A discussion regarding how staff is hired at the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission was tabled at the commission’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27, but not before contentious moments including an exchange in which CAPC director Scott Bardin issued a “challenge “to a commissioner.
Steve Holifield, a commissioner and city council member, had the topic of hiring procedures added to the agenda for the meeting to go along with an agenda item of hiring a marketing support specialist.
“So, I’ve talked to Scott about this,” said Holifield, who joined the meeting via phone while out of town on vacation. “Our bylaws actually state that the CAPC hires people. During our crisis, when we took over in January and hired Scott, we gave [Bardin] the authority to go ahead and hire people just because we were in such a time crunch as far as getting staff in place and the CAPC up and running again.
“We were definitely in crisis mode, and now I think that crisis mode has ended. I think we should go ahead and go back to where it was that the CAPC is in charge of hiring or making the final decision.”
Bardin hired two staff members shortly after being named director and in July hired a director for The Auditorium, a decision that got the final OK from commissioners.
Tommy Sisemore, executive director of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, was Bardin’s top choice among 20 individuals who sent in resumes for the position over the course of several months. Commissioners approved the hire at their July 26 meeting.
“This is not a reflection on Scott or anybody he’s hired,” Holifield said. “He’s done a great job, but also this kind of protects him, kind of quells some of … people out there saying he’s doing this or doing that. Actually, it’s kind of coverage for him if the commission hires.”
Holifield said he would like Bardin to bring to the commission the “top couple of candidates” for a position.
“Tell us what he thought about each one of them, why he’s picking this one, recommending this one,” Holifield said.
“Every position?” asked commission chair Chris Clifton, saying that the idea would be “precedent” from similar commissions he’s been a part of in the past in other cities, including Bentonville.
“I’m talking about Eureka Springs,” said David Avanzino, a commissioner and city council member who was on board with Holifield’s idea, even taking it a step further.
“I’ll just flat-out be honest,” Avanzino said. “There have been times where positions have been filled that I don’t feel that I’ve had information on every single candidate that has applied. And I think as a commission, and to be completely transparent with our stakeholders and our citizens, we should see these applicants. Not just the top five. We should see all of them, and as a group, we come to a decision of who is the top five. Then from there, top three, then who are we going to hire.”
Clifton said he has “philosophical differences” regarding the commission’s role in hiring all staff.
“That’s very much a micromanagement style,” Clifton said. “I’m not in favor of it at all.”
“No, I’m not talking about micromanaging …,” Holifield replied.
“That was just described in detail,” Clifton responded, appearing to refer to Avanzino’s comments.
Clifton said commission bylaws can be interpreted in different ways.
“It not necessarily says that the CAPC will hire each position. It says it will hire a director and is able to hire staff,” he said. “But, it doesn’t say it specifically like that. We’re also able to set all of our own rules. Which if we agree on this we can do that or what we did before. We know that.
“I don’t think it’s our function to try to hire every person for any director, whether it’s Scott or anyone else. Having managed lots of businesses, I would quit if my boss and boss’s boss and a council above me got to pick everyone and then I had to manage them. That just seems very counterintuitive to management 101.”
Holifield, who said numerous times during the meeting that he had trouble hearing many people at the table through the phone, again stressed his intent was not to micromanage.
“I think the final approval should be up to the commission … so we take the responsibility for it,” Holifield said. “Not to dump it on Scott or any future director.”
Clifton responded: “It just seems rather odd to me. I don’t understand it. I’m not in support of it.”
Avanzino referred to the recent hiring of Sisemore, which drew the ire of some citizens during public comments at the August CAPC meeting.
“I’m going to have to agree with Steve on this, especially in light of … I don’t even know if [Sisemore] has started to work. The Auditorium director, is he working now or not?” Avanzino asked.
Clifton indicated that Sisemore has yet to begin his role.
“And that’s a prime example of why the entire commission should have been involved in the process from beginning to end,” Avanzino said. “And we weren’t. I think what Steve is trying to say is if we were involved from start to finish we may have had a different outcome than what we have right now.
“I think it’s very important that this commission, because of its history, be extremely transparent and extremely open to our residents and stakeholders. Right now, I don’t think that’s happening.”
Clifton said since “some people didn’t like who was hired,” the selection of Sisemore “turned into a political issue.”
“We all agreed that the director could, in bigger positions, narrow it down to his candidate and come to us for the blessing. … and that’s what happened,” Clifton said. “We went into executive session, we discussed personnel, that specific issue, and that was how to process it and that’s what we agreed and it worked just fine.”
It would take too much of the commission’s time if they were to review all applicants in executive session, Clifton added.
“If we want to, as a body, try to hire people, we have to go into executive session over and over to protect people’s personal information,” he said, although Arkansas law stipulates that the names of all applicants for any public- funded position are public record. “I know I don’t have the time to be here every day doing stuff like that. That’s like creating more than a barrel, like a giant oil rig of worms. I don’t get it.
“He can hire his staff and come to us and say ‘hey, here’s the staff.’ And you can say no. You could have said no in executive session. We came out and said we supported it. You could have said ‘no, we don’t.’ ” Avanzino responded: “The problem, in executive session, we were given one option, not all the options.”
“It’s the director’s staff,” Clifton said. “Do you trust him or you don’t. If you don’t trust him then we’ve got personnel issues and let’s go into executive session and address that.”
The bottom line, Avanzino said, is “the commission is responsible for the staff.”
“I don’t agree with y’all, I’m sorry,” Clifton said. “Well, I’m not sorry.”
“We can continue to let Scott hire whoever he wants and then the ultimate responsibility lies with this commission,” Avanzino responded. “And we can be sued over decisions.”
