Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting

October 28, 2025 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Reviews $292K Water Meter Purchase, $84K Water Plant Change Order, and 2026 Benefits Renewals

At its October 28 agenda meeting, the Board of Directors discussed $501,146.69 in identified spending, including a $291,721.69 sole-source purchase of water meters, an $84,425 change order for the new water treatment plant, and a $125,000 bid award for a plumbing services term contract — plus no-cost renewals of dental, vision, and life insurance benefits and annual resolutions setting zero property tax mills for 2026.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting Agenda Meeting October 28, 2025 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 reviewed a $291,721.69 purchase of roughly 430 Census-brand water meters from Core and Main LP, the sole authorized source, to keep the city's automated metering system compatible citywide.
A one-year renewable plumbing services contract was awarded to Trotz Plumbing and More Inc. as primary vendor and KP Plumbing Services LLC as backup, selected from four proposals.
The Board considered Change Order Nine for the new water treatment plant — a $84,425 package of 12 scope adjustments recommended by city staff and Christ Engineers, funded from a 2023 water bond.
The city's stop-loss insurance deductible would rise from $100,000 to $125,000 for 2026, a move staff said reduces overall stop-loss costs by about 9% while adding approximately $70,000 to that specific line.
Dental, vision, and life insurance benefits would renew for 2026 with no changes to employee rates or coverage.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$501,147

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$291,722

Purchase of Census Water Meters and Associated Components

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
Purchase of Census Water Meters and Associated Components	$291,722	Core and Main LP	No vote recorded	`item:1`
Term Contract for Plumbing Services	$125,000	Trotz Plumbing and More Inc.	No vote recorded	`item:2`
Change Order Nine — Water Treatment Plant	$84,425	Tom Group, Inc.	No vote recorded	`item:7`
Total identified spending	$501,147

Major decisions

Purchase of Census Water Meters and Associated Components

Item: Purchase of approximately 430 Census-brand water meters and related components — a sole-source equipment purchase to maintain compatibility with the city's existing automated metering system.
Vote: No vote recorded
Cost: $291,721.69
Vendor / responsible: Core and Main LP
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Meters are added to city inventory and deployed as replacements or upgrades across the water system, with highest-consumption areas served first; the purchase affects water billing accuracy citywide.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Luke Lingo explained that Arkansas law permits sole-source purchasing when system compatibility requires it and that this order includes more commercial than residential meter sizes. The Board received the presentation without recorded objection.
What remains unclear: The deployment timeline for this specific batch and the full inventory level before this purchase are not shown in the available record.
Source: item:1

Term Contract for Plumbing Services

Item: Award of a one-year renewable term contract (up to four renewals) for plumbing services at city facilities and the water utility — a bid award.
Vote: No vote recorded
Cost: The available record does not specify a maximum contract dollar value; $125,000 is the figure identified in meeting stats.
Vendor / responsible: Trotz Plumbing and More Inc.
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Work will be performed at city facilities and the water utility; residents are not billed directly for this contract.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Monty Ledbetter noted that four proposals were received and rated, with Trotz ranked highest. He explained that naming a secondary vendor guards against service gaps if the primary contractor is unavailable. Trotz has previously done work at city hall; KP Plumbing has not previously contracted with the city.
What remains unclear: The scoring breakdown for the four proposals and the estimated annual spend against this contract are not shown in the available record.
Source: item:2

Ad Valorem Tax Levy for 2026 (General Fund, Police Retirement, Firefighters Retirement)

Item: Three annual resolutions (R25195, R25196, R25197) setting property tax mill levies at zero for the general fund, the police retirement pension fund, and the firefighters retirement pension fund for 2026 — continuing the prior-year practice.
Vote: No vote recorded
Cost: No city spending; zero mills levied means no property tax revenue raised through these resolutions.
Vendor / responsible: n/a
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Property owners will not be assessed city property taxes under these three funds in 2026, continuing the existing practice.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Harmony Morris presented the three resolutions together as routine annual filings with no substantive changes from prior years.
What remains unclear: The available record does not explain the long-term history or rationale for maintaining zero mills; the record simply notes the practice is continued.
Source: item:3

Stop-Loss Insurance Coverage Agreement for 2026

Item: Authorization of a stop-loss insurance agreement with American National Insurance Company and Barton Insurance Group, including an increase in the per-claim deductible from $100,000 to $125,000 for 2026.
Vote: No vote recorded
Cost: The available record does not state a total premium figure; staff noted overall stop-loss costs decrease approximately 9% while the deductible change alone adds about $70,000.
Vendor / responsible: American National Insurance Company
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: No change to employee benefits. City employees' out-of-pocket costs and coverage are unaffected by the deductible adjustment; the change is to the city's own financial exposure per large claim.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Brooke Gilbert explained that the city files 5–6 claims annually at the $100,000 threshold, above the actuary's target of 2–3, prompting the deductible increase. The net effect, she said, is an overall cost reduction of about 9%.
What remains unclear: The total annual premium for stop-loss coverage at the new deductible level is not shown in the available record.
Source: item:4

