Editor’s Note: Quotations from emails and text messages cited in this report have not been edited for spelling, grammar, punctuation or clarity.
The Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission is ensuring there’s plenty of motorcycle parking downtown for next month’s Bike Fest.
The CAPC has reserved “bike only” parking spots surrounding city hall and The Auditorium for the event, scheduled for Sept. 20-23 and officially partnering with Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
“We will have live concerts at The Auditorium and motorcycle-only parking located beside the city auditorium and on the other side of City Hall,” CAPC director Scott Bardin wrote in a July 10 email to Amanda Ford, marketing director for Pig Trail Harley-Davdison, and BB&B executive director Tommy Sisemore, recently hired as the new director of The Aud.
According to the email from Bardin obtained by the Eureka Springs Times-Echo through an open records request pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, the reserved parking “should be able to accommodate up to 500 bikes with parking.”
“If we could coordinate our marketing efforts would be a good idea,” Bardin wrote in the email to Ford and Sisemore. Bardin copied CAPC marketing specialist Katelyn Jerrell on the email.
According to graphics posted on the Bikes Fest event page on the CAPC’s website, visiteurekasprings. com, there will be motorcycle-only parking in lots west of city hall, between city hall and The Aud and in many spaces in areas behind the building.
“More parking at Art Wall,” the graphic reads with an arrow pointing east.
Bardin’s July 10 email went on to explain to Ford and Sisemore the CAPC’s goal for the having the annual Bike Fest as an official part of BB&B.
“We do not want to ‘out do’any other promotion occurring with like businesses but only compliment the event and include Eureka Springs as part of the overall event,” Bardin wrote. “Our goal is to draw tourist to Eureka Springs — I am giving bikers a safe place to park their bikes downtown and live music for 5 days with Quiet Riot performing on Friday, September 22. The Wednesday concert is FREE.”
Other emails between CAPC staff and BB&B representatives indicate discussions of the city’s involvement in the Northwest Arkansas event started in late May.
“We are wanting to get involved in Bikes Blues BBQ this year and promote all of the festivities we have going on in Eureka Springs that weekend for BBB. How can we go about this,” Jerrell wrote in a May 24 email to info@bikesbluesandbbq. org.
According to emails received in response to the Times-Echo’s FOIA request, Sisemore responded 15 minutes later, writing: “Thank you for the email. This is very exciting. I would like to hop on a call, or I don’t mind running over for a meeting, to driving over to Eureka to sit down and have a brainstorming session.”
Jerrell wrote back, proposing a June 5 in-person meeting.
On June 22, CAPC office coordinator Danyelle Harris wrote to Sisemore, asking if he was ready to discuss “Eureka’s role in planning for this year’s BBB?”
“We are anxious to begin promoting,” Harris wrote. “We need to know if we can use the Bikes, Blues & BB-Q name and logo with our ES events? If so, we need permission in writing to cover our tails in moving forward. If not, then, we will name our rally a different name and promo what we have going on.
“Quiet Riot is booked to play in ES on that Friday night. WE ARE STOKED.”
Sisemore responded a short time later, indicating he wanted to come to the CAPC office the following week. Emails indicate Sisemore visited Eureka Springs on June 27 and discussed different plans for the event with Bardin and Jerrell.
Sisemore introduced Bardin to Ford in a July 8 email, saying: “Amanda, please meet Scott Bardin. Scott doing a lot of great things in Eureka and is being very aggressive in motorcycle marketing.”
Ford, who is handling a lot of the marketing for BB&B, connected with CAPC staff and Sisemore on July 15 to share Facebook event banner graphics created to promote concerts being held for the event at The Aud.
The planned events at The Aud include a concert by The Shotgun Billys on Wednesday, Sept. 20; Ian Moore on Thursday, Sept. 21; Quiet Riot on Friday, Sept. 22; and AC/DC tribute band Big Gun on Saturday, Sept. 23.
The Wednesday concert is free while tickets are on sale for the other three events.
Chair Chris Clifton was the only CAPC commissioner included in communications regarding the city’s role in BB&B, according to emails and text messages received through the FOIA request.
