Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting

December 10, 2024 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Approves $159K Water Plant HVAC Contract, Authorizes $1.4M FAA Airport Grant Application

At its December 10, 2024 agenda meeting, the Hot Springs Board of Directors scheduled action on $279,467.40 in identified spending, covering a $159,403 HVAC contract for the Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant, a $120,064 transfer of remaining ARPA funds split between the General Fund ($120,063) and Water Fund ($21,404), and authorized filing for a $1.4 million FAA airport terminal grant for which no city spending commitment is shown at this step.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting Agenda Meeting December 10, 2024 Confidence: Medium 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 was scheduled to approve a $159,403 contract with Comfort Systems USA to replace aging HVAC equipment at the Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant — the sole responsive bidder on a publicly advertised bid.
The Board was scheduled to authorize the city to apply for and accept a $1.4 million FAA grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to renovate the Hot Springs Memorial Airport terminal exterior, improve energy efficiency, and address minor ADA access issues.
Staff recommended reclassifying $120,056.77 in ARPA expenditures into public-health categories and transferring the remaining $141,467 in federal pandemic-relief funds — $120,063 to the General Fund and $21,404 to the Water Fund — before the federal December 31, 2024 spending deadline.
The Board was scheduled to add a dental benefit for city employees' children under 13, covering 100% of most dental services at an estimated additional cost of $2,716 per year.
All nine items appeared on the consent agenda; no separate votes or discussion beyond a question about the airport grant and a staff note on the HVAC vendor are reflected in the available record.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$279,467

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$159,403

Award HVAC Unit Bid at Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
HVAC Unit — Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant (bid award)	$159,403	Comfort Systems USA Inc.	Not recorded in available record	`item:9`
ARPA Fund Transfer — General Fund and Water Fund (fund transfer) budget transfer	$141,467	—	Not recorded in available record	`item:3`
Delta Dental Right Start for Kids amendment (benefit plan amendment)	$2,716	Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas Inc.	Not recorded in available record	`item:5`
Total identified spending	$303,586

Major decisions

FAA Airport Terminal Grant Authorization

Item: Authorization to file for and accept a $1.4 million FAA grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's airport terminal program, to renovate the terminal exterior at Hot Springs Memorial Airport, improve window and door energy efficiency, and address minor ADA access issues. Hot Springs was one of two Arkansas airports selected for this funding category.
Vote: Not recorded
Cost: The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step. Final expenditure approvals will come to the Board separately.
Vendor / responsible: Federal Aviation Administration (grant source); Garver Engineering holds the city's master agreement for project bidding.
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: If the grant proceeds, the airport terminal would receive an exterior renovation, energy-efficiency upgrades, and ADA access improvements.
What the Board said or did: A director asked whether the grant would cover external renovation items on the major capital unfunded project list. The record does not show the staff response.
What remains unclear: Whether the grant fully covers all unfunded capital items on the city's list, the timeline for project bidding, and whether any local match will be required are not shown in the available record.
Source: item:8

HVAC Unit Bid Award — Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant

Item: Bid award to Comfort Systems USA Inc. for a new roof-mounted 7.5-ton HVAC unit to replace six aging mini-split units (installed 2013) at the Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant operations building. Publicly advertised as bid HS-24-076; Comfort Systems USA was the sole responsive bidder.
Vote: Not recorded
Cost: $159,403, funded from the 2024 Capital Improvement Plan budget.
Vendor / responsible: Comfort Systems USA Inc.
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Affects the operations building at the Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant; no direct impact on water service to residents is described. The replacement addresses excess moisture in the facility.
What the Board said or did: Deputy City Manager Denny McFade noted the city has had reliable prior dealings with Comfort Systems on other city projects.
What remains unclear: The record does not show the installation timeline or whether the old mini-split units will be removed or salvaged.
Source: item:9

Approved without separate discussion

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

ARPA Expenditure Reclassification and Fund Decommitment

Vote: Not recorded · No new city dollars — this action reorganizes existing ARPA allocations.

item:2
Transfer of Remaining ARPA Funds to General and Water Funds

Vote: Not recorded · $141,467

item:3
Bank Account Signatory Update — Garland County District Court

Vote: Not recorded · No cost specified in the record. · Bank OZK

item:4
Delta Dental Plan Amendment — Right Start for Kids

Vote: Not recorded · $2,716 · Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas Inc.

item:5
Extension of High Impact Movement Inc. Youth Program Agreement

Vote: Not recorded · No cost amount specified in the available record. · High Impact Movement Inc.

item:6
Updated Cooperative Planning Agreement for Transit Services

Vote: Not recorded · No cost specified in the record — the record describes this as an administrative matter with no financial impact.

item:7

Locations affected

Washtenaw Water Treatment Plant

New roof-mounted HVAC unit to replace six aging mini-split units in the operations building.

Status: Scheduled
Hot Springs Memorial Airport

Terminal building exterior renovation, window and door energy-efficiency improvements, and minor ADA access corrections if FAA grant proceeds.

Status: Planned

Watch list

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

General Fund ARPA Transfer Budget Amendment

Open

The Board was scheduled to transfer $120,063 in remaining ARPA funds to the General Fund, but this portion is restricted and will require a separate board budget amendment before the funds can be used.

Why it matters: ARPA funds must be expended by December 31, 2024. Without the budget amendment, the funds may not be available in time or may be forfeited.
Next check: Whether the Board passes the required budget amendment to release the $120,063 General Fund ARPA transfer before year-end.

ARDOT Signature on Transit Cooperative Planning Agreement

Open

The updated transit cooperative planning agreement must be signed by ARDOT to meet the Federal Transit Administration compliance deadline of January 8, 2025.

Why it matters: Federal transit funding compliance depends on this agreement being executed on time. Failure to meet the deadline could jeopardize the city's federal transit eligibility.
Next check: ARDOT's signature on the transit cooperative planning agreement ahead of the January 8, 2025 FTA compliance deadline.

FAA Airport Grant Application Acceptance and Local Match Requirements

Open

The Board authorized filing for a $1.4 million FAA grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Hot Springs Memorial Airport terminal improvements. The outcome and any local match obligations remain unclear.

Why it matters: This grant could fund significant airport terminal improvements, but the city needs to understand the full scope of obligations before committing to the project.
Next check: Whether the FAA airport grant application is formally accepted and what local match obligations, if any, are attached.

High Impact Movement Inc. Contract Value Disclosure

Open

The Board extended the life skills and educational youth program contract with High Impact Movement Inc., but the contract dollar amount was not stated in the available record.

Why it matters: Public transparency requires disclosure of all municipal spending amounts, especially for ongoing contracts.
Next check: The contract value for High Impact Movement Inc.'s youth program extension — the amount was not stated in the available record.

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 Recording
agenda: Agenda Item 1 — Financial Statements Receipt
agenda: Agenda Item 2 — ARPA Expenditure Reclassification
agenda: Agenda Item 3 — ARPA Fund Transfer
agenda: Agenda Item 4 — Bank Account Signatory Update
agenda: Agenda Item 5 — Delta Dental Plan Amendment
agenda: Agenda Item 6 — High Impact Movement Inc. Youth Program Extension
agenda: Agenda Item 7 — Transit Cooperative Planning Agreement Update
agenda: Agenda Item 8 — FAA Airport Terminal Grant Authorization
agenda: Agenda Item 9 — HVAC Unit Bid Award

Confidence: Medium

All nine items were on the consent agenda; the available record does not show whether any were pulled for separate discussion or whether formal votes were recorded. All actions are described as scheduled or proposed, not confirmed-passed, unless supported by the transcript.

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.