By Rick Harvey
RHarvey@CarrollCoNews.com
Despite having supporting funds from the Eureka Springs City Council and the City Advertising and Promotion Commission already promised, it still took a lengthy discussion at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17 before parks and recreation commissioners approved a contract for a fireworks display this year at Lake Leatherwood Park.
The parks commission spent nearly 50 minutes discussing the proposal, which will require the department to pay one third of the $21,000 bid to put on the display at the park on Sunday, July 2.
The CAPC and city council have already earmarked $7,500 each to be reimbursed to the parks department for the event.
Steven Dickey, interim parks director, told commissioners that he met with representatives from the city and the CAPC about the event before Tuesday’s meeting, and things were already being discussed to make the event a lot more than just fireworks.
“We’ll have entertainment there,” Dickey said. “Working with CAPC, they have Music in the Park and they’re willing to take the money for Music in the Park and contribute that to that particular event. … So, it will be music, food and artists.”
The parks commission voted 4-0 to approve using reserve or surplus funds for their portion of the cost, since a line-item for that much wasn’t part of a recently approved 2023 budget.
That concerned commissioner Sue Hubbard, who vigorously questioned the logistic of the fireworks event and only voted to approve when assured the vote was only for the $21,000 contract for fireworks.
The contract was approved 4-0 — the minimum amount of affirmative votes necessary — with three commissioners absent.
“I suspect if I vote against this, I’m going to be very unpopular with a lot of people,” Hubbard said. “But it’s just such a vague plan where we’re saying, ‘go ahead with this,’ but we don’t even know that it is…. We have no idea of what expenses.”
Dickey said commissioners were only voting for the fireworks contract for July 2, and “you would have the opportunity to look at the rest as it evolves.”
What could evolve, Dickey said, is a multi-day celebration that includes the live music, vendor booths and fireworks on July 2 and then events in the downtown Eureka Springs area on Monday, July 3, and Tuesday, July 4, to celebrate both Independence Day and Eureka Springs’ birthday.
“The whole idea is kind of have a three-day event,” Dickey said of the meeting he had with other city officials, which included having events at Basin Spring Park.
“Nothing fully decided, but there was talk of building a team … let them come up with some ideas and plans and go from there. “I think [funding] for fireworks is kind of squared away, but how we want to do Monday and Tuesday is still something to be discussed.”
Hubbard’s main issues, other than where parks’ $7,500 portion would come from in the budget, involved details like manpower for events and how the events could possibly affect Lake Leatherwood Park in a negative way.
“It’s going to be lots of people, loud bangs,” Hubbard said. “I mean, I’m actually really concerned about wildlife and the effects of having loud bangs going off right in the middle of the park … I’m not against having fireworks. I just have so many questions about this one.”
Commission chair Ruth Hager said she believes having the event back at Lake Leatherwood Park after a number of years will help draw positive attention to the area with recreation coexisting with nature.
“There’s always that balance, and right, people won’t be there to appreciate nature at night,” Hager said. “They’ll be there for fireworks and be in the park and be together and outside together. No, they won’t be out there to listen to the birds quietly. That’s fine. That’s not what everyone does in the park. That’s the whole point in having a park.”
Dickey said he feels that if people come to the park for a holiday celebration, then it could lead to them returning and utilizing the trails or glade or lake and learning more about what the area has to offer.
“The goal is to increase public participation in the park,” he said, later adding: “The park is part of the city. It’s a reflection of the city. The park is the citizens of the city and it’s a reflection of them and their values and how they feel about recreation, preservation, nature and their country. What better place to have it?”

NO ACTION ON OFFICERS, DIRECTOR
The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting included items on voting on 2023 commission officers and going into executive session to “discuss the hiring of the executive director.”
However, with three commissioners absent, it was decided to table the items. Special meetings will likely be scheduled to address those items.
Commissioners did go into executive session “to discuss staff position employment” but offered no other reasoning for the session.
Arkansas state code states: “Executive session of the local board or CEOs will be permitted only for the purpose of considering employment, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignation of any public officer or employee.”
It is unclear whether the executive session involved hiring someone for a position, a demotion or promotion. When commissioners came back from the approximately 20-minute executive session it was only stated that no action was taken.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Dickey, who was hired as interim director after Scott Miskiel retired in December, gave an update on how the department has been running, stating his goals for his transition to a new permanent director.
“My focus really has just been on the safety, security and sustainability … kind of keep us on track with some of the vision Scott had and where the commission wants the park to go but keep it an even keel for now and work with the team out there so that were ready to transition to a new person when they come on board,” he said.