Hot Springs Board of Directors

April 28, 2026 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting — No Spending Approved; Cybersecurity Renewal, Dark Fiber Lease, STEP Grant, and Wastewater Impact Fee Ordinance Previewed

The April 28, 2026 agenda meeting carried no spending votes — all action items are scheduled for the next formal meeting — but the Board previewed a cybersecurity contract renewal (~$70K city share), a 5-year dark fiber lease extension, a $225,424 traffic-enforcement grant application, a budget-correction transfer for two pickup trucks, and a new wastewater development impact fee ordinance.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting April 28, 2026 Confidence: Medium 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

This was an agenda (preview) meeting, not a formal voting session; no votes were taken and no spending was approved.
The Board previewed a one-year cybersecurity services renewal with VC3 Incorporated, with the city's share estimated at roughly $70,100.
Staff presented a 5-year dark fiber lease extension with Resort Television Cable for network connections to six city sites, including a new location at 900 Whittington with a one-time $15,000 installation fee.
The Board also previewed authorization to apply for a $225,424 federal traffic-enforcement grant (STEP) with no required city match, and a budget-correction transfer of $47,534 to record a 2023 truck transfer.
A public hearing was scheduled for May 19 on a petition to close a small undeveloped alleyway segment behind a home in the 300 block of Morrison Avenue.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

—

No spending items identified

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Cybersecurity Services Contract Renewal (VC3 Incorporated)	$70,100	VC3 Incorporated	—	`item:6`
Dark Fiber Lease Installation Fee	$15,000	Resort Television Cable Incorporated	—	`item:7`
Budget Correction Transfer - Pickup Trucks budget transfer	$47,534	—	—	`item:4`
Total identified spending	$132,634

Major decisions

First Quarter Financial Report

Item: Scheduled presentation — Finance Director Karen Scott was set to deliver the city's first-quarter 2026 financial report.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: City Finance Department / Karen Scott
Discussion level: None Approved without separate discussion
Resident impact: The report covers the city's overall financial condition for January–March 2026; no specific resident-facing impact identified at this stage.
What the Board said or did: Listed as a scheduled presentation; no discussion or action recorded at this agenda meeting.
What remains unclear: The content of the financial report is not described in the available record; the presentation itself is scheduled for the formal meeting.
Source: item:2

Resolution R2681 — Acknowledging March 2026 Financial Statements

Item: Proposed resolution to formally receive and acknowledge the city's March 2026 monthly financial statements.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: City Finance Department
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The financial statements are a routine transparency document showing the city's monthly financial condition; the resolution places them formally in the record.
What the Board said or did: Staff recommended acknowledging receipt; the statements are provided as an attachment. No substantive discussion recorded.
What remains unclear: The attached March 2026 financial statements are not summarized in the available record.
Source: item:3

Resolution R2682 — Budget Correction for Two Pickup Truck Transfers

Item: Proposed budget transfer of $47,534 from the general fund to the utility administration fund to record a truck transfer that was physically completed in 2023 but never entered into the financial system.
Vote: —
Cost: Budget transfer from general fund to utility administration fund vehicle purchases line item
Vendor / responsible: City Planning Department and Utility Billing Services Department
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Corrects an accounting gap from 2023; no direct service change for residents.
What the Board said or did: Staff noted that the Board had approved the truck transfer in February 2023, the physical move happened, but the financial transaction was never recorded. Staff also described improved dual-check procedures now in place.
What remains unclear: The record does not specify which two trucks were involved or why the recording lapse was not caught sooner.
Source: item:4

Resolution R2684 — Cybersecurity Services Contract Renewal with VC3 Incorporated

Item: Proposed one-year renewal of a cybersecurity services contract with VC3 Incorporated under the TIPS cooperative purchasing program, covering antivirus software, DNS monitoring, vulnerability management, and 24/7 network monitoring.
Vote: —
Cost: City share approximately $70,100 (total contract ~$130,000 split 50/50 with county, plus ~$5,100 implementation fees)
Vendor / responsible: VC3 Incorporated
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Covers security monitoring of city networks; the vendor's Security Operations Center can take defensive actions after hours when city staff is unavailable.
What the Board said or did: A director asked what services the contract covers and how the city is alerted to threats or compromises. Staff explained the scope, including the 24/7 SOC that monitors networks and alerts city staff to discovered threats.
What remains unclear: The record does not specify which city systems or departments are covered, or whether the contract cost is drawn from a specific fund.
Source: item:6

