The City Advertising and Promotion Commission’s Oct. 26 meeting, despite having a single item on the agenda, still managed to entertain points of contention. Seasonal lighting money was approved.
Commissioner Patrick Burnett, who resigned his seat on the commission on Tuesday, Nov. 1, but who chaired last week’s meeting in the absence of Jeff Carter, described the subject of holiday lighting as “Sprung on me.” Tourism Director Madison Dawson said that Mayor Butch Berry had asked that the CAPC assist in funding the Parks Department effort for more holiday decorations. The request was for $15,000, council having approved $12,500 with the understanding that Parks would handle the hanging and storage of decorations.
Commissioner Terry McClung voiced that at the council meeting it was never mentioned that anyone else would “pony up” to fund decorations, and he mentioned concern that the items would not be stored well by Parks. He also mentioned the short time frame to get everything put up. Burnett also said he wished for a better breakdown of what would be purchased and how it would be kept in good condition.
Commissioners continued to lament the lack of time to make the show of lights bigger, although the topic had been brought up in previous meetings by commissioner Autumn Slane and members of the public. When asked how the lights would contribute to tourism, Dawson said that Eureka Springs is on travel lists as a great place for lighting displays and that they had underperformed in previous years.
After Burnett called for a vote, he and McClung took a few moments to discuss, somewhat heatedly, whether calling the season Christmas or a Holiday Festival, was exclusionary to non-Christian religions. Burnett also asked why McClung had voted against the $12,500 at a council meeting. Despite issues with the short time frame, the money was approved unanimously.
Public Comments brought on a separate heated exchange between mayoral candidate Beau Satori and Burnett, as Satori accused Burnett of screaming the f-bomb at Autumn Slane’s husband, Rodney, and displaying the sign of anger that utilizes the middle finger. Speaking out of order, Burnett iterated “that is a lie” and called Satori a liar. Satori used the moment to thank new commissioners for volunteering and that they “be careful with who you associate with on here.” He said that that did not apply to Terry McClung.
Burnett, out of order and trying to speak over Satori, explained that his exchange with Rodney Slane was a wave back and forth, with Satori saying there was video evidence of the exchange.
Burnett’s resignation leaves two seats open on the CAPC.