The meeting can be seen in its entirety on the city of Hope’s Facebook page. 

Wilson first broached the subject of the Northside Park improvements about 28 minutes into the meeting, asking the board members if they wanted to place an additional marking to acknowledge where the old swimming pool had been.  A historical marker placed by the Yerger High Museum is already at the exact site.

Vice-mayor Kiffinea Talley then raised a question about exactly what the improvements to the park would be.  “When we initially talked about this splash pad and then improvements at Northside, I thought the direction was the bathroom by the basketball court was the one that we were redoing, not the one which is going to do improvements to the splash pad, the one over in the area, the splash pad, the old bath house. That was my understanding. And if it changed, I was never made aware of that.”  She added that she also thought the basketball courts would be resurfaced, but was just now hearing of a plan to replace the bath house as well as the bathrooms. 

Regarding the bathrooms, Mayor Still said that City Engineer Jeremy Stone had said it would be cheaper to replace rather than improve. “I think Jeremy looked at the bathrooms and decided it would be cheaper just to do them all over again and try to improve what was there at the splash pad? The bathrooms would be going by the splash pad? Well, that was my understanding.”

Wilson said this represented his understanding of the project’s approach to the bathrooms as well.  He then spoke to clarify what the discussion was about.  

“I think what you're saying is your understanding was it would be the bathrooms over by the ball fields,” Wilson said.  “Because they were in the worst condition,” Talley responded. 

Wilson said he recalled many ideas of what to do with Northside Park being bandied about before the estimate came through that these would increase the total funding needed for the entire Hope for the Future project to about $45 to 50 million.  When the budget for the project was pared down to $31 million, which was what voters approved, to be paid with a one-cent sales tax last November, some of the ideas had to be cut out.

 “And I think what we said to the voters, we're going to do this splash pad, we're going to do tennis/ pickleball courts, we're going to redo soccer fields and the aquatic center, so that, by legal definition, we have to do those things,” Wilson explained. “When we were talking about the splashpad, we're trying to make that whole splashpad area nice. And we talked about the idea to do the splashpads and redo the bathrooms. Now Jeremy's position on redoing the current bathroom is they don't meet code.”

Wilson said the plans for Northside Park as of now include the splash pad, new bathrooms near it, a new pavilion and a new playground. “But the only piece you’ve really approved so far is you’ve only approved the splash pad itself ...  so we hadn't really got to the final approval of the bathrooms yet, and we've taken a bid on how they've designed the bathrooms."

Wilson described the design for the bathroom as “like most of the other park bathrooms currently are, they're highly resistance to vandalism … So they're kind of designed very similar to what is now at the new one from the Coliseum, or the new one down by the ball fields, the Kelly Fields, the new one by Kiwanis fields, and the new one at the soccer fields.”

With the new fire department headquarters likely to cost $3.3 million, that leaves $27.6 million for the aquatic and recreation center.  The splash pad is budgeted to cost $350,000 and the bathrooms about $80-100,000, Wilson said.  City Engineer Jeremy Stone has split the bathroom project into construction of the building and the plumbing in order to allow local plumbers a chance to bid for the plumbing.  A couple of directors said they had never heard of a bathroom project let out for bid without the plumbing. Wilson said he would confer with Stone about this.

Director Ross expressed the concern that with city projects in the past a puzzlingly extreme thickness of concrete was often included.

Director Coffee asked that the project be brought by Stone to the board to discuss further. Wilson said one pavilion at Northside Park may need to come down because of deterioration due to age.  “It doesn’t look good.  It’s not in good shape.” The splash pad, he said would be located close to it.

Parks Superintendent Summer Chambers showed the directors the expected location of the splash pad on an overhead map of Northside Park as well as the proposed bathroom. They will be not far from where the current bathrooms are. Wilson said about 15 parking places would also be provided. 

Ross said he hoped the splash pad would not be located where the outline of the old pool is.  

Mayor Still urged that the topic be tabled pending Stone appearing before the board at the next meeting.  Director Clark asked for a written document with the proposals be presented by Stone on that occasion.  Wilson said he thought the project was nearing the point to get the ground ready but he apologized for getting ahead of what the board had decided. He said the project will be slowed down to get more of a sense of the board’s preferences.

In other news, the board

·       Voted to approve the closing of South Main between Second and Division Street for a remarriage ceremony to take place September 11th, 2026.

·       Heard a presentation from new Southwest Arkansas Arts Council Executive Director Rachel Pendergraft introducing herself and describing the council’s mission “to enrich our communities through experience expression and education in all the arts.”

·       Approved the request of two nonresidents of the city to attach to city sewer services for the pre-fab home they expect will come to their leased location on East 28th.  The couple was told they could also keep a small number of livestock animals on the property if the property is annexed.

·       Passed a resolution applying for funds from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to help finance a $521,830 project to reduce the escape of contaminants at the city landfill.

·       Heard about the bid openings for three projects at Northside Park.  No bids were received to light up the splash pad with LED lighting.  The bids received for the parking were very high, with City Engineer Stone having advised rejecting them.  The bathroom construction bids, spoken of earlier by Wilson, will be put on hold for him to get clarifications for the board.

·       Heard a briefing from City Attorney Randal Wright on amendments to Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act that went into effect August 5th.  These include a requirement that board members be physically present at meetings to have their votes counted, strictures against two board members speaking about votes or opinions of upcoming agenda items outside of board meetings. Violations of the stricture make votes taken on the matter talked about outside of board meetings void.  “It helps us better understand what we can do and cannot do,” Wright said. Emergency meetings must be advertised at least two hours before they take place. Before executive sessions, it must be made clear why an executive session is needed. Any votes taken during them must be disclosed. Agendas for meetings must be placed on websites.

·       Heard from Wilson about new software being used to generate and distribute agendas. 

·       In City Manager’s Report, Wilson asked who planned to attend the Arkansas Municipal League’s Winter Conference.  

In Citizens Comments, NAACP Hempstead County Chapter Chair disclosed the news of the passing of Hazel Simpson, who was instrumental in the creation of the Yerger High School Museum.