The Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development met July 26 to discuss progress on initiatives including encouraging affordable housing, creating a preservation trades’ school, and bringing fiber optic internet services to Eureka Springs.
Task Force Chair Sandy Martin said efforts are continuing to document the lack of high-speed internet services in Eureka Springs and Carroll County. Residents have been asked to fill out surveys about the reliability and speed of their internet services to counter a Federal Communications Commission map that shows 100 percent availability in Eureka Springs.
Martin said a Carroll County Collaborative Broadband Committee has been meeting on a monthly basis and has produced such excellent work that it has been asked to present at a statewide meeting of the Arkansas Broadband Leadership Network, organized by the Arkansas State Broadband Office.
“The surveys are the most significant way to show that we do not have the 100 percent coverage the maps show,” Martin said. “There are only small patches of fiber optic cable in Berryville and Green Forest. Cox, the main providers in Eureka Springs, only has something similar to cable television which is not as reliable or high speed as fiber optic cable.”
Federal grants could be available to install fiber optic cable in the area if the city and county can show the need. Bids would be advertised for installation. Availability of high-speed internet is important to both businesses and residents who need it for remote work or education.
Chamber of Commerce Marketing Coordinator Devin Henderson said he and his family live outside the city limits and use satellite internet. But that is inadequate for his five children to be able to use for required school homework. He said service can vary depending on weather conditions.
Martin said 23 percent of students in the Eureka Springs School District, 26 percent of students in Berryville School District and 65 percent of students in Green Forest do not have access to home internet services.
She said better internet services are critical for healthcare and safety. The local hospital and many area residents rely on telemedicine, especially for access to medical specialists and mental health providers. Henderson said that the Boston Mountain Clinic can help people in the area with mental health needs through telemedicine.
For more information and to take a quick survey, see carrollwifi.com. Also, the Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library, which provides internet access to many area residents without home service has computers to complete the survey and cards that can be filled out. Henderson volunteered the services of the chamber to do the data entry on the cards.
The committee also discussed the demand for electric vehicles charging stations in Eureka Springs. Henderson said potential visitors inquire about it frequently. Mayor Butch Berry said the electric charging stations across from his architecture office on Main Street, provided by the Basin Park Hotel, stay busy. The city has an EV charging station at the Planer Hill Park and Ride that’s powered by solar panels.
Henderson said some people travel farther if they know EV charging stations are available. The chamber will work on promoting information about the charging stations that are available. The internet site chargehub.com/en/countries/united-states/arkansas/eureka-springs.html lists six EV charging stations in Eureka Springs.
In other reports, City Planner Kyle Palmer reported progress on work to establish a preservation trades’ school in Eureka Springs. He said people with skills to repair and restore historic buildings are in great demand. Palmer is putting together a committee to work on the issue and has had several volunteers. He said getting accreditation for a school would be expensive and time consuming and suggested starting smaller and earlier. For example, Main Street Eureka Springs is facilitating a two-day workshop later this year on how to restore historic windows.
There are significant state and federal grants for historic preservation projects for revenue generating properties. The state’s 25 percent tax credit has been increased to a 40 percent credit and there is a 20 percent federal tax credit.
In other business, a new member asked about a downtown parking garage proposed ten years ago. Berry said that since that time, the cost of high-rise parking has increased to $5 – $6 million for a 100-car facility. He said that is not financially feasible.
The committee heard that a second motel conversion to long-term rentals is in the works. The Magic City Commons opened recently providing studio apartments starting at $850 a month with utilities paid. Berry said one barrier to more such conversions in Eureka Springs is that many of the older hotels and motels were built before fire suppression sprinkler systems were required. Those are expensive to add to existing structures and are now required for multi-family housing. Berry said Branson has had more success with this effort to help provide affordable housing because the city has newer motels that have sprinkler fire suppression systems.
The subcommittee on sustainability is working to update the city’s climate protection plan. In addition to promoting solar energy, efforts are being made to establish a “food loop” business that would compost food from restaurants. A Fayetteville food loop business is interested in working with Eureka Springs restaurants.