Rec complex seeks clarity on oversight

It has been nearly four months since the city of El Dorado took on administrative duties for the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex and the facility’s board of directors has agreed that the two groups need to iron out some of the details of the arrangement.

After several weeks of discussions that began last fall, the El Dorado City Council voted in January to accept a proposal from the Union County Quorum Court to dissolve a two-decadesold joint operating agreement for the complex.

The outdoor recreational facility is located on Champagnolle Road, just outside El Dorado city limits and just east of the U.S. 167 overpass.

The land on which the complex sits is owned by the city.

Since 2001, the city and county had been engaged in an interlocal agreement that called for the two governmental entities to share operating expenses pro rata.

Per the old agreement, the county handled administrative duties for the complex, including tracking the annual budget, preparing financial reports and overseeing operations and personnel.

With the vote in January, the city council agreed to assume those responsibilities and to dissolve the interlocal agreement.

The county agreed to cap its annual contribution toward the complex’s annual budget at $100,000 and any budget overruns would require an approval from the Quorum Court before they’d pay a share of the cost overruns.

The county’s new proposal also called for the dissolution of the complex board and a suggestion to fold the complex under the oversight of the El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission, with a position created for a complex representative to serve on the commission.

After considerable discussion, the El Dorado city council members agreed to keep the existing complex board intact, at least until a major expansion and improvement plan for the complex is completed.

Phase one of the two-phase plan is underway.

The first phase includes new baseball and softball fields, new youth soccer fields, a new concessions plaza and improvements to the existing fields and concession stand.

The project is being covered by a $2.6 million funding package from the city’s El Dorado Works tax, a one-cent sales tax that is earmarked for economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.

During a regular complex board meeting May 8, board members discussed a few details that still need to be sorted out as part of the new arrangement with the city.

Board members agreed that a modified operating agreement is in order between the city and the complex board, with Greg Harrison — complex board chairman and quorum court member — referring to a previous decision by council members to ask City Attorney Henry Kinslow to draw up the agreement.

Harrison also noted that a new contract for services with the complex manager, the Boys and Girls Club for El Dorado, needs to be adopted for 2020.

Board members noted that a payment has gone out for the first quarter but with activities at the complex having been suspended and the city placing a moratorium on non-essential spending, all due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the city has also temporarily disabled the contract with the BGCE.

The complex board also tabled action on a financial report that was provided by the city.

Board members said the report did not provide enough information and they had questions about some expenditures, noting that the complex did not operate for most of March and in all of April due to the suspension of such activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harrison said the numbers appeared to reflect year-to-date financial activity for the complex but the report did not include a detailed breakdown.

He said such documentation, as with the contract for services, is needed for audit purposes.

Board members noted that the city is still gathering information about the complex from the county.

In other business, the board approved new deposit fees for pavilion and RV site rentals at the complex, settling on cleaning deposits of $50 for the eight RV slots and $100 for the two pavilions.