Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting

October 29, 2024 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Awards $197K Creek Kayak-Trail Contract, Approves $109K Sewer Equipment and $46K Airport Work Order

The Board of Directors approved $457,508.93 in total identified spending, covering a $197,250 contract to Cate, Incorporated for a kayak launch and trail along Hot Springs Creek, a $108,958.93 sewer easement machine purchased through a cooperative procurement program, a $46,300 construction administration work order for airport runway rehabilitation, and authorized filing for a $50,000 T-Mobile placemaking grant for a David F. Watkins Memorial Park splash pad.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting Agenda Meeting October 29, 2024 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

The Board awarded a $197,250 contract to Cate, Incorporated for a trail and kayak launch connecting the Jean Wallace Trailhead to Hot Springs Creek under the Martin Luther King Expressway, with part of the cost covered by an energy grant.
The Board approved buying a $108,958.93 sewer easement machine from River City Hydraulics that will allow crews to reach roughly 40% of city sewer manholes that are currently inaccessible.
The Board authorized the city to file for a $50,000 T-Mobile grant toward a splash pad at David F. Watkins Memorial Park; the project has a total estimated cost of $95,000–$105,000 and is aimed at late summer 2025 opening.
The Board approved a $46,300 work order to Garver LLC for construction administration on runway 523 rehabilitation at Hot Springs Memorial Airport, with the cost covered by a 95-5 state-federal grant split.
The Board acknowledged corrected August 2024 financial statements after the city's New World ERP system overstated prior-year comparison figures; the 2024 figures were not affected.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$457,509

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$197,250

Hot Springs Creek Kayak Launch and Trail Project Contract

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Hot Springs Creek Kayak Launch and Trail Project	$197,250	Cate, Incorporated	Passed	`item:6`
Purchase of Sewer Equipment Easement Machine	$108,959	River City Hydraulics	Passed	`item:5`
Airport Runway 523 Rehabilitation – Construction Administration	$46,300	Garver LLC	Passed	`item:8`
T-Mobile Placemaking Grant – David F. Watkins Memorial Park Splash Pad	$50,000	T-Mobile	Passed	`item:7`
Total identified spending	$402,509

Major decisions

Corrected August 2024 Financial Statements

Item: Acknowledgment of corrected financial statements for August 2024 (Resolution R24185), amending a prior resolution; no spending action.
Vote: Passed
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: Tyler Technologies
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The 2024 budget figures residents and staff relied on were correct; only the year-over-year comparison column showing FY 2023 amounts was overstated due to a software error.
What the Board said or did: Staff explained that multiple ERP outages in October caused the August report to pull an extra month of 2023 data into the comparison column. Staff noted they are preparing a request for proposals for new financial software after the current budget cycle concludes.
What remains unclear: No timeline was given for the new software procurement. The record does not specify which prior resolution (R-10519) was amended or what that resolution originally covered.
Source: item:1

T-Mobile Placemaking Grant — David F. Watkins Memorial Park Splash Pad

Item: Authorization to file and accept a 2025 T-Mobile placemaking grant of $50,000 for a splash pad at David F. Watkins Memorial Park (Resolution R-24196).
Vote: Passed
Cost: The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step. Total project estimated at $95,000–$105,000.
Vendor / responsible: T-Mobile
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: If funded, the ADA-accessible water playground would open in late summer 2025 in the Park Avenue corridor, serving a community described by staff as having limited access to affordable aquatic facilities.
What the Board said or did: Director Garcia noted that misinformation had circulated suggesting the splash pad was being relocated to the Majestic site. She asked staff to prepare public communications to correct that and to engage nonprofit organizations involved in the project.
What remains unclear: The grant application deadline is December 31, 2024, with an award announcement expected in March 2025. It is not yet known whether the grant will be awarded. The record does not detail any city general-fund contribution to cover any remaining gap if total donations and grants fall short of the project estimate.
Source: item:7

