County purchasing new software for courthouse

Offices within the Howard County Courthouse will soon be receiving a technology upgrade.  At Monday’s quorum court meeting, j.p.’s heard a presentation from Data Scout.  Company representative Phillip Carper said his company currently serves 60 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.  The computer mapping software can be utilized by every county department.  During the first year, the cost will be about $16,500 dollars and will drop to about $8,000 dollars each year afterwards.  Typically, the software cost is divided among each county office.  However, the county plans to use a portion of its federal Covid-19 money for the purchase over the next couple years.  After that, the fee will again be split among the offices.

In other business at yesterday’s meeting, the quorum court heard a presentation from Air Evac, who asked that county employees be allowed to have a payroll deduction, allowing them to have a membership in the medical air service, based in De Queen.  It was also noted that new tile is expected to be put on the section of courthouse flooring that buckled last year.  The cost is expected to be over $8,000.