Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting

February 10, 2026 Civic Briefing

Hot Springs Board Reviews $9.90M USDOT Grant Application and Five Supporting Resolutions at Agenda Meeting

At its February 10, 2026 agenda meeting, the Hot Springs Board of Directors reviewed — but did not vote on — six resolutions covering a $9.896 million federal transportation grant application, annual airport hangar rent increases, taxiway repair grant authorization, a budget revision, an FAA land-use agreement renewal, and updates to the city's community development participation plan.

Hot Springs Board of Directors Agenda Meeting Agenda Meeting February 10, 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; no votes were taken and no spending was approved. All six items are scheduled for a subsequent action meeting.
The largest item is a $9.896 million application to the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD grant program to fund multimodal transportation improvements including trail connections, a freight connector road, and an intersection safety upgrade near Oaklawn Racing Casino.
Staff presented a grant application for $375,000 in taxiway repairs at Hot Springs Memorial Airport, with the state covering up to $300,000 and the city responsible for a $75,000 local share if the grant is approved.
Airport hangar rents would increase 2.2% on March 1 under a consumer price index adjustment the Board previously authorized; all 95 hangars are currently occupied with roughly 15 units on a waiting list.
The city also previewed a budget revision to carry over unspent 2025 appropriations into 2026, a renewal of the FAA navigational-aids land agreement at the airport, and administrative updates to the city's Community Development Block Grant participation plan.

By the numbers

Total identified spending

$9,896,000

Votes taken

includes procedural votes

Unanimous votes

Largest single item

$9,896,000

Resolution R-2628 — USDOT BUILD Grant Application for Safe and Connected Initiative

Emergency / ratification items

Resident questions unanswered

Money approved

Item	Amount	Vendor	Vote	Source
USDOT BUILD Grant Application — Safe and Connected Initiative (federal funds requested, no city match required)	$9,896,000	U.S. Department of Transportation	No vote taken — agenda meeting	`item:2`
Taxiway Repairs at Hot Springs Memorial Airport (city local share, pending state grant)	$75,000	Arkansas Division of Aeronautics	No vote taken — agenda meeting	`item:5`
Total identified spending	$9,971,000

Major decisions

Budget Revisions: Carrying Over 2025 Appropriations into 2026

Item: Staff presented a resolution to revise the 2025 and 2026 budgets to reappropriate funds for items ordered in 2025 but received or completed in 2026. Arkansas municipal budgets expire December 31 each year, requiring formal board action to carry items forward.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: No new spending authorized; the resolution reappropriates existing funds across 2025 and 2026 budgets
Vendor / responsible: City of Hot Springs Finance/Budget department
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Ensures city services and capital projects ordered in 2025 can be paid for in 2026 without interruption.
What the Board said or did: Staff outlined three attachments: Attachment A lists remaining appropriations to carry into 2026; Attachment B lists open purchase orders; Attachment C details budget amendments across multiple funds. No director questions were recorded.
What remains unclear: The specific amounts and funds involved in the carry-over are detailed in the attachments, which are not summarized in the available record.
Source: item:1

USDOT BUILD Grant Application — Safe and Connected Initiative

Item: Staff presented a resolution authorizing submission of a $9.896 million grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD discretionary grant program. Authorization to apply does not commit city funds; the city qualifies as a rural applicant and staff stated no local match is required.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: $9.896 million requested from federal funds. The record does not show a city spending commitment at this step.
Vendor / responsible: U.S. Department of Transportation (grant funder); city of Hot Springs as applicant
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: If funded, the initiative would build the Belding connector to divert heavy truck traffic from Malvin Avenue, develop a Southwest Trail segment, construct the Pullman trailhead for National Park access, add neighborhood trail connections along Stokes Trail, and improve safety at the Hickden Ferry Road and Central Avenue intersection near Oaklawn Racing Casino.
What the Board said or did: Staff described the five project components and noted grant notification is expected in late summer. No director questions were recorded at this stage.
What remains unclear: The record does not specify project timelines, construction phasing, or what happens to individual components if the grant is not awarded at the full amount.
Source: item:2

FAA Memorandum of Agreement — Navigational Aids at Hot Springs Memorial Airport

Item: Staff presented a resolution authorizing a new memorandum of agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration for land-use rights at eight small sites around the airfield for navigational aid equipment. The current 20-year agreement expires in September; the new MOA carries identical terms and would take effect October 1.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: Federal Aviation Administration
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Maintains uninterrupted FAA navigational aid operations at Hot Springs Memorial Airport.
What the Board said or did: Staff explained the renewal is a continuation of existing terms with no changes. No director questions were recorded.
What remains unclear: The specific locations of the eight sites on the airfield are not described in the available record.
Source: item:3

Airport Hangar Rent Increase — 2.2% CPI Adjustment

Item: Staff presented a resolution amending the airport property management policy to apply a 2.2% consumer price index increase to hangar and building rents, effective March 1. The Board approved annual CPI adjustments in 2024 to avoid larger periodic increases.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: No city expenditure; this is a revenue-side rate adjustment
Vendor / responsible: City of Hot Springs airport tenants (hangar lessees)
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: Hangar tenants at Hot Springs Memorial Airport will see a 2.2% rent increase on March 1. All 95 hangars are currently occupied, with approximately 15 units on a waiting list.
What the Board said or did: Director Webb asked about the occupancy rate; staff confirmed all 95 hangars are full. Director Garcia asked whether all lease payments are current; staff confirmed some lessees are behind and the city is addressing those individually.
What remains unclear: The number of lessees currently in arrears and the process for addressing delinquent accounts are not detailed in the available record.
Source: item:4

