Hot Springs Board of Directors

July 1, 2025 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves $770K Sewer Lift Station Contract, Awards $288K Water Plant Engineering Deal

At its July 1, 2025 meeting, the Hot Springs Board of Directors approved $1,158,300 in spending across three items — a $770,300 emergency contract with Max Foote Construction for sewer lift station upgrades, a $288,000 engineering contract with Crist Engineers for the Ouachita Water Treatment Plant, and a $100,000 sports recreation master plan contract with Halff Associates — while also authorizing a record-shredding services contract, approving a small planned development on Gaines Avenue, and moving a records-destruction resolution to a split vote after one director pulled it from the consent agenda.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting July 1, 2025 Confidence: High Independent — not affiliated with the City of Hot Springs

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

View source notes Watch meeting ↗

The short version

The Board ratified a $770,300 contract with Max Foote Construction to upgrade two sewer lift stations, waiving the normal competitive bidding process; the specific reason for bypassing the bid process is not fully detailed in the available record.
The Board awarded a $288,000 contract to Crist Engineers to design and manage the bidding process for a plate settler upgrade at the Ouachita Water Treatment Plant.
The Board authorized a $100,000 agreement with Halff Associates to develop a comprehensive sports and recreation master plan for Hot Springs.
One agenda item — a resolution authorizing destruction of certain city records — was pulled from the routine consent package by Director Beard and voted on separately, passing 4-1, the only non-unanimous vote of the meeting.
The City Manager announced 'Operation Clean Sweep,' a three-week neighborhood cleanup starting July 7 covering roughly 500 addresses in District 3, offering free curbside pickup and litter crew assistance.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$1,158,300

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$770,300

Ordinance O-25-30: Lift Station Upgrades Contract Waiver

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Lift Station Upgrades Contract Waiver (O-25-30) emergency	$770,300	Max Foote Construction Company, LLC	5-0	`item:12`
Crist Engineers Contract — Ouachita Water Treatment Plant	$288,000	Crist Engineers, Inc.	5-0	`item:8`
Halff Associates Sports Recreation Master Plan	$100,000	Halff Associates, Inc.	5-0	`item:10`
Total identified spending	$1,158,300

Major decisions

Sewer Lift Station Upgrades — Max Foote Construction

Emergency / Ratification

Item: Emergency ratification — the Board waived competitive bidding and authorized a contract for upgrades to the Hot Springs Creek Sewer Lift Station and the Hot Springs #3 Lift Station.
Vote: 5-0
Cost: $770,300
Vendor / responsible: Max Foote Construction Company, LLC
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Two sewer lift stations serving Hot Springs will be upgraded; no service disruption timeline or affected service area is specified in the available record.
What the Board said or did: Engineering Project Manager Todd Piller explained the scope of the upgrades and the rationale for waiving competitive bidding. The record does not capture the specific justification in detail.
What remains unclear: The specific reason competitive bidding was waived — for example, emergency conditions, sole-source justification, or another basis — is not detailed in the available record.
Source: item:12

Halff Associates Sports Recreation Master Plan

Item: New contract — the Board authorized an agreement with Halff Associates, Inc. to develop a comprehensive master plan for sports and recreation in Hot Springs.
Vote: 5-0
Cost: $100,000
Vendor / responsible: Halff Associates, Inc.
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: The resulting master plan will guide future decisions about sports and recreation facilities citywide; specific facilities or neighborhoods to be studied are not listed in the available record.
What the Board said or did: Sports Recreation Manager Adam Ussery presented the initiative and discussed scope. A county official spoke in support, specifically mentioning interest in pickleball facilities.
What remains unclear: Which specific facilities, sites, or recreation types are in scope for the master plan, and when the finished plan is expected, are not specified in the available record.
Source: item:10

Planned Development at 514 Gaines Avenue

Item: Land-use approval — the Board approved a Planned Development plan with conditions for a roughly 0.19-acre property at 514 Gaines Avenue.
Vote: 5-0
Cost: No cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: Planning & Development Director Kathy Sellman
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: A small parcel on Gaines Avenue will be developed under a Planned Development designation; the intended use and any conditions attached are not detailed in the available record.
What the Board said or did: Planning & Development Director Kathy Sellman presented the proposal and conditions. The record does not capture additional Board discussion.
What remains unclear: The intended use of the property and the specific conditions attached to the approval are not specified in the available record.
Source: item:11