Resolution R2686 — Setting Public Hearing on Alleyway Closure Petition

Item: Proposed resolution to schedule a public hearing on a petition to vacate, abandon, and close a 75-foot by 15-foot undeveloped section of alleyway 94001, located behind a property in the 300 block of Morrison Avenue.
Vote: —
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: Petitioner: resident of the 300 block of Morrison Avenue
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: The public hearing, scheduled for May 19, would give nearby property owners and the public an opportunity to comment before any closure decision. The alleyway section in question is undeveloped; a separate developed portion further away is in use and is not part of this petition.
What the Board said or did: A director asked whether the alleyway is currently being used and noted awareness of a nearby portion that is in active use. Staff clarified that the section behind the petitioner's house is undeveloped, that the neighboring property owner also signed the petition, and that staff and utility providers have no objections. Notice will run in the newspaper for two weeks before May 19.
What remains unclear: The record does not identify who currently owns or maintains the undeveloped alleyway segment, or what the petitioner intends to do with the parcel if the closure is approved.
Source: item:8

Approved without separate discussion

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

Resolution R2683 — STEP Traffic Enforcement Grant Application

Vote: — · Total grant budget request is $225,424. The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step.

item:5
Resolution R2685 — Dark Fiber Lease Extension with Resort Television Cable

Vote: — · $15,000 · Resort Television Cable Incorporated

item:7
Ordinance 02607 — Wastewater Development Impact Fees

Vote: — · No cost specified in the record

item:9

Locations affected

300 block of Morrison Avenue

300 block of Morrison Avenue, Hot Springs, AR

Alleyway 94001 closure petition; public hearing scheduled for May 19, 2026

Status: Scheduled
900 Whittington

900 Whittington, Hot Springs, AR

New city network connection point added under dark fiber lease extension; one-time $15,000 installation fee

Status: Planned

Watch list

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

Ordinance 02607 (Wastewater Impact Fees)

Open

No staff explanation, fee amounts, or comparison to existing Ordinance 5275 appeared in the record for this agenda meeting.

Why it matters: Development impact fees directly affect the cost of new construction and development projects in the city.
Next check: Ordinance text and fee schedule should be reviewed before the formal vote.

Dark Fiber Lease Total Contract Value

Open

The monthly rate ($480/location × 6 locations × 60 months) and the $15,000 installation fee were presented, but the exact total requiring board approval was not stated.

Why it matters: The full contract amount is necessary to assess the financial commitment and ensure budget alignment.
Next check: The full contract amount should be confirmed at the formal meeting.

Truck Transfer Accounting Lapse (R2682)

Open

Staff described new dual-check procedures adopted after the 2023 recording failure. Whether those procedures have been applied to other internal transfers has not been addressed in the available record.

Why it matters: This reveals a potential systemic accounting control gap that may affect other financial transactions.
Next check: Confirm whether the new dual-check procedures have been applied retroactively to other internal transfers.

Cybersecurity Contract Fund Source

Open

The record does not specify which city fund covers the ~$70,100 city share of the VC3 renewal.

Why it matters: Understanding the fund source is necessary for accurate budget monitoring and accountability.
Next check: Confirm the fund source for the cybersecurity contract before the formal vote.

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: Agenda Item 1 - Proclamation
agenda: Agenda Item 2 - First Quarter Financial Report
agenda: Agenda Item 3 - Resolution R2681 Financial Statements
agenda: Agenda Item 4 - Resolution R2682 Budget Correction
agenda: Agenda Item 5 - Resolution R2683 STEP Grant
agenda: Agenda Item 6 - Resolution R2684 Cybersecurity Renewal
agenda: Agenda Item 7 - Resolution R2685 Dark Fiber Lease
agenda: Agenda Item 8 - Resolution R2686 Alleyway Closure
agenda: Agenda Item 9 - Ordinance 02607 Wastewater Impact Fees

Confidence: Medium

Transcript and public-comment capture available; 9 parsed agenda items; this was a preview meeting with no votes taken; ordinance details and some contract totals are absent from the record.

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.