Commissioner Debbie Davis will preside over the Historic District Commission for the coming year. The other members elected her as chair on Jan. 7, and Dee Bright will serve as vice-chair. Susan Daniels will continue as treasurer, and Peter Graham will serve as secretary. Before Graham volunteered, Bright explained that the commission secretary will now have to compile the minutes of each meeting, a task previously performed by the city clerk.
Cassie Dishman, director of Planning and Community Development, serves as staff to the commission. She said she would send Graham information on formatting the minutes and agreed that he could use AI tools to process the meeting.
This was the first meeting for Cory O’Hara, and Bright said she was excited to have a full commission again.
With a new year under way, commissioners voted to continue using procedural rules recommended by the Arkansas Municipal League. Dishman said she has updated some procedures.
In other business:
- Stacy Mahurin represented owner Ricco Muro with an application to add a carport to the west side of a house at 20 Norris St. Specifications called for a wooden structure with asphalt shingles to match the house. The project is almost complete, and Mahurin explained that the carport was not on the plan originally approved, but the owners thought it was. All approved the application.
- Marcia Yearsley received approval to replace a roof at 203 Spring St. with a metal roof. She said moisture from trees has caused shingle roofs to fail prematurely. A discussion ensued regarding the differences between a standing-seam roof and other types of metal roof with exposed fasteners, and the motion to approve this application includes a requirement for a true standing-seam product.
- Susie Allen’s application at 12 Cliff St. had been placed on the consent agenda, but it was removed to the table for discussion. She had asked to move a door and explained that the door would return to its original position. All approved her application.
- Dishman said her office has seen a 15 percent increase in applications for Certificates of Appropriateness. She said much of that increase comes from Building Inspector Paul Sutherland, who will not issue a building permit until someone has a COA from the commission. Bright complimented Dishman’s work and reminded the public to bring their questions to Dishman because commissioners should not answer questions from the public regarding matters that might come to the table.
- The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Level III applications were due Jan. 8, and Level II applications were due Jan. 14.