Focus is on quality of life

This week’s goal will focus on community events/arts and culture.

This goal has four parts: continue to encourage arts, culture, health, diversity, etc. through city programs; paint some of the overpasses; provide a broad range of activities at all of the city parks and amphitheater for all ages and customs and encouraging multicultural and generational events and city activities; to promote unity and the sharing of ideas and customs, according to the goal setting worksheet provided by the city.

Director Mindy Hunt felt those four topics could be lumped together because they encourage arts and cultural diversity. Director Marla Sappington added the idea of painting overpasses. Sappington focused on the overpass on Highway 59/Lincoln Street that goes over Highway 412.

“People want to represent what

Siloam looks like and we could have a big mural done here,” Sappington said.

She is looking to have something that represents Siloam Springs painted on the overpass although she did not give any ideas as to what that could be. Sappington felt this goal should be under the umbrella of community events/arts culture because students could be involved in coming up with designs for the mural.

“Just to give you an example you can say we’re going to have a contest at school and their picture is going to be on there,” Sappington said.

Mayor John Turner suggested the possibility of having a message board by the overpass. Patterson said one of the things he has been thinking about is to have an electronic message board which has more than just standard scrolling text.

“Today electronic message boards, you can have images, you can have all the stuff that really works,” Patterson said.

Patterson said the highway department may frown on it but it is the only place Patterson found where it could work. He talked to staff a few years ago about having the electronic sign by Fire Station Two and replace the old copy board there, but city code says no electronic reader-boards are allowed in the old town overlay.

Patterson also thought about doing it at the wall in front of the police station but everyone would have to turn their head one way or the other to see it at the intersection he said.

“I’ve done one before where it was on the highway and it had to meet certain standards where it worked,” Patterson said.

He said that sign did not have moving pictures but had static pictures that moved in and out and had wonderful backgrounds. Patterson said in the case of Siloam Springs the sign could display images of Dogwood trees.

Director Brad Burns recommended doing a costsharing with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDot) and the highway patrol so the city can use it, but if there is a missing child reported in the 412 corridor, they could pop up an Amber Alert.

Patterson said that may be what the city has to do in order for ArDot to approve it. The city directors conducted an informal vote and added community events/arts culture as a goal to include all four portions discussed.