Destruction of City Records (R-25-130)

Item: Authorization for the destruction of certain city records in accordance with applicable law.
Vote: 4-1
Cost: No cost specified in the record.
Vendor / responsible: City Clerk Harmony Morrissey
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The available record does not identify which records are slated for destruction or which city departments are involved.
What the Board said or did: City Clerk Harmony Morrissey presented the resolution. Director Beard had moved the item from the consent agenda to New Business, triggering a separate vote. One director voted against; the record does not state the reason for that vote.
What remains unclear: Which records are authorized for destruction, which director voted against and why, and whether any records hold historical or audit significance are not detailed in the available record.
Source: item:9

Approved without separate discussion

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

Crist Engineers Contract — Ouachita Water Treatment Plant Plate Settler Project

Vote: 5-0 · $288,000 · Crist Engineers, Inc.

item:8
Rock Solid Shredding Services Contract (R-25-131)

Vote: 5-0 · No cost specified in the record. · Rock Doc, LLC d/b/a Rock Solid Shredding

item:7

Locations affected

Hot Springs Creek Sewer Lift Station

Lift station upgrades contracted to Max Foote Construction

Status: Scheduled
Hot Springs #3 Lift Station

Lift station upgrades contracted to Max Foote Construction

Status: Scheduled
Ouachita Water Treatment Plant

Engineering design contract awarded to Crist Engineers for plate settler upgrade project

Status: Planned
514 Gaines Avenue

514 Gaines Avenue, Hot Springs

Planned Development approved with conditions for a 0.19-acre parcel

Status: Confirmed
District 3 and surrounding areas

District 3

Operation Clean Sweep neighborhood cleanup program starting July 7, 2025, with free curbside pickup and litter crew assistance covering approximately 500 addresses

Status: Scheduled

Watch list

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

Competitive Bidding Waiver Justification for Lift Station Contract

Open

The rationale for waiving competitive bidding on the $770,300 lift station contract has not been fully documented in the available record.

Why it matters: Competitive bidding waivers require clear justification in the public record; the specific basis (emergency, sole source, or other) should be verified to ensure compliance with procurement policy.
Next check: The next briefing should verify whether the justification appears in the signed ordinance or project file.

Halff Associates Sports Recreation Master Plan Development

Open

The Halff Associates sports recreation master plan will shape future facility decisions citywide.

Why it matters: The findings and recommendations from this $100,000 study will likely inform future capital spending and land-use decisions across Hot Springs.
Next check: The next briefing should note when a draft or findings are presented to the Board.

Records Destruction Resolution Split Vote

Open

The 4-1 vote on the records-destruction resolution was the meeting's only split vote; the record does not explain the dissent.

Why it matters: Understanding which records are involved and whether any concerns were raised about historical or audit significance is important for public oversight of records management.
Next check: Direct inquiry to the City Clerk's office would clarify which records are involved and whether any concerns were raised.

Levi Hospital Closure Community Impact

Open

Mayor McCabe raised questions about the Levi Hospital closure and its community impact during Board Commentary; no action was taken and no follow-up was scheduled.

Why it matters: Hospital closure can have significant impacts on public health access and community resources; the Board's response or lack thereof warrants monitoring.
Next check: The next briefing should note whether any city response or follow-up discussion is planned regarding Levi Hospital closure impacts.

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
transcript: Video Transcript — 00:01:55
transcript: Video Transcript — 00:03:00
transcript: Video Transcript — 00:05:00
transcript: Video Transcript — 00:06:20
transcript: Video Transcript — 00:23:20
other: Public Comment — Sally Carder, Community Resource Center
other: Public Comment — Steve Clements, County Official

Confidence: High

Minutes, agenda, transcript, and public-comment capture all available. Fourteen parsed agenda items provide comprehensive record of decisions and discussion.

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.