Parks Director Justin Huss told city council on Nov. 26 that renovations of the Parks office are almost complete which he said meant the floor is nearly level enough he does not roll downhill in his office chair during meetings. He listed these other recent accomplishments for the Parks Department:
- There was a K-9 training at Lake Leatherwood City Park again this autumn attended by participants from all over the country.
- There was also a Special Operations Response Team training at LLCP.
- ESFD continues to work with Parks staff to ensure the new downhill mountain bike trails are as safe as possible.
- He has been working with arborist Chris Fischer and representatives of the Walton Family Foundation on applying for grant funds for restoration and mitigation projects at LLCP. Huss said Fischer has become a valuable benefit to Parks.
- Huss said last weekend Parks began charging for the shuttle rides back to the top of the downhill trails and grossed about $1000 in spite of cold windy weather on Sunday. He thanked the Shuttlebug owners for operating the shuttle for the next couple months.
- He hired Austin Hayes, who helped build the new trails, as Trails Manager..
- Maintenance staffer Vince Peschka continues certification training for water testing.
- Huss said he has been setting aside 20 percent of LLCP tax revenue for water treatment and dredging the lake once they can afford it.
- Parks staff have been heavy into decorating for Christmas around town.
Grants on the horizon
Berry introduced Catherine Baker, Community and Economic Development Coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, whom he said was helping the city look for grants. Baker is working with city hall staff to prioritize which grants the city should be going after. She contended Eureka Springs is well positioned for some, and it is her responsibility to each city in her catchment area to apply for all the grants they are eligible for.
Baker said she would attend meetings in the future when council needs to pass resolutions in support of grant applications.
Other items
- Aldermen voted unanimously to reseat John Nuckols to the Historic District Commission.
- Berry announced there are still vacancies on the Planning and City Advertising and Promotion Commissions. Anyone interested should announce that interest to city hall.
- Council voted unanimously to approve Resolution 742 setting the date of January 28, 2019, for a public hearing regarding vacation of an alley between lots 3 and 4 in Block 22 of the Freeman Addition. This property is near the top of Benton St.
- In Council Comments, alderman Bob Thomas commented everyone at the table should get a chance to speak including the city clerk/treasurer when she has pertinent information to offer during their discussions.
There will be a budget workshop Monday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m., and the next regular meeting will be Monday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m.