The Hope City Board in its second November regular meeting last night in City Hall moved forward in the process of bringing the Hope for the Future projects Hope voters approved in the November 5th election to reality. 

The video of the meeting of its entirety can be seen on the City of Hope Facebook page. 

Presenters from BILD Architecture of Fayetteville spoke about the timetable for completion of the new fire department headquarters and the recreation and aquatic center. They estimated that designing the facilities will take six months, while construction will take between 14 and 18 months.  

Three architects from BILD, which was recommended by City Engineer Jeremy Stone,  gave a slide show about their firm.  Clay McGill will be the architect of record should the board retain BILD’s services. The slide show detailed the roles of the five team members working on the project, the six engineering consultant design services that would be used and Aquatic Design Consultants of Louisburg, Kansas, which would take on the tasks related to the pools. 

The BILD presenters said the process of completing the project would include milestones in which the board would be made aware of how the project is progressing.  Mayor Don Still asked how often the team members would be present for the project.  As it gets further along from the ground stage to construction, the team members would be on site up to twice or three times a week, the BILD presenters said. 

City Manager J.R. Wilson asked whether BILD would have inspectors on site during the process of building.  He was assured they would, and furthermore the architect of record would also be involved in the inspection process. 

The slide show included a description and several graphics depicting BILD’s work with Gravette after capital improvement projects were approved there in 2016.  The city now has a community center, splash pad and many downtown improvements. Also shown were photos and descriptions of other projects by BILD in other Arkansas towns. These included collaborations with Jeremy Stone. 

For the new Hope Fire Station, a slide was presented, which can be seen below this story, showing a project timeline that the three-bay, 11,626 square foot station would be in the design stage the first quarter of 2025 with a construction time line beginning in mid-year. 

For the recreation and aquatic center, a slide was shown listing the site requirements and potential challenges and another was shown listing the features of the two-story structure which will include on the first floor a pool area, gym-multipurpose area, entrance lobby, male/female restroom/shower, party room, break room and three offices.  

On the second floor, a walking track that overlooks the gym-multipurpose area and male/female restrooms. The BILD presenters said the board can adjust these plans as needed. A slide (also seen below) depicting how the center will be placed at its site was also shown. The last slide (also below) shows a timeline that is more detailed about the stages of the project. It has design and construction for both the fire department and the recreation aquatic center concluding in two years. 

The presenters also made clear that decisions need to be made bearing in mind the reality that construction costs can increase quickly. 

Director Steve Montgomery asked if there would be trouble finding contractors. The BILD presenters said finding contractors can be a problem, but the Hope project would likely draw interest from contractors as a desirable one to work on.  

“It’s going to be a fun ride,” Mayor Still told the BILD presenters. “I’ll tell you everybody is still kind of in shock that it passed,” he joked, which prompted some laughter. 

Wilson asked how payment from the city is arranged. The BILD representatives said this is done either by a percentage of a lump sum according to what the city desires. 

The city board will make the decision on whether to use BILD or another firm. 

Next on the agenda was an update from Wilson on the process of beginning the collection of the one-cent sales tax and issuing bonds.  The sales tax will begin to be collected by businesses around the first of April, 2025, with proceeds being received by Hope starting in June. The earliest date for bond availability will be April of 2025. The city has three years in which to spend 85 percent of bond funds. 

In the next item, Wilson told the board the process of compiling the 2025 budget has been slowed by other pressing business, but budget packets are in directors’ hands to inspect. The goal is for the board to conduct final review and vote its approval at the first meeting in December. The budget will contain a $1,000 salary increase for every city employee. “It benefits lower paid employees more than it does higher paid employees,” Wilson said. 

Property insurance costs for the city, Wilson said, are “becoming a very difficult issue.”  The workers compensation program that comes from the state takes advantage of available discounts. State turnback increased.  

Director Mark Ross asked if a Parks and Recreation activities director in position will be filled.  Wilson said one will be hired as the recreation and aquatic center reaches a stage of completion. 

Regarding the landfill wastewater remediation project (which Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality still hasn’t issued its approval of), Wilson said engineers told him punting the expense into the 2026 budget would likely be acceptable by ADEQ and allow for time to make decisions on sanitation rate increases. Wilson said the $1.25 million cost could not be covered without increases. 

Fire Department Chief Todd Martin asked for approval to store a ladder truck at a location at 1205 South Hervey owned by Rainbow of Challenges at a cost of $250 per month for a six-month lease.  “This would help us when freezing weather is here to help protect the truck,” Wilson said.  

A question by Director Ross about how long the storage location would be needed, prompted a BILD architect to say the fire department could be complete and ready for move-in by the spring of 2026. City staff will determine whether an extension on the lease will be available until that time.  A question by Director Linda Clark about site selection for the fire department drew out an update from Mayor Still that said negotiation of a site is still in progress and is down to two possible options. The width of the proposed station is complicating the search for a site. 

Vice Mayor Kiffinea Talley asked about security measures for the building. Wilson said inquiries about this will be made. 

Chief Clark also asked for and received by the board’s voice vote permission to apply for a grant to pay for diesel exhaust systems, carbon monoxide monitors and thermal imaging cameras by the deadline of December 20th.  

Vice Mayor Talley asked about the inclusion of a American flag with a Christmas display at the Pocket Park. “I’m just trying to understand the rationale for those displays,” she said. “To me it’s almost subversively political.” 

Wilson said, “I’ll try to reach out and find out who is involved.” 

In citizen’s comments an employee from the wastewater department invited the city leadership and public to tour the east plant where a new ultraviolet disinfection system has been installed. 

The first agenda item for the meeting was Daughters of the American Revolution representative Bonnie Raff’s presentation for Native American Heritage month, in which she spoke of the Native American contribution to the history of America’s farming of food and the presence in Hope of a member of Navajo nation on the police force. 

The meeting adjourned after an hour and twenty minutes.