Hot Springs Board of Directors

June 25, 2024 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Reviews $76K Federal EV Charging Grant, Dispatch Pay Reclassification, and Sister City Travel Redirect

The Board of Directors reviewed four items at its June 25 agenda meeting — a $76,460 federal grant for EV charging stations, a dispatch pay grade reclassification affecting 17 employees, a redirected Sister City travel authorization, and a Housing Authority reappointment — but took no recorded votes, as this was a pre-meeting agenda review session.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting June 25, 2024 Confidence: Medium 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 reviewed a proposal to accept $76,460 in federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant funds to install two EV charging stations at the Church Street parking lot (408 Malvern Avenue), with the grant covering the full project cost.
The Board discussed reclassifying 17 Public Safety Dispatch employees onto the city's general pay plan, a change estimated to cost $29,189.49 for the remainder of 2024 and approximately $69,000–$82,000 annually going forward, with no budget amendment needed in 2024.
A resolution authorizing Board member travel to Hanamaki, Japan for the Sister City program was withdrawn after all Board members indicated no interest in attending; Director Holliday proposed redirecting the funds to city staff travel instead.
The Board reviewed a resolution to reconfirm Latasha Harris to a new five-year term on the Hot Springs Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; her current term expires August 16, 2024.
No votes were taken at this session — agenda meetings are pre-vote review sessions, and all items are scheduled for action at a subsequent regular meeting.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$76,460

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$76,460

Acceptance of Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant for EV Charging Stations

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant — EV Charging Stations	$76,460	U.S. Department of Energy	—	`item:4`
Total identified spending	$76,460

Major decisions

EV Charging Station Federal Grant — 408 Malvern Avenue

Item: Grant application/acceptance — the Board reviewed a resolution authorizing the city to accept $76,460 in federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant funds to purchase and install two EV charging stations at the Church Street lot (408 Malvern Avenue).
Vote: —
Cost: $76,460 in federal funds covers the full turnkey project including equipment, installation, and site preparation. The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step. Ongoing city costs would be limited to electricity usage and any out-of-warranty repairs.
Vendor / responsible: U.S. Department of Energy (grant source); equipment and installation vendor not identified
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Two public EV charging stations would be installed in the Church Street parking lot at 408 Malvern Avenue at no upfront city cost.
What the Board said or did: Director Webb asked whether the grant was already accepted and whether board approval was needed only for the city manager to execute the agreement, and also asked about city costs for site preparation and maintenance. The Deputy City Manager confirmed the grant covers the complete turnkey project and that ongoing city costs are limited to electricity and out-of-warranty repairs. Director Holliday began a question that was not captured in full in the available transcript.
What remains unclear: Director Holliday's question was not captured in full. The specific vendor for equipment and installation was not identified in the record. The record does not clarify the exact mechanism by which the grant was initially accepted versus the board authorization now sought.
Source: item:4

Dispatch Pay Grade Reclassification

Item: Resolution R-24-128 — reclassification of 17 Public Safety Dispatch employees from a standalone dispatch pay table to grades 12–16 on the city's general employee pay plan, effective July 20, 2024.
Vote: —
Cost: $29,189.49 for the remainder of 2024 at current 15-person staffing; approximately $68,993.34 annually at 15-person staffing or $81,644 annually at full 17-person staffing (all figures include retirement, taxes, and benefits). No budget amendment is required for 2024 implementation.
Vendor / responsible: Hot Springs Police Department Communications Center
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: The reclassification affects 17 dispatch personnel who handle police, fire, EMS, and 911 calls. The change is intended to align dispatch pay with other non-uniform city employees and support career advancement within that workforce.
What the Board said or did: The Police Chief explained that the dispatch pay table had not been updated when new city pay tables were adopted in December 2023, creating an inconsistency. He outlined the proposed pay grade assignments: Level 1 Dispatcher = Grade 12, Level 2 = Grade 13, Lead Dispatcher = Grade 15, Dispatch Supervisor = Grade 16. The Dispatcher Trainee position would be eliminated under the proposal. A Board member asked whether a specific staffing-level assumption was used in the cost estimate; staff provided both 15-person and 17-person scenarios.
What remains unclear: Grade 14 is not assigned to any dispatch position — the record does not explain the gap between Grade 13 and Grade 15. It is not clear from the record whether the Dispatcher Trainee elimination affects any currently filled positions.
Source: item:3