Construction Manager at Risk Services Agreement

Item: Authorization of an agreement with Hill and Cox Corporation for construction manager at risk and general contractor services (Resolution R-24198); no specific project or dollar amount identified in the available record.
Vote: Passed
Cost: No cost specified in the record — the agreement sets a delivery method using a guaranteed maximum price to be set once construction documents are complete.
Vendor / responsible: Hill and Cox Corporation
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The record does not identify which specific city project or facility this agreement covers.
What the Board said or did: Staff described the construction manager at risk model as providing enhanced cost control through pre-construction estimating and value engineering. The CM acts as the day-to-day link between contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, and the city.
What remains unclear: The available record does not name the project this agreement is tied to, the anticipated guaranteed maximum price, or the project schedule.
Source: item:9

Approved without separate discussion

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

Hot Springs Creek Kayak Launch and Trail Project Contract

Vote: Passed · $197,250 · Cate, Incorporated

item:6
Purchase of Sewer Equipment Easement Machine

Vote: Passed · $108,959 · River City Hydraulics

item:5
Airport Runway 523 Rehabilitation — Construction Administration Work Order

Vote: Passed · $46,300 · Garver LLC

item:8

Locations affected

Hot Springs Creek / Jean Wallace Trailhead to Martin Luther King Expressway

Hot Springs Creek

New trail and kayak launch dock connecting the trailhead to the creek; includes streambed stabilization.

Status: Planned
David F. Watkins Memorial Park

Park Avenue corridor

Proposed ADA-accessible splash pad

Status: Planned
Hot Springs Memorial Airport, Runway 523

Construction administration and project closeout for runway rehabilitation

Status: Scheduled
City-wide sewer system

Approximately 40% of gravity sewer manholes currently inaccessible

New easement machine to allow maintenance access

Status: Confirmed

Watch list

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

Construction Manager at Risk Agreement Project Identity

Open

The construction manager at risk agreement with Hill and Cox Corporation names no specific project in the available record.

Why it matters: Without project identification, the guaranteed maximum price, or project schedule, oversight of this engagement is limited.
Next check: Confirm which project this covers, the guaranteed maximum price once construction documents are finalized, and the project schedule.

Financial Software RFP Status

Open

Staff indicated they are preparing a request for proposals for replacement financial software after the current budget cycle.

Why it matters: The New World ERP platform caused significant data errors in the August 2024 financial statements; replacement planning is underway but not yet formally launched.
Next check: Check on RFP issuance timeline and vendor evaluation progress.

Energy Grant Funding Source for Kayak-Trail Project

Open

The energy grant funding $96,082 of the kayak-trail project was not identified by name or grantor in the available record.

Why it matters: Confirming the grant source would clarify whether any conditions or reporting obligations attach to the project.
Next check: Identify the energy grant program name, grantor, and any compliance or reporting requirements.

T-Mobile Placemaking Grant Decision Timeline

Open

T-Mobile placemaking grant application deadline is December 31, 2024; award announcement expected March 2025.

Why it matters: The splash pad project depends on grant award; the outcome will determine whether the project proceeds and how funding gaps are filled.
Next check: Check award announcement status in March 2025 and follow-up budget actions if needed.

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: YouTube Video – October 29, 2024 Agenda Meeting
transcript: Video Transcript – Full Meeting
agenda: Agenda Item 1 – Corrected August 2024 Financial Statements
agenda: Agenda Item 2 – Commission and Committee Appointments
agenda: Agenda Item 3 – Millage Levy Resolutions
agenda: Agenda Item 4 – National League of Cities Voting Delegate
agenda: Agenda Item 5 – Purchase of Sewer Equipment Easement Machine
agenda: Agenda Item 6 – Hot Springs Creek Kayak Launch and Trail Project Contract
agenda: Agenda Item 7 – T-Mobile Placemaking Grant
agenda: Agenda Item 8 – Airport Runway 523 Rehabilitation
agenda: Agenda Item 9 – Construction Manager at Risk Services Agreement

Confidence: Medium

Transcript, public-comment capture, and 9 parsed agenda items available. Minutes not yet published as of briefing date.

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.