Two members of the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District Board of Commissioners abruptly resigned and two replacements have been voted in — all in less than a month.

At a special meeting held Monday, Jan. 13, David Rochefort and Nicole Regan were selected unanimously from a field of seven nominees to fill two seats left vacant by the December resignations of commissioners Phyllis Sarratt and Kenneth Brown.

Rochefort and Regan are expected to be sworn in at a work session scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21. The addition of the two will give the Board of Commissioners three new members since Dec. 6, when Bryce Holland was sworn in to replace Larry Stamps, joining board incumbents Randy Rahlf and Douglas Pinkley.

Rochefort and Regan were the only nominees to fill the two vacant seats to receive votes from all three current board of commissioners.

Rochefort said he’s been a property owner in Holiday Island since 2020 and has lived in the city since 2023. He held “top secret clearance with access to sensitive department information” as a Command Master Chief with the U.S. Coast Guard before retiring and becoming a project manager focusing on different areas of real estate, Rochefort told the board.

Regan said she has lived in Holiday Island since 2021 and is currently the branch manager of the city’s CS Bank location. Her comments to the board focused on the changing demographics of the city.

“There’s a lot of families coming here,” she said. “The demographics are changing, and I don’t think there has been any focus on that. … In order for this community to grow we need to be able to reach the newer residents and have them be a part of the community.”

While Rochefort and Regan were the only candidates to receive three votes, the board voted on each candidate who requested to be nominated after an executive session.

William Ramsey received a vote from Holland, Ricky Cantwell received a vote from Pinkley and Andy Conlee got votes from Rahlf and Holland. Delbert Phillips and Dave Bischoff failed to receive any votes.

‘WALKING FOIA VIOLATION’

The first vacancy on the commission came during a regular monthly meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, when Sarratt called the Board of Commissioners a “walking FOIA violation” before walking out near the end of a meeting that lasted nearly 2 1/2 hours.

Sarratt’s resignation and departure came after she made comments regarding an item in HISID’s 2025 budget for a remodel of the restaurant at the golf course clubhouse — something she claimed was planned outside of a public meeting.

“Looking at the 2025 budget, I saw the $50,000 … for the clubhouse remodel,” Saratt said. “We had not discussed that, [but] the answer was satisfying. But, from the Friday Holiday Island Happenings newsletter, I was surprised to learn the Clubhouse Grill would be converted into a full service restaurant and bar.

“This plan was not discussed in an open meeting. I, for one, have not seen any information regarding reno costs, licensing by the Arkansas Beverage Commission, staffing requirements, hours of operation, inventory costs and other pertinent information. This is a long-term commitment for the property owners. The Board of Commissioners acts as a governing body and the district manager is responsible for the dayto- day operations of the district. This board is either unwilling or unable to operate within that framework.

“It has been an honor to serve the property owners of Holiday Island. Thank you for showing your trust in me by electing me twice to this board. Thank you to the staff who have taught me so much and helped me perform my duties. This board has some commissioners that have circumvented the board to push their personal agenda. I will not be part of this and I am resigning my seat on the board effective today.

“I ain’t doing it. It’s a walking FOIA violation.”

Brown then chimed in, explaining his thoughts on the clubhouse restaurant, saying something had to be done to avoid continuing to lose money with the current setup as a grill.

“The point is, that when it is announced, what is being done in a public forum and it has not been discussed, that is not the way we should be operating,” Sarratt responded.

Cutting Sarratt off, Pinkley responded: “We have discussed this time and time again.”

Sarratt then gathered her belongings and left the room.

The meeting concluded with the board discussing setting a special meeting for Jan. 13 to declare Sarratt’s seat vacant.

The Times-Echo reached out to Sarratt regarding further comments about her resignation and her comments regarding alleged violations of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

“I’ll let my comments speak for themselves,” Sarratt replied via email.

BROWN RESIGNATION

In a letter dated three days after the meeting when Sarratt resigned, Brown, a longtime board member, also stepped down.

In a special meeting held Thursday, Dec. 26, Rahlf, the board’s new chair, read Brown’s resignation letter.

“After eight years of nonconsecutive service on the Holiday Island Board of Commissioners, I am submitting my resignation effective today, Dec. 19th,” the letter read by Rahlf said. “I did not make this decision quickly or easily, but due to legal, family, health and other reasons I am doing so.

“Best of luck in working with the city and continue to maintain this community as an excellent place to live. Infrastructure and maintenance most important goal.”

After reading the letter, Pinkley, the newly chosen vice chair, and Holland, the board’s new secretary, discussed with Rahlf the process and setting the Jan. 13 special meeting date.

“Vacancies occurring on the board shall be filled until an annual election by a majority vote of the remaining commission,” Rahlf said. “At the annual election, the position shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in accordance with Arkansas code … That’s how the vacancies will be filled. There will be two positions filled, to be appointed by the board.”

MEETING WITH CITY

The HISID board will have a special joint meeting with members of the Holiday Island City Council at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18. The meeting, which is something that has been requested for some time by members of both groups, will be held in the ballroom of the Holiday Island Country Club.

The board will then hold a workshop at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 when Rochefort and Regan are expected to be sworn in.

The next regular HISID board meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27.