Hot Springs Board of Directors

October 15, 2024 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves $108K Engineering Contract, Tables Parking Rate Changes

The Board of Directors awarded a $108,320 engineering contract for sewer pump station upgrades, declared a structure a nuisance, authorized demolition of another property, vacated two rights-of-way, and delayed a decision on parking zone and rate changes.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting October 15, 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 awarded a $108,320 contract to Brown Engineering, LLC for control-system upgrades at the Gulpha Basin Sewer Pump Station on Catherine Heights Road.
The Board declared a structure at 807 School Street a nuisance under city code, a step that can lead to required repairs or demolition.
The Board authorized razing structures at 846 Park Avenue; two speakers offered public comment before the 7-0 vote.
The Board permanently closed an unnamed alleyway and an undeveloped portion of Tyler Street in J.P. Mellards Subdivision.
A proposed change to parking zones and rates was tabled without explanation in the available record.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$108,320

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$108,320

Resolution R-24-179: SCADA System Contract

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
SCADA engineering services, Gulpha Basin Sewer Pump Station	$108,320	Brown Engineering, LLC	6-1	`item:10`
Total identified spending	$108,320

Major decisions

Nuisance declaration — 807 School Street

Item: The Board declared a structure at 807 School Street a nuisance and condemned it under Title 17 of the Hot Springs Code.
Vote: 6-1
Cost: No city cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The property owner is required to address the condition of the structure; the city may pursue further enforcement action if the nuisance is not remedied.
What the Board said or did: Chief Building Official Mike Scott presented the resolution. The record does not show substantive Board debate.
What remains unclear: The record does not describe the specific condition of the structure or the required corrective steps and timeline.
Source: item:16

Demolition authorized — 846 Park Avenue

Item: The Board authorized razing structures at 846 Park Avenue under Arkansas Code Annotated § 14-56-203 and Title 17 of the Hot Springs Code.
Vote: 7-0
Cost: No city cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Extended Significant debate, public comment, or multiple speakers
Resident impact: Structures at 846 Park Avenue will be demolished.
What the Board said or did: Planning & Development Director Kathy Sellman presented the resolution. Two speakers — a representative of Crafton and Tull, and a member of the public — offered comment before the unanimous vote. The substance of their comments is not detailed in the available record.
What remains unclear: The record does not show the demolition timeline, who bears the cost, or what prompted the two public speakers to comment.
Source: item:17

Alleyway vacated — J.P. Mellards Subdivision

Item: The Board passed an ordinance permanently closing and vacating an unnamed alleyway in Block 2 of J.P. Mellards Addition Subdivision.
Vote: 7-0
Cost: No cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: The unnamed alleyway in Block 2, J.P. Mellards Subdivision, is permanently closed. Adjacent property owners should be aware that public access to this alleyway is no longer available.
What the Board said or did: City Clerk Harmony Morrissey presented the ordinance. One public speaker offered comment before the vote.
What remains unclear: The record does not identify who requested the vacation or describe the substance of the public comment.
Source: item:18

Parking zones and rates ordinance — tabled

Item: The Board delayed action on an ordinance that would have amended parking zones and rates under Ordinance No. 6499.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: None Approved without separate discussion
Resident impact: Changes to parking zones and rates were not adopted; current parking rules remain in effect.
What the Board said or did: The record does not show a reason for tabling or any substantive discussion.
What remains unclear: The record does not show why the item was tabled, what changes were proposed, or when the Board intends to revisit it.
Source: item:20

Approved without separate discussion

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

Engineering contract — Gulpha Basin Sewer Pump Station control-system upgrade

Vote: 6-1 · $108,320 · Brown Engineering, LLC

item:10
Property accepted — 111 Patriot Street

Vote: 6-1 · No city payment identified in the record — this is a property donation.

item:9
Property purchase — 900 Whittington Avenue

Vote: 6-1 · Budget transfer authorized; purchase price not specified in the record.

item:13
Fire department personnel reclassification

Vote: 6-1 · No cost specified in the record.

item:12
Right-of-way abandonment hearing set — El Dorado Subdivision

Vote: 6-1 · No cost specified in the record.

item:11
Tyler Street portion vacated — J.P. Mellards Subdivision

Vote: 7-0 · No cost specified in the record.

item:19

Locations affected

Catherine Heights Road (Gulpha Basin Sewer Pump Station)

Gulpha Basin

SCADA engineering contract awarded for pump station control-system upgrade.

Status: Scheduled
807 School Street

807 School Street

Structure declared a nuisance and condemned under city code.

Status: Confirmed
846 Park Avenue

846 Park Avenue

Demolition of structures authorized.

Status: Planned
111 Patriot Street

111 Patriot Street

Real property donated to the city.

Status: Completed
900 Whittington Avenue

900 Whittington Avenue

Real property purchased by the city; budget transfer authorized.

Status: Confirmed
Block 2, J.P. Mellards Subdivision (unnamed alleyway)

J.P. Mellards Subdivision

Alleyway permanently vacated and closed.

Status: Completed
J.P. Mellards Subdivision (Tyler Street undeveloped portion)

J.P. Mellards Subdivision

Undeveloped street segment permanently vacated and closed.

Status: Completed
Block 14, El Dorado Subdivision (unnamed right-of-way)

El Dorado Subdivision

Public hearing set to consider right-of-way abandonment.

Status: Scheduled

Watch list

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

Parking zones and rates ordinance (O-24-33) — tabled without explanation

Open

Ordinance O-24-33, which would have amended parking zones and rates, was listed as an action item on the published agenda but was tabled at the meeting without a recorded vote or explanation in the available record.

Why it matters: The Board has not explained why the ordinance was delayed or when it plans to bring it back for consideration. Current parking rules remain in effect pending any future Board action.
Next check: Contact the City Clerk's office to determine whether the ordinance has been rescheduled and when residents should expect further action.

Intended use of donated and purchased properties — not disclosed

Open

The intended use of property at 111 Patriot Street (donated by Jeffrey and Sheri Malinowski) and 900 Whittington Avenue (purchased by the city) were not stated at the meeting.

Why it matters: Residents and stakeholders should know how the city plans to use these newly acquired properties. Both acquisitions warrant follow-up.
Next check: Follow up at the next meeting cycle to ask City officials about the intended uses of both properties.

El Dorado Subdivision right-of-way abandonment hearing — date not recorded

Open

The Board set a public hearing date for the proposed abandonment of an unnamed right-of-way in Block 14, El Dorado Subdivision, but the date has not been recorded in the available record.

Why it matters: Residents adjacent to the affected property should know when the hearing will occur in order to participate in the public comment process.
Next check: Contact the City Clerk's office to obtain the scheduled hearing date and notify potentially affected residents.

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

Confidence: High

Inputs available: minutes, agenda, transcript, public-comment capture, 22 parsed agenda items. High-quality source material supports all major findings.

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.