Hot Springs Board of Directors

June 3, 2025 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves $1,065K in Wastewater Change Orders, Locks In $1,281K Cost Savings on Sewer Interceptor

The Hot Springs Board of Directors approved four change orders totaling $1,064,486 for ongoing wastewater projects — $248,942 for additional work at Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant, $414,500 for construction administration and design at Davidson Drive, $249,294 for additional work at Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station, and $151,750 for construction administration at the Gulpha Pump Station — and approved a cost-saving change order that reduces the Lower Gulpha Interceptor Phase 1 contract by $1,281,276; the Board also accepted an airport hangar roof grant, condemned structures at 214 Potter Street, and rezoned two properties.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting June 3, 2025 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 a change order with Coakley Company, Inc. that cuts $1,281,276 from the cost of the Lower Gulpha Interceptor Phase 1 sewer construction project.
Four additional change orders added a combined $1,064,486 to wastewater construction contracts with Max Foote Construction Company, LLC and engineering firm Crist Engineers, Inc. for work at the Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station.
The only split vote of the meeting was 6-1 on the $414,500 Crist Engineers change order for construction administration and design changes at the Davidson Drive plant; the record does not identify which director voted against or explain the dissent.
The Board authorized acceptance of a state grant from the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics for hangar roof repairs at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport, and also condemned structures at 214 Potter Street as a public nuisance.
Two properties were rezoned: 175 Waine Place moved from Rural Residential to Commercial Transitional, and 223 Civic Street moved from Residential Neighborhood-5 to Central Business District.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$2,345,762

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$1,281,276

Cost Saving Change Order for Lower Gulpha Interceptor Phase 1 Construction

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Cost Saving Change Order — Lower Gulpha Interceptor Phase 1	—	Coakley Company, Inc.	7-0	`item:9`
Change Order — Additional Work, Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant	$248,942	Max Foote Construction Company, LLC	7-0	`item:10`
Change Order — Construction Administration and Design, Davidson Drive Wastewater Plant	$414,500	Crist Engineers, Inc.	6-1	`item:11`
Change Order — Additional Work, Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station	$249,294	Max Foote Construction Company, LLC	7-0	`item:12`
Change Order — Construction Administration, Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station	$151,750	Crist Engineers, Inc.	7-0	`item:13`
Total identified spending	$1,064,486

Major decisions

Change order for construction administration and design — Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant (Crist Engineers)

Item: Approved change order number 3 to the contract with Crist Engineers, Inc. for additional construction administration and design changes at the Davidson Drive Wastewater Plant Improvements project.
Vote: 6-1
Cost: $414,500
Vendor / responsible: Crist Engineers, Inc.
Discussion level: None Approved without separate discussion
Resident impact: Adds engineering and oversight costs to the Davidson Drive plant upgrade.
What the Board said or did: The available record does not identify which director cast the dissenting vote or provide any explanation for the opposition.
What remains unclear: The reason for the dissent, and what design changes or additional administration prompted this third change order, are not explained in the available record.
Source: item:11

Approved without separate discussion

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

Cost-saving change order — Lower Gulpha Interceptor Phase 1

Vote: 7-0 · $1,281,276 reduction (cost saving, not an expenditure) · Coakley Company, Inc.

item:9
Change order for additional work — Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant (Max Foote)

Vote: 7-0 · $248,942 · Max Foote Construction Company, LLC

item:10
Change order for additional work — Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station (Max Foote)

Vote: 7-0 · $249,294 · Max Foote Construction Company, LLC

item:12
Change order for construction administration — Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station (Crist Engineers)

Vote: 7-0 · $151,750 · Crist Engineers, Inc.

item:13
Grant acceptance — Hangar roof repairs, Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport

Vote: 7-0 · The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step. · Arkansas Division of Aeronautics

item:7
Condemnation of structures — 214 Potter Street

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

item:8
Zoning change — 175 Waine Place (Rural Residential to Commercial Transitional)

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

item:14
Zoning change — 223 Civic Street (Residential Neighborhood-5 to Central Business District)

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

item:15

Locations affected

Lower Gulpha area

Lower Gulpha

Phase 1 sewer interceptor construction; cost-saving change order reduces contract by $1,281,276.

Status: Scheduled
Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant

Additional construction work ($248,942) and additional engineering administration and design ($414,500) approved.

Status: Scheduled
Gulpha Wet Weather Sewer Pump Station

Additional construction work ($249,294) and additional construction administration and inspection ($151,750) approved.

Status: Scheduled
Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport

State grant accepted for hangar roof repairs.

Status: Confirmed
214 Potter Street

214 Potter Street, Hot Springs, AR

Structures declared a public nuisance and condemned.

Status: Confirmed
175 Waine Place

175 Waine Place, Hot Springs, AR

Approximately 2.20 acres rezoned from Rural Residential to Commercial Transitional.

Status: Confirmed
223 Civic Street

223 Civic Street, Hot Springs, AR

Approximately 0.18 acres rezoned from Residential Neighborhood-5 to Central Business District.

Status: Confirmed
Central Avenue / Bridge Street area

Downtown

Downtown improvements including Bridge Street painting and new crosswalks reported as recently completed.

Status: Completed

Watch list

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

Dissenting vote on Crist Engineers change order unexplained

Open

The only split vote of the meeting was 6-1 on the $414,500 Crist Engineers change order for construction administration and design changes at the Davidson Drive plant. The record does not identify which director voted against or explain the dissent.

Why it matters: Understanding the basis for dissent on a significant engineering contract could reveal concerns about project scope, budget, or performance that warrant public awareness.
Next check: Review director correspondence, public comments, or subsequent meeting records for any statements of concern related to this vote.

Airport hangar roof grant scope and local match unclear

Open

The Board accepted a state grant from the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics for hangar roof repairs at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport, but the grant amount, any required local match, and the scope of the roof repairs are not specified in the available record.

Why it matters: The city's actual financial obligation and the total project cost are unknown; understanding the local match requirement is essential for budget planning.
Next check: Review the grant agreement or contact the airport department to determine total project cost and any local spending obligation.

Rezoned properties lack identified development plans

Open

Two properties were rezoned (175 Waine Place from Rural Residential to Commercial Transitional; 223 Civic Street from Residential Neighborhood-5 to Central Business District), but the record does not identify a proposed use or developer for either property.

Why it matters: Rezoning without a known development proposal makes it difficult to assess whether the change aligns with city planning and what community impacts may result.
Next check: Monitor future permit applications or development proposals at 175 Waine Place and 223 Civic Street.

City Manager's ongoing initiatives lack scheduled action dates

Open

The City Manager's report referenced several ongoing initiatives — new parking deck funding, South Fire Station construction, sports recreation master plan, and affordable housing work — with no scheduled action dates provided.

Why it matters: Without clear timelines, it is difficult to track the progress of significant capital and policy initiatives.
Next check: Check upcoming meeting agendas for action items or reports related to these initiatives.

Wastewater change orders lack detailed scope justification

Open

Four change orders to wastewater construction contracts do not explain the specific scope changes that triggered additional costs or cost savings.

Why it matters: The public cannot assess the appropriateness of contract modifications without understanding what work was added, deleted, or changed.
Next check: Request detailed change order documentation from the Public Works or Engineering departments.

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: Meeting Transcript

Confidence: High

Minutes, agenda, transcript, and public-comment capture are all available. All 16 agenda items were parsed with clear votes and discussion levels.

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.