Hot Springs Board of Directors

December 16, 2025 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves $1,777K Wastewater Engineering Contract, Condemns Two Properties in Split Votes

At its December 16, 2025 meeting, the Hot Springs Board of Directors approved $3,123,530.78 in total identified spending — including a $1,777,000 engineering contract with Crist Engineers for wastewater treatment plant improvements, a $233,646 change order for additional work at the Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant, a $108,631 change order for the Gulpha Sewer Pump Station, an $80,989 change order for airport taxiway reconstruction, a $158,164.78 repurposing of Community Development Block Grant funds, a $15,100 amendment to an airport engineering contract, and a $750,000 National Park Service grant amendment — and voted 5-2 to condemn two residential properties and 7-0 to call a special election on Board member compensation.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Regular Meeting December 16, 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 awarded a $1,777,000 engineering contract to Crist Engineers for dewatering and conveying improvements at the Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest single expenditure of the meeting.
Two properties — 229 Bluff Street and 210 Walter Street — were declared nuisances and condemned in split 5-2 votes; a member of the public spoke on both items.
Directors voted 7-0 to call a special election asking Hot Springs residents whether to increase compensation for Board members.
The Board approved 14 items as a group of routine actions, including two change orders totaling $342,277 for ongoing wastewater and airport construction projects, a repurposing of $158,164.78 in federal block grant funds, and an amendment to a $750,000 National Park Service historic revitalization grant.
The total identified spending approved at this meeting was $3,123,530.78 across seven spending actions.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$3,123,531

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$1,777,000

Crist Engineers contract for Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Crist Engineers — Wastewater Treatment Plant engineering (Work Order No. 13)	$1,777,000	Crist Engineers, Inc.	7-0	`item:19`
Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant amendment	$750,000	National Park Service	7-0	`item:20`
Max Foote — Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant change order	$233,646	Max Foote Construction Company, Inc.	7-0	`item:17`
CDBG substantial amendment — repurposing of federal block grant funds budget transfer	$158,165	N/A	7-0	`item:12`
Max Foote — Gulpha Sewer Pump Station change order	$108,631	Max Foote Construction Company, LLC	7-0	`item:18`
Redstone Construction — Taxiway A and B reconstruction change order	$80,989	Redstone Construction Group Inc.	7-0	`item:14`
Garver — Airport taxiway engineering contract amendment	$15,100	Garver, LLC	7-0	`item:13`
Total identified spending	$3,123,531

Major decisions

Nuisance Property Condemnation — 229 Bluff Street

Item: Old business — declaring structure at 229 Bluff Street a nuisance and condemning it under Title 17 of the Hot Springs Code.
Vote: 5-2
Cost: No cost specified
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Structure is declared a legal nuisance; condemnation under Title 17 can lead to required repairs or demolition by the property owner or the city. Owner and neighbors are directly affected.
What the Board said or did: A speaker named Adrianne Knowles addressed the Board. Two directors voted against condemnation; the record does not explain the dissenting votes.
What remains unclear: The record does not show what arguments Knowles made, what the basis for the two dissenting votes was, what remediation timeline applies, or who owns the property.
Source: item:21

Nuisance Property Condemnation — 210 Walter Street

Item: Old business — declaring structure at 210 Walter Street a nuisance and condemning it under Title 17 of the Hot Springs Code.
Vote: 5-2
Cost: No cost specified
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Structure is declared a legal nuisance; condemnation under Title 17 can lead to required repairs or demolition by the property owner or the city. Owner and neighbors are directly affected.
What the Board said or did: A speaker named Adrianne Knowles addressed the Board. Two directors voted against condemnation; the record does not explain the dissenting votes.
What remains unclear: The record does not show what arguments Knowles made, what the basis for the two dissenting votes was, what remediation timeline applies, or who owns the property.
Source: item:22

Special Election on Board Compensation

Item: Ordinance — calling a special election for Hot Springs voters on the question of whether to increase compensation for Board of Directors members.
Vote: 7-0
Cost: No cost specified
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Hot Springs voters will be asked to decide this question at a special election; the date of the election is not specified in the record.
What the Board said or did: A public commenter spoke in favor of increasing Board compensation, citing the goal of attracting qualified candidates. The Board approved the ordinance unanimously.
What remains unclear: The record does not show the proposed new compensation amount, the special election date, or the current compensation level for comparison.
Source: item:23

