Once again urged to move meeting site
Only alderman Susan Harman was absent when Eureka Springs City Council met Feb. 25 and appointed James Mitchell to Position Six of the Planning Commission, David Hartmann to Position Four of the Parks Commission, and Marty Cogan to Position Four of the Historic District Commission. Mayor Butch Berry said council would be considering Peggy Duncan for Position Two of the Hospital Commission at the next regular meeting.
Duncan was the first to provide a public comment, saying she has been a permanent resident of Eureka Springs since 1990 and “I would appreciate you all considering me.”
The second public comment came from resident Ferguson Stewart who announced the American Legion’s Centennial Event being held 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Post Nine north of Eureka Springs on June 29. Stewart formally invited each council member to the festivities because, “We are Eureka Springs first, and American Legion second.”
The third public comment came from resident Joyce Knowles who responded positively to the recent denial of monetary assistance from the CAPC for the Auditorium basement remodel.
“This is an old structure,” she said. Ms. Knowles urged council to consider the Community Center for a new meeting place, “We have a facility that offered [for a cost of] $5,000 a year for us to have meetings in that facility.” This expense is nominal, she said, compared to what it would cost to remodel the basement of the Aud. “It makes me think what are you doing with our money?”
Ms. Knowles went on to say it seemed to her the reasons council is not using the Community Center were petty and lacked cooperation. “You didn’t want to go over there because you wanted a private space to put all your sound equipment… you don’t have that now.” She mentioned personality conflicts also prevented a move to the Community Center, biased requirement for financials, and a double standard for the CAPC that does not own its own building and was not required to show financials similar to the requirements of the Community Center. “Can you be better?” she asked.
The fourth public comment was from Josie Yerby who expressed concern for the high levels of lead in the city’s water. “We are really the city that water built,” she said noting that the lead in the city water is going back into Eureka’s springs and lakes. “Our children are drinking it… it’s extremely toxic to the brain of young people.” Yerby asked council for an emergency meeting and said she would be willing to do whatever is needed to find a solution to this issue, which could include providing water filters for homes in the city. “You can be the voice of all of us,” she told council.
The fifth public comment was from Eric Knowles who said he is one of the 25 percent of city water users who are not given access to the city sewer system, and “The city has no plans to expand sewer services to these households.” Knowles also said the city water rates are much too high, “Sixty percent higher than is needed… this year this excessive and unneeded revenue will exceed $400,000. The fact that 25 percent of the users are prohibited from using the sewer, but their money is used to pay for the sewer is unfair, unnecessary, and immoral.”
Another concern was that Ord. 2255 added an Infrastructure and Improvement charge to all city water bills and those funds will be divided in half – 50 percent going to water revenue and 50 percent to the sewer revenue. Knowles urged council to add water and sewer rate changes to their agenda and to make it a top priority. “1) Reduce the water rates to bring revenues more in line with expenses. 2) Increase the sewer rate if you believe that more revenue is needed to pay for the sewer service. 3) Reduce the I&I fee by 50 percent for those customers who you do not allow to be on the sewer system.”