Sister City Travel Authorization — Redirected to Staff

Item: Resolution R-24-127 originally authorized Board member out-of-state travel to Hanamaki, Japan through the Sister City Program in September. The resolution was withdrawn from formal action after all Board members indicated no interest in attending; Director Holliday proposed redirecting the allocated funds to city staff travel instead.
Vote: —
Cost: The record references allocated funds but does not specify the dollar amount.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: No Board member travel to Japan is anticipated under this authorization. Whether city staff will travel in their place, and at what cost, has not been formally decided.
What the Board said or did: The City Manager noted all Board members indicated no interest due to other obligations. Director Holliday proposed using the funds for staff travel, which staff said could be handled either by resolution or through direct reallocation from the Board's general fund reserve without a formal budget amendment. No formal action was taken at this session.
What remains unclear: The specific dollar amount allocated for this travel is not stated in the available record. It is not clear whether a new resolution will be brought forward to authorize staff travel, or whether the reallocation will proceed administratively.
Source: item:2

Reappointment of Latasha Harris — Housing Authority Board

Item: Resolution R-24-126 — confirmation of Latasha Harris to a new five-year term in Position 5 on the Hot Springs Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. Her current term expires August 16, 2024; she has served since November 2015.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: Hot Springs Housing Authority
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The Housing Authority Board oversees public housing in Hot Springs. The reappointment would continue Harris's service on that board through a new five-year term.
What the Board said or did: The City Clerk presented the reappointment request, which the Housing Authority Commission submitted on June 17, 2024, asking for Board confirmation at the July 2 meeting. A Board member asked whether the Housing Authority's recommendation was unanimous; staff indicated they would verify the vote details.
What remains unclear: Whether the Housing Authority Commission's reappointment recommendation was unanimous has not yet been confirmed in the available record.
Source: item:1

Locations affected

Church Street parking lot (408 Malvern Avenue)

408 Malvern Avenue, Hot Springs

Two EV charging stations proposed for installation using federal grant funds

Status: Planned

Watch list

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

Dispatch Pay Reclassification — 2025 Budget Impact

Open

The dispatch pay reclassification will carry an ongoing annual cost of approximately $69,000–$82,000 depending on staffing levels. The 2025 budget implications have not been addressed in the available record — the next budget cycle will be the first checkpoint.

Why it matters: This represents a permanent annual cost increase for 17 city employees that will need to be incorporated into future budget planning.
Next check: 2025 budget cycle

Sister City Travel Funds Disposition

Open

The disposition of the Sister City travel funds is unresolved: whether a new staff travel resolution will be brought forward or funds will be reallocated administratively has not been stated.

Why it matters: Clarification is needed on how allocated travel funds will be used and whether formal board action will be required.
Next check: July 2, 2024 regular meeting

Housing Authority Commission Vote Unanimity

Open

A Board member's question about whether the Housing Authority Commission vote was unanimous was not answered at this session — that answer is expected at or before the July 2 meeting.

Why it matters: Confirms the extent of support for Harris's reappointment among Housing Authority commissioners.
Next check: July 2, 2024 regular meeting

Director Holliday's EV Charging Question

Open

Director Holliday's question about the EV charging stations was not captured in full in the transcript. The substance of that question and any staff response remains unknown.

Why it matters: Understanding the full scope of board concerns about the EV charging project requires clarity on this unanswered question.
Next check: Review full video or follow-up at July 2 meeting

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.

video: Video transcript — June 25, 2024 agenda meeting
other: Agenda item 1 — Latasha Harris reappointment
other: Agenda item 2 — Sister City travel authorization
other: Agenda item 3 — Dispatch pay reclassification
other: Agenda item 4 — EV charging station federal grant

Confidence: Medium

Transcript and public-comment capture available; 4 parsed agenda items; no minutes available; no votes taken at this session type.

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.