District discussion on hold for council

A group of business owners want to brainstorm a bit more on a proposed downtown permanent entertainment district before the topic goes back on the agenda for the Eureka Springs City Council.

That’s what members of the council were told at the beginning of their regular meeting Monday, April 27, just before voting to remove the subject from their list of items to discuss.

Despite hearing from six individuals who spoke about the proposed permanent district during public comments, no further discussion on the topic took place at the meeting.

“I’ve been approached by several business members in town … and they’re trying to come up with a more comprehensive plan to present to us to be put on the [November] ballot, so they’ve asked us to just give them a little bit more time,” Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry told council members.

Devin Henderson, with the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, led off the public comments by clarifying his group’s role in the permanent district proposal.

“I wanted to take a moment to provide an update on where things stand from the chamber’s perspective regarding the proposed district,” Henderson said. “As many of you know, the chamber became involved after seeing interest from members of the community in creating a district as well as hearing the feedback and concerns expressed by council. Our goal was to bring people together in a more collaborative way and that’s what we’ve been working to do.

“At the end of the day, this is about supporting a healthy, vibrant downtown while protecting the character and quality of life that make Eureka Springs what it is. Since the workshop [that was held on the topic], the proposal has been referred to our economic development committee’s tourism subcommittee. That group is currently working within a broader downtown revitalization effort and is actively bringing additional voices to the table.

“We’re talking to businesses, stakeholders and community members to further refine what this could look like for Eureka Springs. We believe that taking the time to do this thoughtfully is important. Getting it right with strong input, clear structure and community understanding is more valuable than moving quickly. And just to be clear, the intent behind this concept has always been about creating structure, clarity and accountability around activity that already exists. We appreciate the council’s willingness to engage in this process, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively as this evolves.”

Six more individuals, including two with written submissions that didn’t clarify whether they were city residents or downtown business owners, shared opinions on the topic. Three were against the proposal and three individuals who submitted written comments said they were either neutral on the issue or needed some additional questions answered, despite many of the inquiries having already been discussed in previous meetings and workshops on the issue.

No future meetings or workshops on the issue were discussed at the April 27 meeting.

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE

Public works director Simon Wiley said the city sludge processing operations have increased from 75 gallons a minute to 90 gallons a minute in the past two weeks.

“We’re doing considerably better,” Wiley said.

Pothole repairs have also been ongoing around the city, and dead trees at Music Park have recently been removed, Wiley said.

“Spring cleaning was successful,” he said. “… We had a total of 59 addresses that participated.”

Wiley told the council that Dimond Construction Company, out of Northwest Arkansas, was recently hired and replaced 100 feet of 6-inch water main at 101 E. Van Buren.

“They completed that replacement in one night,” Wiley said. “They did an amazing job out there.”

Another water leak at 196 E. Van Buren has also been repaired, council members were told.

Wiley said his department is hiring for a vacant position at the wastewater treatment plant, and he called out his staff for extra efforts in his absence after an unexpected injury left him homebound for a week.

“I was out all week last week, so I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the public works staff, and also the city staff, for your support and dedication,” Wiley said. “During my emergency absence, knowing that such important responsibilities were in capable hands brought a sense of relief to me during a difficult time. Your professionalism, teamwork and willingness to step up ensured that operations continued smoothly. I truly appreciate the extra effort and commitment each of you showed.”

SALES TAX MEASURES CLOSER TO BALLOT

The council approved second readings on three proposed ordinances to move a step further toward placing a 1-cent sales tax on the November ballot to help fund water and sewer improvements.

The goal of the increase is to generate additional tax revenue from the city’s influx of tourists to help pay for much-needed water and sewer infrastructure needs.

The council agreed on the 1 percent proposal, which includes two 20-year bonds, and had proposed ordinances drafted before its April 13 meeting. The council has to get final approval of the ordinances by August to meet the deadline to have the sales tax proposal and accompanying bond issues placed on the November ballot, council members have been told.

City finance director Michael Akins has told the council that the information he has received indicates that a 1 percent sales tax increase would generate  “about $1.3 million a year.”

Council members have emphasized the need to educate the public on the issue.

Since the second readings of the proposed ordinances were by title only, Berry requested that the entire wording of each be published on the city’s website.

FOOD TRUCK LOTTERY WINNERS

Despite it coming approximately four months later than usual, winners of the annual food truck lottery were announced by city clerk treasurer Kim Stryker.

Six food truck applicants have been approved with permits so far, including three first-time applicants, Stryker said. Four open permits remain for anyone interested in running a food truck in the city, she said.

“The food truck lottery is supposed to take place in December of every year, and that did not happen in December 2025, so we were about three-and-a-half months later in getting this completed,” Stryker said. “Apologies to the public for that inconvenience.”

First-time food truck approvals were granted to Mark Hicks at 3185 E. Van Buren, Silvester Tapia at 4087 E. Van Buren and Donna Fontanello-Cox at 580 W. Van Buren.

Returning food truck operators receiving permits from the city were Travis Holloway at 64 Center Street, the Eureka Springs Community Center at 44 Kingshighway and Nikki Griffith, at 2100 E. Van Buren, according to Stryker.

OTHER ITEMS

A temporary entertainment district for the upcoming Blues Fest was unanimously approved with no discussion, while a new interlocal agreement between the city and the Carroll County Solid Waste Management District was tabled so that an attorney representing the city can review the proposal.

The new agreement with the waste management district includes a citizens’ task force, while all other regulations stay the same, the council was told, including no rate changes. 

In another approval, Ken Trimble was reappointed to the parks and recreation commission. His term was set to expire May 1.

REMEMBERING OTT

To close out the meeting, Berry and council member Steve Holifield mentioned the recent passing of longtime resident, former council member and Eureka Springs tourism advocate Bill Ott, who passed away unexpectedly on April 18.

Holifield unseated Ott for his council seat in the 2022 election.

“I’d like to add my name to the long list of people saying goodbye to Bill Ott,” Holifield said. “He was a wonderful gentleman, a great asset to the Eureka Springs.

“He and I ran for this seat three-plus years ago, and he was a gentleman. We both ran a clean campaign. We didn’t smear each other. I think we set an example of how to run a campaign, and he was easy to be friends with. We went to church together, and Christmas is not going to be the same without Mr. Ott, so we miss him very much.”

Berry, who has said he knew Ott for more than 25 years, said the city is already missing the personality of the versatile ambassador who was also known as the town’s Santa Claus.

“A lot has been said on Facebook and around the community about Bill Ott’s passing,” Berry said. “I think it was a totally unexpected situation, but I think it’s also one of those things … you never know what happens or when it’s going to happen,  but Bill was such a personality. … I’ve known Bill … and he loved Eureka Springs and he loved service work, and Bill, with his exuberant personality and his multiple personalities, whether it was a Santa Claus or whatever, he was always in almost every parade because I don’t think we had a parade that Bill didn’t like.

“He was Mr. Hospitality, and he certainly won the awards, got that for the state, Mr. Tourism, and also never met a person he didn’t like. … Everybody was a friend to Bill, and he’s going to be greatly missed. I know I will miss him, and God bless Bill.”