Editor,
My husband and I love our Holiday Island house and have many close friends here. When the subject of incorporation came up, we researched the issues. We attended a Pro-Incorporation meeting and asked questions, and decided that the pros outweighed the cons.
However, to make sure, I attended the Anti-Incorporation (A-I) group meeting on Sept. 25.
After later reading the Eureka Springs Independent article about HI Incorporation and the A-I press release, I submit my observations.
First, the A-I group never mentioned their press release accusing the Pro-Incorporation group of “impropriety.” Their sole discussion during the 2-hour meeting was: 1) Holiday Island is in the country and not a town (???); and 2) now is not the time to incorporate.
Toward the meeting’s end, Lawrence Blood (Director of HISID and mentioned in the press release) asked a question. The A-I group asked him to use their microphone. He stated he was upset that he’d been placed in the middle of this issue, was not taking sides, but did want to express his concern about their tactics.
He was immediately surrounded by the A-I group, angrily invading his space, trying to stop him from speaking. Barbara Talbot, the group’s leader, demanded that one of her people “throw him out.”
What?? Wasn’t this a public meeting? I was shocked at the group’s unprofessionalism. I was convinced that this is not a group I want to associate with.
I later learned that they allowed no questions during their second meeting.
Why these shenanigans from the Against Incorporation group? It appears that let’s move forward! Why? Holiday Island will get significant money back from our taxes and can apply for grants if we become a town. We could enact and enforce guidelines and codes if HI is a town. We have a shopping district, for goodness’ sake; HI is a town!
Susan Osborne