Eureka Springs council discusses several topics

The Eureka Springs City Council took advantage of a light agenda to discuss a handful of items at its regular meeting Monday, March 27, at The Aud.

The meeting included talks on sidewalks, police cars, fire department inspections and the city’s main website.

The main agenda item under unfinished business, which drew a slew of outspoken residents at the March 13 council meeting, was set for a “review of 1 Washington St. as a Nuisance Structure.” That four-plex property, which is owned by John Rankine and Bill King and was damaged by fire in March 2022, has been a recent topic of controversy after new city building inspector Jacob Coburn halted the rebuilding of the structure.

The topic was on the March 13 agenda but was deferred to the March 27 meeting after Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry announced that Coburn was in an accident and unable to attend the March 13 meeting.

The item, however, was not addressed at the March 27 meeting, with little explanation.

“The No. 1 on unfinished business is off the agenda for tonight. It may be off permanently,” said council member Terry Mc-Clung, filling in for Berry, who was out of town. “I’ve not heard one way or the other.”

There was no other discussion from the council on the topic; however, both Rankine and King spoke during public comments, echoing comments made at the previous meeting.

“When the renovation of 1 Washington Street and its four two-bedroom units is complete, it will be safer than 90 percent of the homes in Eureka Springs,” Rankine told council members.

POLICE CARS

Eureka Springs Police Chief Brian Young was at the March 27 meeting to clear up confusion regarding the police department’s policy of allowing officers take their patrol cars home after their shift.

At the March 13 meeting, council member Harry Meyer brought up the topic after he said he saw a patrol car near Blue Eye, prompting Berry to say that he didn’t think officers were allowed to take their cars home.

The confusion was later cleared up with Berry acknowledging that he was mistaken, and Young was asked to address the issue.

“I remember a number of years ago we were told at that time that the police cars were not being taken home,” McClung said. “And at that time, I’m sure that they were not. Since then, it’s been brought up again and Mr. Meyer looked into it and there are officers driving cars home.

“I had a discussion with the chief and also the mayor and the chief told me that he had brought it up to the mayor just a few years ago, that it was going to be done by the police department as an incentive, one, to help keep the employees on and two, to have them ready if they needed to be called in, that they would have a car that has everything in it. They didn’t have to come to the station. A lot of departments actually do this.”

Young told council members that the policy only involves officers who live in Carroll County.

“They have to live within the county,” Young said. “They can drive their car home and they can drive it to work. They cannot use it for any kind of personal use.”

Meyer again brought up the patrol car he said he saw near Blue Eye, but Young said he doesn’t have an officer who lives in that area, and even looked into the issue.

“I heard you say that and I’ve even questioned my officers on that,” Young said to Meyer. “I don’t have anyone that lives up there.”

Young said the policy has changed in recent years and is dictated by the budget and gas prices.

“Whenever the gas prices soared up to $5 a gallon, we must have a budget restraint,” he said. “I pulled the take-home cars at that time. … We were not able to re-enact until the economy kind of came back in order and the city budgets got back in order.”

Young said the city competes for qualified officers and allowing them to take home their patrol cars is an incentive.

“Back in the day we just kind of had our local competition around here, but now we’re having to compete with the (Northwest Arkansas) corridor now,” he said. “Right now the corridor for certified officers are bringing them in at $61,000 and giving them $10,000 bonuses. We can’t compete with that. … Our guys are happy if they can just take their car home.”

‘CLUNKY’ WEBSITE

Council member David Avanzino suggested to council members that the the city should look at updating its main government website, cityofeurekasprings.us.

“As most people are aware, the new website for the CAPC just rolled out,” Avanzino said. “Yes, it needs work, I will admit that and I think everyone can admit that.

“And in looking at our city’s website, it was brought up a couple of times that sometimes this website will reroute you to less than desirable pages or cookies, whatever you have it. I was talking with (City Clerk Treasurer Ida Meyer) about ways to improve our current city website. It’s very clunky, it’s hard to use, it’s hard to navigate. Citizens don’t know where to go to file an application for whatever the reason may be. Looking at municipal codes is very difficult.”