City cuts notice time on special meetings
Twenty-four-hour notice is no longer required for special called meetings of the Hot Springs Board of Directors, per the ordinance the board adopted last week.
City code now requires only two hours’ notice, the minimum allowed by the open public meetings section of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and not the 24 hours established by an ordinance a previous board adopted in 2015.
Information presented to the board said details of some action items are not apparent
24 hours in advance, noting that specifics for the ordinance authorizing a bond issue to refinance water system debt did not become clear until a few hours before the Aug. 27 special called meeting. New debt the board authorized paid off old ratepayer-secured debt at a lower interest rate.
“The need for a special called meeting is most often emergent, and time does not always permit notice with completed resolutions or ordinances that far in advance,” the board action request form said. “The details of the Waterworks Revenue Refunding Bonds were not ascertained until a few hours prior to the start of the meeting.”
City directors who proposed the 2015 ordinance establishing the 24-hour notice said extended notice was in the public’s interest. The request form for the ordinance the board acted on last week said it was in the public’s interest for the city’s notice requirement to align with the minimum notice prescribed by state statute. The request said the city will exceed the minimum notice when possible.
“The recommendation is that, in the best interests of the public and the citizens of Hot Springs, the city ordinance requirements mirror those set forth in state law,” the form said. “City staff recognize that notice of such meetings is best if given as far in advance as possible and that will remain the goal, however, the statutory requirement should be consistent with the very nature and immediacy of the purpose for requiring the calling of an emergency or special meeting.”
The ordinance repealed the city code section concerning special meetings, including the provision detailing the process for giving notice. It instead defers to the open public meetings section of the state Freedom of Information Act, which requires notice be given at least two hours in advance to members of the news media in the county where the meeting is being held and other media who regularly cover the governing body and that have requested to be notified about special meetings.
The new ordinance continues to vest authority for calling special meetings with the mayor or a majority of city directors.
The board holds its regular business meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Agenda meetings are held at 4 p.m. at City Hall on the Tuesday prior to each regular board meeting.
The city announced Monday that today’s agenda meeting and the Oct. 15 business meeting will not be held because of too few items for the board to consider. The board will next reconvene for agenda and business meetings scheduled Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.