The meeting in its entirety is in the process of uploading to Swark.Today’s Youtube video site and should be available once it is fully transmitted in a video below the photos accompanying this article.

McGill’s presentation of the 60 percent plan for the Aquatic and Recreation Center, which will contain indoor and outdoor swimming pools, multi-purpose courts that can be used for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, a running track and a therapeutic pool as well as offices, a gift shop, a reception area, lockers and dressing rooms, included a slide show that included more details about the interior design of the facility.  

City board members asked questions to make sure of enough room between the indoor pool and the therapeutic pool and were shown vinyl floor and ceramic wall tile swatches.  The color motif will incorporate lots of blue and white and the interior décor will feature renderings of waves along entrances and in dressing rooms.  McGill said the 90 percent plan should be available next week and the 100 percent plan by October 16th.  Bids will be solicited from contractors starting in that period, with hopes all bids can be in by mid-November.

City Engineer Jeremy Stone, appearing despite a recent death in his family, presented overhead diagrams of the placement of a splashpad and bathrooms at Northside Park.  City board members asked for parking places to be in near proximity to the facilities to avoid children running across a street.  Stone said the location of the Northside swimming pool, which is now no longer in existence, would still be marked and not affected by the splashpad.  A pavilion erected by a 1966 Yerger High graduating class will likely be demolished due to its state of deterioration, however.  

The demolition of the present bathrooms at Northside and the building of another bathroom building which would have one toilet for male and one for female proved a bit more controversial, with Marsha White, longtime resident and spokesperson for the area, saying during the meeting’s citizens’ request period that going from three commodes to two was “not sitting well” with her.  

Vice-mayor Kiffinea Talley agreed and then was successful in asking City Manager J.R. Wilson, Mayor Don Still and the rest of the board to ask Stone, who had left by that point, to find out what it would cost to add more facilities.  Stone had said the cost for the bathroom with two commodes was estimated at $90,000.

During Stone’s time at the podium, he was asked why the bathroom project was divided into separate contracts. He confirmed it was to allow for local contractors to do this work, which he said may end up providing the city with a cost savings over simply bidding out one contract for the whole building.

A motion by City Director Mark Ross to approve the movement of parking, the taking down of the pavilion and the current bathroom building while maintaining the plaque commemorating the place where the Northside swimming pool once was.  The board approved the motion.  The board also approved a motion approving Stone’s choice of locations for the splashpad and new bathrooms.

Chad Miller of the firm of William Miller reported on the financial state of the city of Hope based on his audit of 2024 records.  His report was favorable, finding no indicators of fraud or negligence.  The city’s assets had appreciated about $180,000 over the previous year (2023) with decreases in expenses and revenues “slightly lower.”  The city has $28 million in primary government assets and $49 million in net assets, which is $2 million over 2023. Hope Water & Light has $48,894,000 in assets, while the Parks and Tourism Department has $1,176,000.

When asked whether the city was performing better on the separation of duties among its employees, Miller said allowances are made for the size of the workforce but he could see procedures had been put in place to allow greater separation.

Rebekah Moore, director of Hope Downtown Network, advocated for attendance to The Taste of Hope’s Third Annual event, happening Saturday, October 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on South Main.  She also asked for permission from the board to apply for a state Department of Heritage Art grant for downtown beautification.  This was granted by a vote of approval by the board.  

John Hollis, also representing Hope Downtown Network, presented the three options attendees can cast votes for at The Taste event.  These include murals on the pavement of Hope intersections, a metal arch to indicate the entrances to Hope’s downtown at Hervey and Division and Main and West Third and placement of trees around The Hub as well as bicycle racks in places downtown.  The city board members brought up practical and legal concerns about some of these options that would have to be borne in mind should they be chosen by the attendees and pursued by HDN. Director Trevor Coffee said he did not favor a project that might make the activities in The Hub, including the Farmers’ Market, less visible to passersby.

Sinai Bautista of the Hope Beautification Committee spoke on a previous request for help with planting Crepe Myrtles in downtown planters.  The low quote she obtained for purchasing and planting the trees was $4,289.  The trees, expected to be planted in the fall, can grow up to 8 feet tall. Bautista said she accepted responsibility on behalf of her committee for pruning overgrowth.

The board opted, in response to complaints about frequent running of intersections where lights are not working, to start the process of replacing the traffic lights that Arkansas Department of Transportation said do not mediate enough traffic to qualify for repair funds.  These will be replaced by flashing stop signs.  Before these are placed, the intersections have to be converted to four-way stops for a period of 45 days.  The intersections are at Elm and West Third and Hazel and East Third.

The meeting began with Bonnie Raff of the Daughters of the American Revolution, John Cain chapter, reading a statement and accepting a signed proclamation from Mayor Don Still commemorating Constitution Week, which began September 17th.

The board also passed a proclamation signed by Mayor Still, declaring September 10th to have been Hazel Simpson Day in recognition of  her “dedication, kindness, and service, touching the lives of countless individuals through her unwavering commitment to family, friends, and neighbors” and “legacy of compassion, generosity, and community spirit [which] continues to inspire the residents of Hope to foster unity and goodwill.”