Eureka Springs City Council held a budget review workshop, followed by a regular meeting on Monday, June 8. During the budget meeting, Finance Director Michael Akins reported on March and April finances. April numbers reflected a 3.15 percent increase over last year, and March, a 5 percent increase. Lodging and contractors are down while retail, wholesale, and food & beverage categories are up.
Transit came out with around a $100,000 deficit. Akins explained this was likely due to slow months during the earlier part of the year along with the learning curve that comes with transferring leadership to a new transit director. The department is working with the city to bolster revenue and ridership through online ticket sales, implementing tap ‘n pay systems, and Passport parking at Planer Hill.
The regular meeting began with a public hearing to vacate Anderson and Stepp Streets by request of Lyla Allison. In her address, Allison thanked council members who showed up to look at her property and helped her through the process. Later, council voted unanimously to vacate the streets running through Allison’s property.
Public Works Director Simon Wiley reported updates including the replacement of a fire hydrant at 40 Spring St.; that 21 old water meters remain in the city’s system; curbs being prepped to paint; replacement of public bathroom locks; and new flowers and an irrigation control module on the Planer Hill island.
Alderman Harry Meyer requested a new street sign for residents on Echols St. and Alderman David Avanzino said he’d received complaints about overgrown properties. Wiley asked that folks call the Public Works office for such requests and said that property owners are responsible for managing lawns. Wiley is waiting on McClelland Engineering and ArDOT to approve a plan to finish the sidewalk on Van Buren and the Black Bass Dam Rehabilitation project will be going out to bid soon.
Alderman Steve Holifield asked to assign an ordinance to increase the number of Cemetery Commissioners from five to seven. Holifield explained that after recent resignations, the cemetery commission had recruited one replacement who subsequently resigned due to health issues, leaving them unable to reach a quorum. Alderman Terry McClung said it was hard enough to fill five positions and suggested it would be too difficult to fill seven. Mayor Butch Berry asked legal counsel Heather Owens if it would be possible to designate five to seven positions, so that a quorum could still be reached either way. Owens said she would investigate. Holifield motioned to suspend the rules and read the ordinance by title only. Ordinance No. 2388 was read twice, with Moyer, Meyer, and McClung voting no. Berry voted yes, breaking the tie. The ordinance will be picked back up at the next meeting.
Also in new business, Holifield proposed creating a resolution requiring commissions to hold meetings in the lower auditorium as council does, with both audio and video recordings. McClung agreed but said that requiring video was too much to ask of commissions due to the cost of hiring video technicians. Meyer suggested some commissions have claimed to lose their audio recordings and minutes.
Mayoral Assistant Kim Stryker responded that she had never heard anything of lost recordings or minutes. Stryker stated that in 2019, Arkansas passed a state law requiring city commissions to record their meetings, audibly at minimum. At that time the city provided audio recording equipment to each commission. Any time Parks has a field meeting workshop where they needed to look at the ballfield, they have to audio record it. Any time anyone asks for a recording, Stryker said it is provided.
Holifield said that many audio recordings were difficult to understand and that it can be intimidating for citizens to show up at meetings when they are held in small buildings with just a small handful of commissioners. Holifield suggested that holding commission meetings in the same public space would facilitate a sense of transparency, accessibility, and be more inviting.
Holifield made a motion to have a resolution drawn up so that all city commissions, meetings and workshops are held at the Auditorium audio and visually taped. David Avanzino seconded.
Meyer pointed out that if they are going to record with the equipment before them, the technician would have to be present whether there is video or not in order to operate it.
Other Business
- Vacancies on Planning, Hospital, Cemetery Commissions, and CAPC.
- Alderman Susane Gruning changed the Social District working draft presentation to discussion of a 90-day trial period for the district. Avanzino added discussion of a vote to place the issue on November’s ballot.
- Two citizens floated the idea of permanent art crosswalks in downtown that would reflect Eureka Spring’s LGBTQ+ and artist population.
- Several citizens spoke or wrote letters in opposition of the PED.
- Devin Henderson addressed council on behalf of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce expressing support for the city’s pursuit and development of a comprehensive land use study to guide the future planning, growth, and economic development of the city; specifically, the ongoing property inventory assessment GIS mapping and vision plan gap assessment.
- Financial summaries were given for fourth quarter ’25 and first quarter ’26 were given to council, a requirement of the city clerk’s office for accounts payable, bank balances, cash receipts, long-term liabilities, and payroll for their review.
- Council members agreed on the crucial nature of issues concerning the city’s aging infrastructure and rising repair costs that are driving up water and sewer bills and unlikely to decrease. Aldermen emphasized the importance of educating the community about the necessity of the one percent sales tax increase and bond issue that will appear on November’s ballot.