Hot Springs Board of Directors

December 17, 2024 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves New Wastewater Rates, Authorizes FAA Airport Terminal Grant, and Condemns Two Properties

At its December 17, 2024 meeting, the Hot Springs Board of Directors approved 16 items unanimously — including a new wastewater rate ordinance, an FAA airport terminal grant authorization, condemnations of two nuisance properties, a new taxi permit, and a downtown parking ordinance — with no spending approved at this meeting.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting December 17, 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 passed an ordinance setting new wastewater rates for the city's system, replacing three previous rate ordinances, on a 6-0 voice vote following a public hearing with three speakers.
The Board authorized the city to apply for and accept a federal grant from the FAA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Terminal Program for improvements at Hot Springs Memorial Airport; no city spending commitment appears in the available record at this step.
The Board condemned structures at 234 Garden Street and 331 Holly Street as nuisances under the city code, a step that can lead to required repairs or demolition.
The City Manager reported the 2024 Paving Program is 92% complete and that the city received a $500,000 TAP grant for Phase 2 of the Stokes Creek Greenway Trail.
The Board approved a new parking ordinance providing options for eligible residents of the Downtown Central Avenue Corridor, and approved a taxicab permit for a new operator.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

—

No spending items were approved at this meeting

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Major decisions

Wastewater System Rate Ordinance (second reading)

Item: The Board passed an ordinance setting new rates for the city's wastewater system, repealing three prior rate ordinances (O-5978, O-6354, and O-6428). This was the second reading; rules were suspended to read by title only.
Vote: 6-0 voice vote
Cost: No direct city expenditure; the ordinance sets rates charged to customers.
Vendor / responsible: City of Hot Springs wastewater system
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Wastewater customers will be billed at new rates under this ordinance. The record does not specify how rates will change compared to current levels.
What the Board said or did: A public hearing was held immediately before the vote; the ordinance passed by voice vote. The City Manager had earlier addressed what he described as misinformation in a local newspaper about wastewater rates, noting that 63% of wastewater customers are city residents, that all $30 million in associated projects are described as necessary, and that the bond-type language (3 or 5 year) refers to tax status rather than project duration.
What remains unclear: The specific new rate amounts and how they compare to current rates are not shown in the available record.
Source: item:17

Public Hearing on Wastewater System Rates

Item: A required public hearing was held before the wastewater rate ordinance vote. Three members of the public spoke.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: The hearing provided an opportunity for residents to comment before the rate change was enacted.
What the Board said or did: Three residents — Pat King, Jim Keary, and Dayton Myers — provided public comment. The substance of their comments is not detailed in the available record.
What remains unclear: The content of each speaker's comments is not captured in the available record.
Source: item:16

Approved without separate discussion

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

FAA Airport Terminal Grant Authorization

Vote: 6-0 · The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step.

item:14
Nuisance Property Condemnation — 234 Garden Street

Vote: 6-0 voice vote · No cost specified in the record

item:18
Nuisance Property Condemnation — 331 Holly Street

Vote: 6-0 voice vote · No cost specified in the record

item:19
Downtown Central Avenue Parking Ordinance

Vote: 6-0 voice vote · No cost specified in the record

item:21
Taxicab Service Permit — Good Times Taxi

Vote: 6-0 voice vote · No cost specified in the record · Jason Bennett d/b/a Good Times Taxi

item:20
ARPA Expenditure Reclassification

Vote: 6-0 · No cost specified in the record; this is an administrative reclassification of existing funds.

item:8
ARPA Funds Transfer

Vote: 6-0 · No cost specified in the record; this is a transfer of existing ARPA funds between city accounts.

item:9
High Impact Movement Agreement Extension

Vote: 6-0 · No cost specified in the record · High Impact Movement, Inc.

item:12
HVAC Unit Bid Award — Ouachita Water Treatment Plant

Vote: 6-0 · No dollar amount specified in the available record · Comfort Systems USA (Arkansas), Inc.

item:15

Locations affected

234 Garden Street

234 Garden Street

Structure declared a nuisance and condemned under city code.

Status: Confirmed
331 Holly Street

331 Holly Street

Structure declared a nuisance and condemned under city code.

Status: Confirmed
Hot Springs Memorial Airport

FAA Airport Terminal Program grant authorized; terminal building improvements pending grant award.

Status: Planned
Ouachita Water Treatment Plant

New HVAC unit bid awarded to Comfort Systems USA (Arkansas), Inc.

Status: Confirmed
Stokes Creek Greenway Trail (Phase 2)

City received a $500,000 TAP grant for Phase 2.

Status: Confirmed
Downtown Central Avenue Corridor

Downtown Central Avenue

New parking options authorized for eligible corridor residents.

Status: Confirmed

Watch list

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

HVAC Unit Contract Amount

Open

The contract amount for the HVAC unit bid award to Comfort Systems USA (Arkansas), Inc. at the Ouachita Water Treatment Plant was not disclosed in the available record.

Why it matters: The public record should show the cost of all contracts awarded by the city.
Next check: The Finance or Public Works department can confirm the contract figure.

New Wastewater Rates

Open

The specific new wastewater rates set by ordinance O-24-38, and how they compare to rates under the repealed ordinances, are not shown in the available record.

Why it matters: Ratepayers need to know the impact of the new ordinance on their utility bills.
Next check: The city's wastewater utility office or a review of the ordinance text would confirm the rate changes.

FAA Airport Terminal Grant Details

Open

The FAA Airport Terminal Program grant amount sought, any required local match, and the scope of planned terminal improvements at Hot Springs Memorial Airport have not been disclosed at this stage.

Why it matters: Understanding the federal funding and local obligations is essential for budget planning and project scope.
Next check: Grant application materials or follow-up board discussion will clarify these details.

ARPA Fund Transfers and Reclassifications

Open

The dollar amounts transferred and decommitted under the two ARPA resolutions (R-24-227 and R-24-228) are not in the available record.

Why it matters: The public needs transparency about how federal relief funds are being deployed.
Next check: A review of the resolutions themselves would show the figures.

Condemned Property Enforcement Timeline

Open

The enforcement timeline and next steps for the two condemned properties at 234 Garden Street and 331 Holly Street have not been described.

Why it matters: Property owners and neighbors need clarity on the timeline for required repairs or demolition.
Next check: The city's code enforcement office would have that information.

Downtown Parking Ordinance Details

Open

The eligibility criteria and specific parking options created by ordinance O-24-40 for Downtown Central Avenue Corridor residents are not described in the available record.

Why it matters: Residents need to know whether they qualify and what benefits are available.
Next check: Reviewing the ordinance text or contacting the city's transportation or planning department would clarify.

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: Meeting Video
agenda: Meeting Agenda
minutes: Meeting Minutes
transcript: Video Transcript — Full

Confidence: High

Complete record available including minutes, agenda, video transcript, and public comment capture across 23 parsed agenda items.

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.