City seeks volunteers willing to serve on local commissions

Two city commissions are looking to fill vacancies, and city officials and commission members have put out a call to El Dorado residents who are willing to serve.

Positions are open on the El Dorado Advertising and Promotion Commission and the El Dorado Planning and Zoning Commission. Each commission has one vacancy.

The A&P commission administers the city’s 3 percent lodging tax revenues, which are partially doled out each year to groups and organizations to help advertise and promote events that are being

hosted in the city and for which requests for proposals are submitted to the A&P commission.

City Council Member Judy Ward, who is also a member of the A&P commission, explained that the open seat calls for a member who is in the restaurant and hotel industry.

Per Arkansas law, A&P commissions “shall” be made up of four members who are owners or managers of businesses in the tourism industry, at least three of of which are owners or managers of hotels, motels or restaurants; two members of the city council; and one member at-large.

Ward and City Council Member Dianne Hammond

fill the city council slots on the commission. Hammond serves as chairman.

A&P commissioners are appointed to staggered, four-year terms.

The goal of the A&P commission is to promote the city in order to to “put more heads in beds,” commissioners have said, referring to boosting overnight stays in local hotels and motels.

Ward urged residents who are interested in serving on the A&P commission to call City Clerk Heather McVay at 870-881-4877 to request an application.

Ward asked that applications be submitted by the commission’s next meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday

in the Council Chamber of City Hall.

“We would like to have them by that date,” Ward said, adding that commissioners can review the applications and vote on a candidate to present to the city council and Mayor Frank Hash for appointment.

The A&P commission does not typically meet in December.

The planning and zoning commission is also in search of a new member.

McVay explained that a candidate who had been appointed to fill the vacancy earlier this year moved away.

“Then he moved back, the city council reappointed him again and he moved away again,” McVay said.

She said three applications have been submitted within the last three years. Applications from candidates interested in serving on a city board or commission are kept on file in City Hall.

The planning and zoning commission is charged with several duties, including reviewing and approving any major development within city limits that will affect traffic flow and property values of properties that are adjacent to the the major development.

P&Z commissioners are appointed to six-year terms.

During a regular meeting earlier this month, Commissioner Kelly Halstead, chairman of the

commission, noted that she and Commissioner Gavin Ballinger work for Murphy USA and one of the three candidates also works for Murphy USA.

“If an issue from Murphy USA comes before the board, three of us would abstain,” Halstead said.

Additionally, she said the other two candidates are local realtors, noting that other realtors already sit on the commission.

Commissioners called for additional applications to widen the candidate pool.