Change Order Nine — New Water Treatment Plant

Item: Approval of Change Order Nine to the contract with Tom Group, Inc. for the new water treatment plant, covering 12 individual scope adjustments totaling $84,425.
Vote: No vote recorded
Cost: $84,425
Vendor / responsible: Tom Group, Inc.
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: The change order continues work on the new water treatment plant, which will affect the city's water supply infrastructure. The available record does not specify which plant location or service area is involved.
What the Board said or did: Staff member Todd Pillar explained that the 12 items are individually small but collectively exceed the city manager's $60,000 approval limit, requiring board sign-off. Full documentation from Christ Engineers will be included in the board packet.
What remains unclear: The running total contract value after this change order, the cumulative number of change orders, and the location of the water treatment plant are not stated in the available record.
Source: item:7

Approved without separate discussion

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

Dental and Vision Benefits Plan Renewal for 2026

Vote: No vote recorded · No change in cost; administrative fee remains $3.19 per employee per month. · Delta Dental of Arkansas

item:5
Group Life Insurance Renewal with MetLife for 2026

Vote: No vote recorded · Rates unchanged: basic life at $0.17 per employee per month; basic dependent life at $0.76 per employee per month; personal additional death and dismemberment at $0.02 per employee per month. · MetLife

item:6
Designation of Voting Delegates — National League of Cities Annual Meeting

Vote: No vote recorded · Out-of-state travel for three directors was approved separately in April 2025; no additional spending was identified in this item.

item:8

Locations affected

Hot Springs water system (citywide)

citywide

Deployment of approximately 430 Census-brand water meters as replacements or upgrades, prioritizing highest-consumption areas.

Status: Planned
City facilities and water utility

Plumbing services to be performed under new term contract with Trotz Plumbing and More Inc. and KP Plumbing Services LLC.

Status: Planned
New water treatment plant

Change Order Nine adds $84,425 in scope adjustments to the Tom Group, Inc. construction contract.

Status: In Progress
Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Directors Holiday and Beard will represent Hot Springs at the National League of Cities annual meeting, November 20–22, 2025.

Status: Scheduled

Watch list

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

Water treatment plant change order cumulative cost

Open

The available record does not state the total contract value after Change Order Nine or how many change orders remain anticipated. The board packet with full Christ Engineers documentation should show this figure.

Why it matters: Understanding the full scope and cost trajectory of the water treatment plant project is essential for budget tracking and resident accountability.
Next check: Review board packet for Christ Engineers documentation on Change Order Nine and cumulative contract status.

Stop-loss deductible net savings

Open

Staff projected an overall 9% cost reduction despite the higher deductible, but no total premium figures were presented. Confirming the actual net dollar change when the 2026 contract is finalized would verify the projection.

Why it matters: The city claimed an overall cost savings of 9% while increasing employee cost exposure; verification of actual net savings is needed to assess whether the deductible increase delivers the promised value.
Next check: Once the 2026 stop-loss contract is finalized, compare total premium cost at the new $125,000 deductible to 2025 baseline costs at the $100,000 deductible.

Plumbing contract spending cap

Open

The available record does not show a maximum annual dollar value for the new plumbing term contract. The contract document would clarify the city's financial exposure.

Why it matters: Without a stated contract maximum or annual budget cap, the city's financial commitment and spending oversight mechanism for plumbing services are unclear.
Next check: Review executed plumbing services contract with Trotz Plumbing and More Inc. to confirm maximum annual dollar value or spending controls.

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: October 28, 2025 Board of Directors Agenda Meeting — YouTube
agenda: Agenda item 1 — Purchase of Census Water Meters and Associated Components
agenda: Agenda item 2 — Term Contract for Plumbing Services
agenda: Agenda item 3 — Ad Valorem Tax Levy for 2026
agenda: Agenda item 4 — Stop-Loss Insurance Coverage Agreement for 2026
agenda: Agenda item 5 — Dental and Vision Benefits Plan Renewal for 2026
agenda: Agenda item 6 — Group Life Insurance Renewal with MetLife for 2026
agenda: Agenda item 7 — Change Order Nine — New Water Treatment Plant
agenda: Agenda item 8 — Designation of Voting Delegates — National League of Cities Annual Meeting

Confidence: Medium

Transcript and eight parsed agenda items available; no formal vote record because this was an agenda preview meeting rather than a regular meeting where votes are recorded.

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.