Eureka Springs City Council held back-to-back meetings June 24, first reviewing the budget and then holding a regular meeting. According to Finance Director Michael Akins, the review of sales tax remitted in the first third of the year is $251,567.38, divided up between the street funds, Parks, and bond reserve payments.
The breakdown of collections was 15 percent from food and beverages, 24 percent from lodging, and 61 percent from miscellaneous. In comparison to last year, this is up 2.657 percent from last May and 3.9 percent from last June.
Alderman Steve Holifield asked Akins how this is possible since he has heard from several businesses that they are doing worse than last year, that the city’s visitors have seemed fewer, and that several businesses have had to close down.
Akins responded that he’s looking at taxes received, that this doesn’t necessarily reflect what businesses are facing or the cost of running them, but from his side the numbers show Eureka Springs is doing about the same as last year. He did say that due to water leaks, the city had spent more than last year, and also that Transit Director Ken Smith had bought post lifts and a welding machine. The city had a revenue of around $3,000,000 but spent $4,000,000, however Akins explained that with “Capital infusions in the bank for improvements and spending” the city was looking at a loss of $324,000.
When aldermen moved on to public comments, they were faced with several irate citizens over the actions from last meeting. Ferguson Stewart, Vice-chair of the Planning Commission chastised council about working to revoke Ord. 2332 regarding residential parking on Spring Street, saying they hadn’t given the initiative a chance and needed to be aware that this was an election year and an important issue to constituents.
Resident Linda McBride concurred, saying the Planning Commission has had three workshops and worked for months to deal with this, but because of the current owners of the Bridgeford House Bed & Breakfast, it was being “sabotaged.” The plan was for a parking zone to start in September 2023, with the police enforcing it.
McBride objected to what was said at the last meeting, that people who purchased homes in the area should have known they wouldn’t have parking. She said that according to Ord. 1816, B&Bs must have parking for the number of rooms they have, and if Bridgeford House claims they don’t have enough spaces on their land, they need to advertise fewer rooms. She added that if council didn’t want to uphold Ord. 2332 then they needed to prepare for Ord. 1816 to follow.
Alderman Harry Meyer voted to table the issue until they had had more time to review everything going on with the planned parking area, and alderman Terry McClung pointed out that McBride was correct about Ord. 1816, and that Bridgeford house owners couldn’t circumvent the law.
Holifield said he didn’t want to vote on anything before he knew what was going on with it., and Mayor Butch Berry said the issue was the road leading to the parking area after the fire chief had said only a certain number of cars could be back there. The issue was tabled.
Brian Wright of Kettle Campgrounds pointed out in public comments that they had waited for the inspector and the “disinterested third party” that Public Works Director Simon Wiley said he would send at the last meeting regarding metering. Wright had invited alderman David Avanzino to be a witness. Wiley’s third party never showed up and the inspector who came was only doing the yearly inspection. Wright reiterated that he was willing to comply with council’s original idea of putting a meter on his wastewater.
Resident Pat Matsukis supported Linda McBride and the parking issue, and then pointed out that CAPC Chair Chris Clifton used the CAPC computer and letterhead to send a letter to the public about his personal opinions.
She said she wanted a workshop or meeting where citizens would have more time to speak of concerns and grievances. She mentioned how she had only had three minutes at a previous Parks workshop and had been asked to leave because she lost her temper. She said part of this was due to feeling limited by the time, and she would like for people to have the opportunity to speak for 15 minutes at a city workshop. She then said that she objected to the new Parks commission “At Large” positions, and the placement of tables by New Delhi Café near the walkway bridge that had recently been damaged in an accident.
Go with the flow
Zane Lewis of McClellan Engineering gave a water and sewer update on a rate study of water utility use and wastewater output, and the wastewater plant upgrades. Lewis discussed which loans the city could go with, Arkansas Natural Resource Division and the USDA loan.
The USDA loan has an option for payment over 40 years but Lewis advised against this, and alderman Susan Gruning added that if the improvements being made only lasted around 20 years but the city had a loan on them for 40 years, and the plant needed improvements during that time, those dealing with those issues might find the loan a burden.
Lewis agreed and affirmed that many changes would last around 20 years, and that part of the budget they were trying to establish would create some replacement parts in cases of earlier failure, but that overall work would need to be done around that time to upgrade the system again.
Aldermen decided to review the information and make a decision later.
Wiley spoke about new leaks and water outages, saying that two leaks had occurred naturally, one on 2100 E. Van Buren that was still being worked on and the other on Thomas Drive that had been repaired.
Entertainment District supplements
The proposed ordinance concerning establishment of a permanent entertainment district at Pine Mountain Village was discussed further. Noise and music would be allowed seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and a designated area of developed land on the property, including a stage, parking lot, and the theater would be the district, it would not extend into the forested land surrounding the property.
Meyer questioned why the parking lot had been included, when in past temporary permits, it was required to rope it off. Owner Marshall Johnson said they had taken ropes down during Bikes, Blues, and BBQ, and several car shows, to allow visitors to wander among vehicles and because there were often vendors in the lot.
Aldermen were concerned about people leaving the area with open containers. Police Chief Billy Floyd said that they had only had three or four “bad actors” but other than that had not had any issues with the temporary entertainment district. Aldermen decided that wording of the ordinance needed to be “tweaked” and other issues clarified before they would vote on it, so it was tabled.
Council did issue a temporary entertainment district permit to Johnson for the upcoming Mustang show on July 6 and 7.
Final decision
Council agreed to open a closed lower portion of Norris Street so that the new owner of the property would be able to access it. It was assigned a number and passed after two readings of title only.