Court Opinion

ID: 9771588
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 16:48:04.355004+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:33.176784
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion because I do not believe the Highway Commission has the authority to eliminate a portion of the state highway system. The majority opinion concedes that this “exchange of roads” is prohibited by Ark. Stat. Ann. § 76-501 (Repl. 1981). The opinion bases its decision on the rather tenuous premise that the relevant portion of § 76-501 was repealed by implication by Act 150 of 1961. Even if this proposition is accepted as valid, however, I do not believe the “exchange” was accomplished in accordance with the law. The commissioners entered minute order No. 84-413 and No. 84-414 on September 25, 1984. These orders added and deleted certain sections of State Highway 254, Van Burén County Road 68 and Searcy County Road 6. The state thereby incorporated 7.2 miles of road into its system and eliminated 6.1 miles. Although the state retained that portion of the road which transverses Farkleberry Creek, it eliminated the Archey Creek section from the state highway system. The terrain in the Archey Creek section is steep, and the road is narrow, rocky, and crooked. It was, and is, the expense of improving and maintaining this section which makes this road undesirable and motivated the state to abandon it. Neither minute order No. 84-413 or No. 84-414 mentioned the exchange of roads between the counties and the state. In fact there were only two conditions contained in each order: these requirements were that each county furnish rights of way, clear of utility easements, to the added sections, and that the new sections be hard surfaced to meet the federal standards. Other than the terrain features already mentioned, the effect of the change orders was to drop a 6.1 mile section of highway, which runs generally north and south, and add a 7.2 mile section, which runs east and west. Formerly, Highway 254’s western (actually the southern end of the deleted section) terminus was at Highway 16, almost due south of where Highway 254 entered Searcy County. Now, the western terminus is at Highway 27, some 12 miles west of the former terminus. Minute order No. 85-592 amended the two previously mentioned orders and provided for the immediate acceptance of the new section into the state highway system. The order stated that the new section of Highway 254, in the Chimes community, was causing the traveling public difficulty because of deteriorating road conditions and inclement weather. This amendment ordered the inclusion of this section without the fulfillment of the previously imposed conditions. The appellants filed suit against the Commission on January 23, 1986. On February 12, 1986, the Searcy County Judge entered an order reciting the Commission’s minute order No. 85-592 and stating that the highways were “exchanged.” A like order was entered by the Van Burén County Judge on February 18, 1986. This order also cited minute order No. 85-592 as authority for the “exchange.” It is quite obvious that the county orders were entered in an effort to “shore up” the Commission’s position. There is no need to shut the barn door after the horse is out. I agree with the majority that Ark. Stat. Ann. § 76-501 clearly states that the Commission does not have the authority to eliminate any part of the state highway system. However, I disagree with the majority on the meaning of Act 150 of 1961. There was good reason not to codify Act 150 because it was clearly not intended to be a permanent statute. Section 1 of the Act provides that “during the biennial period beginning January 1, 1961 and ending December 12, 1962, the Commission shall. . . .” Section 3 provides that the Commission shall furnish annual reports each six months until June 30,1963. All of the Act except Section 4 unquestionably applies solely to the period of time between January 1, 1961, and June 30, 1963. Even if Section 4 is applicable beyond that period, we must still read it together with other law on the same subject. The last sentence of Section 4 of Act 150 states: “All such transfer agreements shall be recorded in the minutes of the Commission and spread upon the appropriate county record.” Until after the present suit was filed, there was absolutely no mention of the transfer of the abandoned section of State Highway 254 to the counties. Certainly there was no transfer agreement even alluded to in the minute orders of September 25, 1984. The majority correctly quotes the law of statutory construction. The basic rule is to read a statute according to its plain and unambiguous words. Weston v. State, 250 Ark. 707, 528 S.W.2d 472 (1975). We do not construe a statute when the language is clear and plain. Johnson v. Lowman, 193 Ark. 8, 97 S.W.2d 86 (1936). In keeping with these rules of construction, it is clear that the Highway Commission cannot abandon any part of the state highway system. Under the language of Act 150 the Commission may, however, exchange part of the state highway system by agreement with the respective counties. In the present case there was no such agreement and consequently there could be no such exchange. Even if Act 150 is construed as general legislation, the law does not provide for the abandonment of any part of the state highway system.