Eureka Springs City Council faced the ongoing saga of the sewer and water plant lines falling apart and being worked on as the primary focus in 2024. At the beginning of the year, McClelland Engineering presented council with a $6,000,000 maximum budget for restoring and improving the crumbling infrastructure.
Discussions began about how to fund it all with grants, loans, and tax increases all on the table. Public Works Director Simon Wiley updated council monthly on constant leak repairs, breakdowns, and struggles to keep the system functioning. A massive leak of sewage into Leatherwood Creek in April caused Mayor Butch Berry to declare a state of emergency.
The city has been attempting to apply for federal funding and decisions were made after a rate study to raise water tax for those with city water as both a way to cover costs of the renovations, and update the system, with further tax increases planned in 2025. Mapping of all pipes under the city has been ongoing, with the original maps missing and Wiley working with piecemeal documents.
The city also made changes to the solid waste collection twice this past year, originally replacing the yellow bag system with the use of a 35-gallon bag or rolling dumpster per household within city limits and the need to buy tags for bags going over 35-gallons. However, this system was seen to be flawed by alderman Autumn Slane who advocated changing it to two 35-gallon bags per household or business, unless the business has a dumpster. The Carroll County Solid Waste District also stopped collecting recycling for people outside city limits.
Then-Hospital Commission Chair Kent Turner told council that $3,000,000 of CARES Act money had been allocated to the hospital during COVID. He said the hospital had been granted a new designation of Rural Emergency Hospital getting $4.8 million in funding for improvements, although this change meant it would no longer provide in-patient care.
Throughout the year there were talks about how to improve the sidewalks, including discussing funding a study about the sidewalks that would have cost $40,000. That was put on hold.
The police department had new computers, and dash and body cams installed. They also had trainings connected to problems small cities face. The fire department got a new ambulance. All city staff received a raise to cover cost of living increases.
An on-demand vehicle to be run by the transit department at six dollars a ride was instigated. Hopes were that employees of stores, hotels, and restaurants would park on the outskirts of the city and pay to be shuttled back and forth to their cars, freeing up parking spaces downtown for tourists. However, it was tourists who were willing to pay for this Uber-like convenience.
Confetti was banned from parades and events, particularly non-biodegradable, with an exception for degradable confetti being allowed at the Bash with a Splash on New Year’s Eve.
There were multiple arguments for and against a permanent entertainment district at Pine Mountain Village. al Aldermen, except Harry Meyer, voted to allow the district. The ordinance was being crafted so that it is allowed to have open containers of alcohol by attendees, if of a specific size and not permitted beyond the property. Music is allowed seven days a week. This will last for two years or less if the council or owners change their minds and if the owners sell, new owners will have to petition the city for the right to a permanent entertainment district.
A permit was denied to open a gun shop in city limits. A new building inspector was hired after the previous inspector was abruptly fired. Funding for Black Bass Dam and construction for a roundabout were put on hold until 2025.
The Planning Commission had several cases with Bed and Breakfast owners not following rules which led to several workshops with Eureka Springs citizens about B&Bs. The Planning Commission drafted a six-section revision to Ordinance 2364 amending 14.08.130 regarding zoning districts that was approved. Planning also asked the city for, and got, approval for creating enforceable definitions for B&Bs.