Arkansas Division of Aeronautics Grant — Taxiway Repairs at Hot Springs Memorial Airport

Item: Staff presented a resolution authorizing the city to apply for and accept an 80/20 grant from the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics for taxiway repairs. A pavement failure created a sinkhole in the main taxiway intersection along taxiway alpha east of runway 1331, rendering the central taxiway unusable. The total repair cost is $375,000; the state would contribute up to $300,000, with a $75,000 local share required.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: $375,000 total repair cost; city local share would be $75,000 if the grant is awarded
Vendor / responsible: Arkansas Division of Aeronautics (grant funder); city of Hot Springs as applicant
Discussion level: Moderate Questions or explanation from board or staff
Resident impact: A successful grant application would fund repairs to restore full use of the main taxiway at Hot Springs Memorial Airport.
What the Board said or did: Director Holiday asked about the grant timeline. Staff explained the application must be submitted by end of February to make the state aeronautics board's March meeting (third Wednesday); a decision is expected within 6 to 8 weeks, with paperwork ready for processing by April 1.
What remains unclear: The record does not indicate what temporary operational arrangements are in place while the central taxiway remains unusable, or what happens if the grant is not approved.
Source: item:5

CDBG Citizen Participation Plan — Administrative Updates

Item: Staff presented a resolution approving amendments to the city's citizen participation plan for the Community Development Block Grant program. Updates are administrative: they modernize public notice and outreach procedures, remove outdated COVID-19 and CARES Act language, and align the plan with current HUD regulations. Staff stated no public notice, hearing, or comment obligations are reduced. A public comment period ran January 11 through February 12.
Vote: No vote taken — agenda meeting
Cost: No cost specified in the record
Vendor / responsible: City of Hot Springs Community Development department; reviewed by the Community Development Advisory Committee
Discussion level: Brief Brief presentation
Resident impact: Residents who participate in the CDBG public process will interact with updated notice and outreach procedures; no reduction in participation rights.
What the Board said or did: Staff described the updates as procedural housekeeping. No director questions were recorded.
What remains unclear: The specific changes to outreach methods are not detailed in the available record beyond the general description.
Source: item:6

Locations affected

Malvin Avenue / Belding connector area

Proposed Belding connector road to divert heavy truck traffic from Malvin Avenue, pending USDOT BUILD grant award.

Status: Planned
Southwest Trail corridor

Proposed Southwest Trail segment for regional connectivity, pending USDOT BUILD grant award.

Status: Planned
Pullman trailhead

Proposed new trailhead for National Park access, pending USDOT BUILD grant award.

Status: Planned
Stokes Trail neighborhood

Proposed neighborhood trail connections, pending USDOT BUILD grant award.

Status: Planned
Hickden Ferry Road and Central Avenue intersection

near Oaklawn Racing Casino

Proposed safety improvements, pending USDOT BUILD grant award.

Status: Planned
Hot Springs Memorial Airport — main taxiway

taxiway alpha east of runway 1331

Sinkhole pavement failure rendered central taxiway unusable; repair project pending state aeronautics grant.

Status: Planned
Hot Springs Memorial Airport — hangar facilities

2.2% rent increase to take effect March 1 for all hangar and building lessees.

Status: Scheduled
Hot Springs Memorial Airport — navigational aid sites

FAA land-use agreement renewal for equipment maintenance at eight locations, effective October 1 if approved.

Status: Planned

Watch list

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

All six resolutions require action vote

Open

All six resolutions previewed at this agenda meeting require a separate action vote. The next briefing should confirm whether all passed as presented or whether any were amended, tabled, or contested.

Why it matters: This agenda meeting was a preview only; no spending or policy decisions were finalized.
Next check: Following action meeting (date not yet specified in available record)

Taxiway repairs timeline and grant status

Open

The taxiway at Hot Springs Memorial Airport remains unusable pending grant approval and repairs. The next briefing should track whether the grant application was submitted on time and whether a state decision was issued.

Why it matters: The airport's central taxiway is out of service; repair timing depends on state grant approval by end of February with decision expected in 6–8 weeks.
Next check: Late April 2026 (6–8 weeks after February submission deadline)

Airport hangar lease delinquencies

Open

The record notes that some airport hangar lessees are behind on payments, with the city addressing these individually. The next briefing should check whether any update was provided on the number of delinquent accounts or the resolution process.

Why it matters: Staff indicated ongoing collection issues; clarification is needed on the scope and remediation plan.
Next check: Next action meeting or quarterly airport operations update

USDOT BUILD grant decision and application status

Open

The USDOT BUILD grant decision is not expected until late summer; the next briefing should note whether the application was formally submitted and whether all five project components remained in scope.

Why it matters: This is the largest single item in the briefing ($9.896M); failure to secure funding would affect multiple transportation projects across the city.
Next check: Late summer 2026

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 and transcript
agenda: Agenda items 1–6
agenda: Agenda item 2 — USDOT BUILD Grant Application
agenda: Agenda item 3 — FAA MOA Renewal
agenda: Agenda item 4 — Hangar Rent Increase
agenda: Agenda item 5 — Taxiway Repairs Grant
agenda: Agenda item 6 — CDBG Citizen Participation Plan

Confidence: Medium

Video transcript and agenda items available; no action minutes. All six items presented but not voted on at this agenda meeting; votes deferred to subsequent action meeting.

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.