City considering next steps with recreation complex

Now that the city of El Dorado has agreed to take over administrative duties for the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex, city officials are trying to figure out the next steps of the process and what its new role will entail.

One of the questions that has arisen is whether to dissolve the complex’s existing board of directors, which is chaired by Union County Quorum Court member Greg Harrison.

Dissolving the complex board — along with a 2001 joint operating agreement between the city and county to manage the complex — is one of the conditions in a new proposal from the county, who is relinquishing to the city administrative responsibilities of the complex.

The county will continue to financially support the facility at a level of $100,000 per year for net operating expenses.

The city will maintain financial and business records for the complex, as well as its kick in its pro rata share of annual operating expenses, and submit monthly financial and status reports to the quorum court.

Per the proposal, the complex board, which is made up of seven members, would have been dissolved at midnight Dec. 31.

There had been some discussion about folding the complex board into or placing it under the auspices of the El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission, which oversees public parks within city limits, including the Lions Club Municipal Golf Course.

The complex sits on city-owned property on Champagnolle Road, just outside city limits.

During a specially called meeting Jan. 23 with members of the EPPC, city officials reached a general consensus to not immediately disband the complex board, particularly since the group is supervising a $2.6 million expansion/renovation that is under way at the facility.

“The complex would fall under parks and playgrounds,” Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer said.

“To me, you’ve got a really good complex board right now. They’re in the middle of a construction project. To me it makes sense to leave them alone and let them do their thing. Let them serve under the parks and playgrounds commission if it becomes another city park,” said Robert Edmonds, director of public works.

Edmonds said 2020 should be a busy year for the complex, noting that nearly 30 tournaments have been booked so far, compared to eight in 2019.

“I think you’ve got a lot of experience on parks and playgrounds and you’ve got a lot of experience on the complex board and to me, you’re doubling your knowledge of recreation,” Edmonds continued.

Councilmember Michael Rice agreed.

Rice noted, however, that the complex will soon enter its busy season and he expressed concern about a time-crunch as phase one of the expansion and improvement project nears completion.

Rice referred to statements EPPC Chairman Ken Goudy made earlier in the meeting about ongoing issues with the EPPC gathering enough members for a quorum during regular monthly meetings.

“There’s no need for us to slow down what we’re doing out there,” Rice said.

Edmonds said it will be up to the city council about it would like to handle the issue “down the road” and he encouraged city officials to leave complex board intact until the renovation project has been completed.

“We already had a direction we wanted to go that everybody agreed upon before that maneuver was done by the county, so let’s finish the project and revisit it down the road,” Edmonds said.

Councilmember Billy Blann inquired about how the complex board and parks and playgrounds commission would restructured to oversee management of the complex and if the complex board would maintain the complex authority to “build, manage operate maintain and keep in good shape repairs of the complex?”

“Would we give them that authority, then, because they have their own budget?”

“They don’t have their own checkbook,” Councilmember Vance Williamson

interjected.

Edmonds said the complex board would have control over construction projects until the end of the renovation project, which will be done in two phases.

Harrison said phase one projects that have begun are 99 percent complete and the complex board is working to bid a project for a new concessions plaza and is awaiting word from PotlatchDeltic about a request to donate land that is adjacent to the south end of the complex for two new youth soccer fields.

Other components of phase one that are under way include, the completion of two existing youth baseball and softball fields, the construction of two new youth fields, the installation of turf on four existing fields, lighting and fencing.

Phase two will consist of repaving and expanding the general and RV parking lots and possible construction of a new baseball field for older teens and young adults.

• Parks and playgrounds:

In July 2019, the council members agreed to include a position for council representation on the EPPC and Rucks volunteered to serve.

Smith-Creer recently

noted that the council has not moved forward with the measure and she asked to discuss the matter during the special meeting Jan. 23.

After lengthy discussion, EPPC members agreed to draft amendments for their operating rules, including terms for unexcused absences and qualifications for candidates who wish to serve on the commission and other issues, and submit them to City Attorney Henry Kinslow

Kinslow explained there are three state statutes that regulate the creation and size of parks and playgrounds commissions and the 1967 city ordinance was based on statute 14269-202.

The statute allows for five members who are qualified electors in the city, with staggered terms between one and five years upon initial appointment to the commission and then five-year terms thereafter.

Kinslow explained that upon initial appointment, one of two additional members will serve for four years and the other will serve a five-year term.

Councilmembr Paul Choate previously noted that the 1967 city ordinance requires parks and playgrounds commissioners

to obtain a $5,000 surety bond.

“That has never been followed,” Choate said.

Williamson said the requirement could be scrapped from the ordinance amendment.

Council members also agreed that they would not designate a seat on the EPPC for a council member, nor limit a council member who serves on the commission to a term of two years, which is the same term limit for city council positions.

They said that should

Rucks not win re-election, he may continue to serve out his term on the EPPC.

The council agreed to continue following 14269-202 in order to add two more members to the EPPC.

Statute 14-269-104 permits a three-, six- or nine-member parks and playgrounds commission

and 14-269-302 allows for a commission of up to 15 members.

The three statutes pertain to first- and second-class cities in Arkansas — which refer to cities with population sizes of more than 2,500 and between 500 and 2,499, respectively.