Approved without separate discussion

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

Crist Engineers Contract — Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements

Vote: 7-0 · $1,777,000 · Crist Engineers, Inc.

item:19
Max Foote — Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant Change Order No. 3

Vote: 7-0 · $233,646 · Max Foote Construction Company, Inc.

item:17
Max Foote — Gulpha Sewer Pump Station Change Order No. 3

Vote: 7-0 · $108,631 · Max Foote Construction Company, LLC

item:18
CDBG Substantial Amendment — Repurposing of Federal Block Grant Funds

Vote: 7-0 · $158,165

item:12
Airport Taxiway Reconstruction — Change Order and Engineering Amendment

Vote: 7-0 · $96,089 · Redstone Construction Group Inc.; Garver, LLC

item:13,item:14
Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant — Amendment

Vote: 7-0 · $750,000 · National Park Service

item:20
Employee Parking and Downtown Resident Parking Programs — Ordinance Amendment

Vote: 7-0 · No cost specified

item:25
High Impact Movement Youth Program Extension

Vote: 7-0 · No cost specified · High Impact Movement, Inc.

item:24

Locations affected

Davidson Drive Wastewater Treatment Plant

New $1,777,000 engineering contract (Crist Engineers, Work Order No. 13) for dewatering and conveying improvements; also a $233,646 change order (Max Foote Construction) for additional work.

Status: Ongoing
Gulpha Sewer Pump Station

$108,631 change order for additional construction work (Max Foote Construction).

Status: Ongoing
Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport

$80,989 change order and $15,100 engineering amendment for Phase 1 taxiway reconstruction of Taxiways A and B.

Status: Ongoing
229 Bluff Street

229 Bluff Street, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Structure declared a nuisance and condemned under Title 17.

Status: Condemned
210 Walter Street

210 Walter Street, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Structure declared a nuisance and condemned under Title 17.

Status: Condemned
First Security Way Fire Station

City Manager reported construction is progressing; completion expected late January or early February, with the station operational by May 2026.

Status: Under Construction
Kenneth Adair Park

Hosted the Christmas Memories community event.

Status: Completed
Downtown Hot Springs

Downtown

Amendments to the Employee Parking Program and Downtown Resident Parking Program affect parking rules in this area.

Status: Ordinance Approved

Watch list

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

Special election details

Open

The ordinance calling a special election on Board compensation passed 7-0, but the record does not show the proposed compensation amount or the election date.

Why it matters: Voters need to know the date and the specific compensation proposal being considered.
Next check: Contact the city clerk's office or city attorney's office for the ordinance text with election date and proposed compensation amount.

Nuisance property outcomes — 229 Bluff Street and 210 Walter Street

Open

Both condemnations passed 5-2 with no explanation of the dissenting votes and no remediation timeline in the record.

Why it matters: Property owners and neighbors need clarity on remediation expectations and timelines.
Next check: Next briefing should check whether owners have responded or whether demolition or repair proceedings have begun.

CDBG substantial amendment — what changed

Open

The record does not show which programs or projects gained or lost the $158,164.78 in redirected federal block grant funds.

Why it matters: Community members and programs affected by the reallocation need transparency on the changes.
Next check: Review the full amendment document with the city's Community Development department.

Crist Engineers wastewater contract scope

Open

The $1,777,000 engineering contract covers dewatering and conveying improvements, but the record does not include a project timeline or an estimate of downstream construction costs.

Why it matters: The public needs visibility into project scope, timeline, and ultimate project costs.
Next check: Review Work Order No. 13 document with the Utilities department.

Paul Bruhn grant amendment

Open

The record does not describe what changed in the amendment to the $750,000 NPS historic revitalization grant, which structures are included, or whether a local match is required.

Why it matters: Property owners and historic preservation stakeholders need clarity on grant terms and participating properties.
Next check: Direct inquiry to the city's planning or historic preservation office.

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: Full Meeting Transcript

Confidence: High

Minutes, agenda, transcript, and public-comment capture available. All 27 agenda items parsed with vote records and discussion levels documented.

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.