Out of 180 signatures on the petition to abolish the Historic District Commission only 131 were certified of the 146 required. Based on these numbers there will not be a ballot measure on the issue in November.
City Council held a 21-minute meeting Monday evening, covering half of the items on the agenda. Mayor Butch Berry stated that due to the City Attorney Tim Weaver being out of town two ordinance items were deferred; one for bed & breakfast definition changes, the other allowing one Western District citizen to be on the Parks Commission.
Alderman Bob Thomas withdrew his item to consider an ordinance to permit one alderman on the Parks Commission due to Berry informing him that state law would not allow it.
The city’s mid-year budget discussion is not yet scheduled, but Berry said it should be ready by September. He also stated that the employee handbook is not yet updated. Alderman Harry Meyer asked Berry to include an amendment disallowing nepotism, especially within the same departments.
Commission vacancies filled or considered
Council unanimously approved the renewal appointment of Dr. Tyson Burden to the Hospital Commission, indirectly denying the new application for the same position from Kent Turner, a licensed CPA and local Realtor.
Aldermen also received two applications for appointment to the Parks Commission; Samuel Dudley currently employed with the NWA Trailblazers, and Carmen Burden, currently employed at Burden Medical Clinic.
Aldermen also received an application for appointment to the Historic District Commission from new resident Randy Maddox, a Senior Consultant for HOK Architects in San Francisco. No vote was taken for any of these applications, as it is anticipated for the next regular meeting.
Aldermen want to aid Parks
In closing remarks, Thomas said he believes, after attending the Council/Parks workshop last week, that the Parks Commission requires some assistance. “The Parks Director and the Parks Commission are all trying to do their job and a lot of them simply don’t know, really, what their job is,” Thomas said.
He said that Parks commissioners need support from city administration, but he doesn’t know how to make that available. He indicated to the mayor that if support is not given to the commission, “I think we are getting close to losing some very good people.”
Alderman Melissa Greene agreed, while alderman Harry Meyer said he was disappointed in Parks’ ability to provide financial information. Meyer said that Parks’ commissioners are relying on third party services to provide financial reports, and council has not received the second quarter reports which are past due. “If they don’t provide it pretty soon we are going to have to get somebody else…” Meyer said. No members of the Parks commission or staff were present at the meeting.
HDC petition on the ballot
Alderman Susan Harman said that an initiative petition for an ordinance to abolish the Historic District Commission has been filed and will be placed on the November ballot. Harman said she would not tell people to vote one way or the other but encouraged voters to educate themselves. If the people vote in favor of the petition, the HDC will be dissolved effective December 31, 2020 at midnight, and a Certification of Appropriateness for construction in the historic district would no longer be required. All construction applications would then go directly through the city administration.
Money from the census
Berry stated that Eureka Springs shows a low participation rate in U.S. Census Bureau data compared to other areas in Carroll County. He encouraged citizens to complete the census to help the town receive adequate government funding for roads, schools, and community infrastructure.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 24 at 6 p.m. in the AUD.