Clifton was included in emails in July regarding event graphics.
“Take a look. Just a snap shot of how ES Bike Fest is being included with BBB,” Bardin wrote to Clifton on July 12.
“Great!,” Clifton replied.
EMAILS/TEXTS REGARDING AUD HIRE
While planning the CAPC role in BB&B was well underway, at some point conversations were had about Sisemore’s interest in the director position at The Auditorium — a position for which Bardin had been receiving applications for several months.
A July 10 email from Bardin to Clifton confirmed that Sisemore was to be in Eureka Springs to visit on July 11, a day before the July 12 date on his city application for the Aud director position.
“9 a.m. Tommy w/ BBB will be here. (We really need to hear what Tommy has to say about coming to work for CAPC),” Bardin wrote to Clifton as part of the July 10 email.
The same email from Bardin also mentions a “2 p.m. Phone Zoom call with Tommy of BBB – How ES and NW Ark will work as a unit to promote Bikes, Blues, BBQ.”
A July 13 email from Sisemore to Bardin thanked the CAPC director for the July 11 meeting.
“I truly appreciate you and the working relationship we already have established,” the email reads. “Any further opportunities are truly exciting and certainly not taken for granted.”
While no text messages from Bardin to Sisemore during the BB&B planning or while in communication regarding the Aud director job were included in the documents provided to the Times-Echo, Bardin did text Clifton on July 26 — the night of the CAPC meeting when commissioners went into executive session to give their stamp of approval on the Sisemore hire.
“Praise God! Thank you so much,” an enlarged copy of a screen shot of a text with no timestamp was submitted as a text from Bardin to Clifton. “from tommy.”
The text, which appears to be cut and pasted from another text message, is presumably Sisemore’s response to getting the news that the CAPC had no opposition in his hire.
Another message from Bardin to Clifton, indicating it was also sent on July 26, read: “do I send tommy the proposal or wait. i think we wait.”
A response from Clifton read: “Ok.”
Clifton sent Bardin a text message on Aug. 4 inquiring about a background check, presumably for Sisemore. Bardin responded that city human resources coordinator Jerry King had said that “Due to FOIA, I do not discuss via email nor text such status,” but added, “However, you can proceed to have him come in to complete paperwork.”
“So does that mean the background is clear? I want to answer the reporter if so. Thank you,” Clifton responded on Aug. 4, presumably referring to an Aug. 1 email sent by the Times-Echo asking if the Aud director position had been filled.
Bardin responded: “well, based on my interpretation from jerry text it would appear yes. or the best answer is once we get back in the office monday i can answer that question.”
Emails were sent to Bardin and Sisemore on Aug. 8 after the Times-Echo received information that Sisemore had accepted the role.
Bardin has not responded to any inquiry from the Times-Echo since March. Sisemore replied to the Aug. 8 email from the Times-Echo indicating he had just returned from being out of town and a phone call was arranged for the morning of Aug. 9. However, a message to Sisemore the following morning was not returned.
“tommy called me,” Bardin texted Clifton on Aug. 8. “he said the reporter had emailed him wanting to know answers to questions.
“tommy not answering him other than i’ll get back with you at the appropriate time.”
Another text received by the Times-Echo through the open-records request, presumably from Bardin but not indicating the sender, recipient or date, indicated that Sisemore wanted to start work as the Aud director on Aug. 13.
“tommy and i spoke at length about that aud director position and discussed the current situation with Ron and Sari and the sound system and the importance of having performance at Aud that will draw in tourism,” the text read.
“He was excited and what’s to start work here Aug 13,” it continued.
“he’s going to email me an acceptance letter and will give his notice and let me know when I can discuss with capc commission.”
According to information previously obtained by the Times-Echo, Sisemore wrote Bardin on July 24 accepting an offer for The Aud director position after being selected from a pool of 20 applicants. At the time of his application, Sisemore was director of safety and security for Walton Arts Center and Walmart Amp in addition to his duties with BB&B.
Emailed questions regarding how many of the applicants received an interview or whether Sisemore would continue his role with BB&B have not been answered.
