Usually, CAPC has its workshops on the fourth Wednesday of each month, but Chair Ken Ketelsen told commissioners he had called the extra meeting Tuesday morning to hear a proposal from Chip Ford, photographer, salesman and entrepreneur with a vision for a Eureka Springs app he intends to be the “ultimate informative tool a town could have.”
Ford said he formed a company to build an app that will have everything a person wants to know about Eureka Springs – history, current events, restaurant and lodging information, trolley schedule, where to go hiking, where to find art or a funnel cake – and make the information current and easy to find.
He said he wants to make the app free for whoever downloads it, but making it free would require a buy-in from the CAPC. Otherwise, he will continue with his project but the app would cost $4.95 to download.
The buy-in he is looking for would amount to $125,000 to set up and release the app in its final form. There would also be maintenance costs of maybe $1200 annually, plus a server fee to be determined. He said the reduced amount of CAPC staff time maintaining its current calendars would allow for more time to advertise the city.
Commissioner Charles Ragsdell stated that CAPC staff presently have calendars on the eurekasprings.org site and their own app to update, and this additional app would mean there would three databases to maintain. He claimed maintaining even one of them would take more time than Ford predicted.
Ford responded the idea for his app came from the fact that data about Eureka Springs being presented now was not coordinated. He wants to create “the ultimate resource” for everything about Eureka Springs and the plan he envisions would make regular input “super quick.”
Plus, his team found there would be no reason to have a website component. He said the trend is for mobile-based information exchange and research. He wants visitors to be able to find out on their way to town what is going on.
Executive Director Mike Maloney pointed out from his experience the situation is of a brilliant web designer who created a splendid product just before he was hit by a truck. No one else could continue the work. Ford quickly responded his team already has contingencies for such a happenstance. They have flash drives loaded with code locked in secure locations so that the operation is not dependent on one person.
Ford explained there is a five-year plan for future development including eventually allowing everyone involved to create their own content.
Commissioner Susan Harman commented she liked the idea because she has found different content on the CAPC site and the app, which is frustrating when trying to find specific information. She challenged staff to get them synchronized because visitors want things easy to find.
Maloney agreed that is a question he wants to get answered.
Ketelsen told Ford that commissioners need to see tangible evidence before they can consider any support.
Ford answered that he is just looking for a “maybe” at this point, and will provide commissioners with something they can review.