The Eureka Springs Parks Commission held its last meeting of 2024 on Dec. 17 and began with a report from Director Sam Dudley who said that grant money was received from the Banks Family Foundation; four benches have been installed in Basin Park; and Parks surpassed the $200,000 mark for lodging. Dudley also said Parks had earned close to $145,000 from t-shirts and other sales.
Dudley thanked Main Street for funding the Crystal Terrace bridge handrail and announced that the Harmon Park apartment will be ready to rent soon.
Long-term rental fees for the Harmon Park apartment were discussed, with several commissioners supporting Dudley’s recommendation of $1200 to $1250 per month, but other commissioners said it should range from $1200 to $1500, including utilities except internet.
Commissioner Aaron Borey said they need to evaluate the property once it’s finished before fully committing to a price. Dudley described certain aspects of the property, saying it will only have one parking space and will be restricted to the upper portion of the building as the basement is still being utilized by Parks employees.
Borey said he hopes that whoever rents the property would be willing to keep an eye on the park at night as there has been graffiti and other incidents with people in the park after hours. The commission decided to have the lease based on a year-to-year basis and they will not allow pets. Whoever rents will have to pay first and last month’s rent. Chair Mark Ingram said the best-case scenario was to have a Parks employee rent the apartment. The basement is being renovated as a workshop.
Dudley then said he had changed a few things he deemed “relatively insubstantial” in the 2025 budget. Grants were listed at $100,000, mainly representing the Watershed grant. He wasn’t sure what the cost of the new bathhouse would be, so he left that blank.
Ingram drew attention to salaries, saying they needed a five percent cost of living raise across the board. Dudley was reluctant to give himself a raise, but commissioners insisted. The adjustment will be made to the budget, the commission affirming it was pleased that “for the first time in a long time [the budget’s] in the black.”
Dudley said he would be going to the CAPC for help restoring the fountain in Basin Park that has begun sinking. Commissioner Ruth Mitchell asked how much of the Banks Family Foundation money would be going to the renovation of the park and Ingram said all of it, but none was designated to be used on the fountain.
Dudley said the fountain’s restoration will probably cost around $150,000, so if the city, the CAPC, and Parks go in on it together, it will not be such an overwhelming amount. Ingram asked if this was in the budget and Dudley said he had put the interdepartmental amount, not the Parks’ amount.
Ingram said they would revisit this at the January meeting. Dudley said the deadline for the bids from engineering companies to apply for the work was December 31, and that they could review them and decide on the best company. Dudley wants the project completed by spring break. The budget was approved.
Commissioner Ruth Hager took a moment to remember Chris Fischer, who passed away recently, for all the work he had done for Parks.