City Council OKs Quilt of Parks gift

BENTONVILLE — The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a contribution that will go to the downtown Quilt of Parks.

The council voted 8-0 to accept a $1 million donation from the Bentonville Advertising and Promotions Commission.

The money will go toward work at Dave Peel Park and The Commons, according to a letter from David Wright, parks and recreation director, to Mayor Stephanie Orman and the council.

Wright told the council final designs have not been approved.

The Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission is the governing body of Visit Bentonville.

“Visit Bentonville has a history of assisting financially with Parks and Recreation projects,” Wright wrote. “They do not always pay for 100% of the cost of the projects, but they assist with the public investments.”

Some of those projects include Lawrence Plaza, the Bentonville Community Center, Memorial Park baseball/ softball turf fields and multiple public arts projects, Wright said.

“As we started this process, staff from Visit Bentonville was quick to support the Quilt of Parks project and made their intent clear that they wanted to participate financially in the project,” Wright wrote. “We have planned for this donation since 2019.

“Since construction on some elements of the project should begin in 2023, we want to bring this money into our local grant accounts so we will be prepared to move forward once bidding is complete.”

The city has an advertising and promotion tax that is is collected on hotels/motels, condo rentals, meeting spaces and establishments engaged in selling prepared foods and non-alcoholic beverages. Visit Bentonville collects the tax and uses the funds to promote the city, according to the commission website.

Renovation of Dave Peel Park and building The Commons as part of the Quilt of Parks were among projects voters approved as part of a $266 million bond plan that passed in April 2021. The bonds will provide $5 million for that work.

The city will pay for the bonds by extending a 1-cent sales tax. The tax was approved in 2003 and extended in 2007.

The overall park bond is $32.75 million. Other park bond items include 8th Street Gateway Park and renovation of Phillips Park and the Melvin Ford Aquatic Center at Memorial Park.