Hot Springs Board Approves $350K Sewer Truck and $240K Water Line Engineering Contract, Awards Kimery Park Food Franchise

The Hot Springs Board of Directors approved $955,297.30 in identified spending on April 16, 2024, covering a $349,950.89 sewer cleaner truck, a $240,000 water line engineering contract, a $235,595 wheel loader, and a $129,751.41 vacuum excavator trailer — all 14 votes were unanimous.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting April 16, 2024 Confidence: High Independent — not affiliated with the City of Hot Springs

Published: May 17, 2026 · Last updated: May 17, 2026

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The short version

The Board approved the purchase of a Vactor combination sewer cleaner truck for $349,950.89 through the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing program, the single largest spending item of the meeting.
The Board authorized a $240,000 engineering contract with Hanson & McLaughlin, LLC to design and manage construction for the city's 2024/2025 water line improvement projects.
The Board also approved two additional equipment purchases: a Caterpillar wheel loader for $235,595 and a Vermeer vacuum excavator trailer for $129,751.41, both through Sourcewell.
The Board granted an exclusive food concession franchise to Flossie's Funnel Cakes, Inc. at Kimery Park; an amendment to limit the agreement to one year with annual board renewal failed 2-5 before the ordinance passed 7-0.
All 14 votes at the meeting were unanimous, and no emergency or ratification items were on the agenda.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$955,297

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$349,951

Purchase of Vactor Combination Sewer Cleaner Truck

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Vactor Combination Sewer Cleaner Truck	$349,951	Vactor Manufacturing via Environmental Products Groups, Inc.	7-0	`item:13`
Water Line Improvement Engineering Services	$240,000	Hanson & McLaughlin, LLC	7-0	`item:10`
Caterpillar Wheel Loader	$235,595	J.A. Riggs Tractor Company d/b/a Riggs CAT	7-0	`item:12`
Vermeer Vacuum Excavator Trailer	$129,751	Vermeer MidSouth, Inc.	7-0	`item:11`
Total identified spending	$955,297

Major decisions

Flossie's Funnel Cakes Exclusive Franchise at Kimery Park

Item: Franchise ordinance — city approved an exclusive agreement with Flossie's Funnel Cakes, Inc. to operate food concessions at Kimery Park.
Vote: 7-0 on the ordinance; a proposed amendment to limit the agreement to one year with required annual board renewal failed 2-5 (Directors Beard and Webb in favor).
Cost: No dollar amount specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: Flossie's Funnel Cakes, Inc.
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Kimery Park will have an exclusive food concession vendor; the multi-year term means the Board will not revisit this arrangement annually unless the agreement contains other renewal or termination provisions.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Adam Ussery provided information on the agreement. Director Webb proposed an amendment requiring annual board approval, which directors Beard and Webb supported; five directors voted against the amendment. The full Board then approved the original multi-year ordinance 7-0.
What remains unclear: The record does not show the length of the contract term, the fee or revenue-sharing arrangement between the city and the vendor, or the specific conditions under which the franchise could be terminated or renegotiated.
Source: item:18

Approved without separate discussion

These items passed without individual debate as part of the consent agenda.

Vactor Combination Sewer Cleaner Truck Purchase

Vote: 7-0 · $349,951 · Vactor Manufacturing via Environmental Products Groups, Inc.

item:13
Water Line Improvement Engineering Services Contract

Vote: 7-0 · $240,000 · Hanson & McLaughlin, LLC

item:10
Caterpillar Wheel Loader Purchase

Vote: 7-0 · $235,595 · J.A. Riggs Tractor Company d/b/a Riggs CAT

item:12
Vermeer Vacuum Excavator Trailer Purchase

Vote: 7-0 · $129,751 · Vermeer MidSouth, Inc.

item:11
Pleasant Street Historic District Survey Report

Vote: 7-0 · No city spending commitment specified in the record at this step. · Post Oak Preservation Solutions, LLC

item:17

Locations affected

Kimery Park

Exclusive food concession franchise awarded to Flossie's Funnel Cakes, Inc.

Status: Confirmed
Intergy Park

Arbor Day activities planned for April 26, 2024, with approximately 250 students from surrounding schools.

Status: Scheduled
Exchange Street Parking Plaza (west stairwell)

Stairwell closed April 15 through May 31, 2024 for refurbishment.

Status: Confirmed
Pleasant Street Historic District

Pleasant Street

2024 historic resources survey report acknowledged by the Board.

Status: Confirmed
Water/Wastewater project (location unspecified in record)

Approximately 50% complete as of this meeting, with expected completion in late 2025.

Status: In progress
2023 paving program (streets unspecified in record)

Approximately 3–4 streets remaining to complete the 2023 paving cycle.

Status: In progress
Garland County Library

Free tree giveaway (over 700 trees) scheduled for Monday, April 22, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Status: Scheduled

Watch list

Open follow-up issues we'll check on in future briefings.

Flossie's Funnel Cakes Franchise Agreement Terms

Open

The franchise agreement with Flossie's Funnel Cakes at Kimery Park passed with a multi-year term, but the contract length, revenue terms, and termination conditions were not disclosed in the available record.

Why it matters: Public understanding of the terms, duration, and financial arrangements for exclusive city concessions affects transparency and accountability.
Next check: Future briefings should check whether the full agreement has been made public and what the city receives in return.

Water Line Improvement Project Locations

Open

The 2024/2025 water line improvement engineering contract with Hanson & McLaughlin is now in place; specific locations targeted for improvement have not yet been identified in the record.

Why it matters: Residents need to know which neighborhoods and streets are affected by planned water line work.
Next check: A future agenda item identifying project locations would clarify which neighborhoods are affected.

Water/Wastewater Project Progress

Open

The Water/Wastewater project is approximately 50% complete with a late-2025 completion target. The record does not specify project location or scope details.

Why it matters: Regular progress updates help residents track major infrastructure improvements and anticipate service impacts.
Next check: Progress updates are worth tracking in future City Manager reports.

Pleasant Street Historic District Follow-up Actions

Open

The Pleasant Street Historic District survey has been formally acknowledged, but no follow-on actions — funding, designation changes, or development restrictions — have been identified in the available record.

Why it matters: Historic district designations and restrictions affect property owners and development in the area.
Next check: Monitor for future agenda items outlining the city's next steps regarding the survey findings.

Source notes

This briefing is based on the public records below. Every claim above can be traced back to one or more of these sources.

agenda: Meeting Agenda
minutes: Meeting Minutes
video: Meeting Video
transcript: Video Transcript (Full)

Confidence: High

Minutes, agenda, and full video transcript available. 19 parsed agenda items with detailed decision records.

How we know this

We do not invent facts.
We cite source records.
We distinguish what happened from what remains unclear.
We use neutral language.
We correct errors when found. See corrections.