Moments later, Holifield said he continued to have issues hearing all parts of the conversation, and suggested the topic be tabled and brought up again at the commission’s next meeting.
Before a new topic was addressed, commissioner Chris Jones asked Bardin what his input would be on the hiring process debate — a question that led to a back-and-forth, stern debate with Avanzino.
“Contrary to what you think, I don’t play politics. I pick the right people to do the job and it’s evident so far,” Bardin said while looking and pointing at Avanzino. “… Contrary to what you might think, I pick the best people to do the job and the proof is in the pudding. I’ve got two good people.
“If you’ll leave me alone I’ll have three or four more good people in here that you’ll be proud of, but if you want to micromanage you’re going to have a problem from this point out because you’re going to let politics enter a business situation. If you want to play politics, go out there and do it at the town council, but right here is a business and we represent Eureka in tourism.
“If I’m not doing the right job, make a motion to fire me right now. Otherwise, let me run this business. And, if I do anything contrary to what you think I’m doing wrong, bring it right here to this table.”
Avanzino responded: “And that’s what we’re doing.”
“That’s my challenge to you,” Bardin said.
“Number one, you don’t point at me and you don’t challenge me in a commission meeting,” Avanzino responded.
“I’ll do that when I think it’s necessary,” Bardin answered.
Avanzino replied: “Scott, we as a commission are your boss. I have not challenged or questioned a single hire that you have brought on other than The Auditorium director. We are not trying to micromanage you. We’re just trying to get things… we’re trying to be transparent.”
A few minutes later the commission voted 4-0 to table the issue.
BUDGET REPORT
Bardin gave his report on the commission’s finances at the close of the books for August, including a bank balance of $2,094,418.65.
Specific numbers included $101,177 in taxes collected for food and beverage, $3,823 less than the $105,000 budgeted. In lodging, $86,554 was collected while $113,000 was projected, a shortage of $26,446.
“The total collections for August was $187,731,” Bardin said. “Compared to the budget of $218,000, that was a decrease of $30,269 or 14 percent.”
Bardin explained that since the monthly CAPC meetings are held the last week of the month, books are closed before that for the budget report. However, businesses have until the final day of each month to submit their tourism taxes so that would contribute to the collections being lower than projected.
Through the first eight months of 2023, the CAPC has collected $1,341,251, which is 6 percent more than the $1,263,987 projected from January through August.
Collections so far in 2023 are 12 percent ($77,263) more than they were at the same time in 2022, Bardin reported.
CITY PAYBACK
The commission approved moving money from reserves and paying $94,916 that the CAPC owed the city for its portion of renovations at The Auditorium The CAPC had previously made a loan payment of $44,084.25.
Bardin and Clifton explained that the agreement with the city was for the CAPC to make the initial payment and then pay the rest in installments.
“But, the problem is any change orders were due immediately,” Clifton said. “And we’re told that the $94,000 was all change-order stuff.”
STATE COMMISSION VISITORS
Jack Moyer, vice president and general manager of the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa and the 1905 Basin Park Hotel, gave an update to commissioners on the upcoming visit by members of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission.
“We have a very important group coming to Eureka Springs on October 18 and 19,” Moyer said.
Approximately 40 individuals will be in Eureka Springs where they will get a tour and hold their monthly commission meeting.
“We do expect the First Gentleman here, and Sen. Bryan King will also be there to represent Eureka Springs,” Moyer said. “We know we’re a leader in tourism and this gives us an opportunity to act like a leader in tourism to the individuals who make decisions regarding tourism and control the purse strings for the state of Arkansas.”
Moyer said the meeting will bring in tourism officials from all over the state.
“This is our opportunity to present our community to the individuals who make the decision on how to market Arkansas,” he said. “Otherwise, we would not have invited them at government rate on October 18, one day before War Eagle Craft Fair. We invited them to our town at a discounted rate at the height of tourism so they’re left with this impression that this place is awesome and no wonder it’s a leading destination for tourism in the state of Arkansas.”
The visit will include a meet and greet at the Basin Park Hotel before the group loads up on tour buses for a trip around the city. Later in the evening, a dinner is planned at Le Stick Nouveau restaurant, which will also be attended by Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry, Moyer said.
The commission meeting will be held after breakfast the following day.
BASIN PARK REPAIRS
The CAPC recently approved funds to assist the parks and recreation commission with costs of an engineering study for repairing and improving Basin Spring Park.
The results of the study and examples of improvement were recently distributed to the CAPC by parks director Sam Dudley. An estimated, “ballpark” cost, of one of the examples given includes a total cost of $900,000, Dudley told commissioners.
“Of course, once again, this is just a very basic cost estimate,” Dudley said.
Avanzino said the project will be a group effort.
“It’s definitely going to be a collaboration between parks, city council and this commission,” he said. “Otherwise, it will never happen.”
Holifield and Avanzino said they will make sure the topic gets added to the next city council meeting for discussions to begin on the project.
FUNDING UPDATE/REQUEST
Laci Moffitt, organizer of the recently held Jeep Jam, reported to commissioners that more than 600 jeeps participated in the annual event.
“We raised over $51,000 for veterans, the police department and the Passion Play,” Moffitt said.
Participation grew from the 513 jeeps involved in 2022, she said.
The commission also approved a marketing funding request of $5,000 for the Krewe of Krazo, the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in Eureka Springs, for events to be held from Jan. 6 through Feb. 13 next year.
The Krewe of Krazo has 70 members and plans are for two balls, eight events and two parades, CAPC members were told.
