason? Is this Legal? For Example, and please consider Scout is a Private Entity just as Any Person is a Private Entity, if I, or Any Citizen, decide a Road in the County, is Uncomfortable To Travel I, or they, may hire someone, or DIY, to re-work to satisfy that Comfort Level. Is this correct? And if, some years later, I decide I No Longer Require that road as such all I have to do is return to the road to the Original Condition? Is this correct? Is this Legal? I will appreciate, as Everyone Else I Imagine Will, Await a Reasonable Reply. Thank you in Advance for Answers. E. Richard Williams p.s. Any Who Receive Share” Writer did not name Williams, who served as county judge in 2007 and 2008, in his comments. During the portion of the meeting designated for comments from the justices of the peace, however, District 1 JP Jack Deaton criticized Williams for not being proactive on the issue of wind energy projects during his time as county judge.
“This has been going on, this wind farm stuff, for 15, 16 months now,” Deaton said. “We’ve been getting hammered and hammered. I’ve done all kinds of research in all this. Mr. Williams sitting back there, was a county judge at one time when a company came in here and had interest in putting wind farms in. That didn’t materialize, so it just kind of went away. But, you know, if there’d been as much time put into it back then as some people are putting into it now fighting these things, it probably wouldn’t be here now. I mean, we can’t come in here and start reversing something that happened several years ago.”
Deaton referred to comments made at the quorum court’s June meeting, when Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge president and founder Tanya Smith spoke to JPs about her concerns over the potential use of eminent domain for seizure of private land.
“A lady came in here last month talking about tigers and stuff,” Deaton said. “What if people didn’t want them tigers here? It’d be the same kind of a fight. … Mr. Williams, if you put half as much effort into finding out why there was interest in this, in putting wind farms in, back in your term, and we developed some kind of a way to stop it before it ever created, we wouldn’t be here now.”
Deaton said the controversy over the wind farm has gone on long enough.
“It’s just wearing us out and causing issues,” he said. “I don’t do social media. Somebody called me the other day and said: ‘Man, they are tearing y’all up on social media.’ Why? Because we didn’t do something you like. No matter what we do, it’s going to make somebody mad. And this just has been going on way too long. And I’m tired of it, folks. I really am. But the situation’s what it is and the quorum court does not have the power to go back and reverse something that happened several years ago.”
Williams, who was seated in the courtroom, then asked for permission to speak.
“May I speak, too, since my name was addressed and questions about me?” Williams asked.
“This is JP comments only,” Deaton said.
“I thought Jack was speaking to me,” Williams said.
“No, I was speaking to, about you,” Deaton replied. “But it’s my comment. It cannot be discussed. If you want to discuss it later, out in the parking lot, holler at me. I’ll wait and talk to you. I don’t care.”
“I’d like everybody to hear the facts, the truth … ” Williams said before Writer interjected.
“No,” Writer said. “OK,” Williams said. “No problem. Thank you.”
The quorum court’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, in the courtroom of the Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville.
