The El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex Board of Directors is exploring funding options to try and raise money to implement a master expansion and improvement plan for the complex.
During a meeting Friday, board members agreed that the best way to advance the process is for El Dorado and Union County officials to get on the same page about the project.
The board recently wrapped up a series of public hearings to gather input and ideas from city and county residents on what improvements they’d like to see at the complex.
The three hearings, which were held May 24 and June 7 and 21, were part of requirements for a grant application that will be submitted to the Arkansas Departments of Parks and Tourism.
The ADPT’s Outdoor Recreation Grants Program offers matching grants of up to $250,000. The match is 50/50 and may be met with cash and/or in-kind services.
The application is due in late August and Greg Harrison, complex board chairman and member of the Union County Quorum Court, said any grant funds that are awarded will be directed toward the completion of the two fields on the south end of the complex.
Harrison cited fencing, restrooms, a concession stand and Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Of the public hearings, Harrison said board members heard positive and negative comments.
“We heard mostly positive comments,” said Dianne Hammond, co-chairman of the complex board and member of the El Dorado City Council.
Harrison said several concerns were raised about the poor condition of and lighting for the parking lot.
He said he was advised against including parking lot improvements in the grant application. Hammond explained that Union County Judge Mike Loftin previously said the county would take on parking lot improvements.
“He did, but it kind of fell by the wayside, and we will get back with him on that,” said Will Crowder, member of the complex board and Union County Quorum Court.
“There’s definitely some issues with the parking lot and some dark areas out there. It fell to the side because of timing, because all of this came up with the master plan and improvements,” Crowder continued.
The plan was drafted in 2014 by local firm CADM Architecture, Inc., and called for a two-phased project with a budget estimate of nearly $1.7 million.
Earlier this year, the complex board asked Little Rock-based ETC Architects and Engineers, Inc., of Little Rock to review the plan and update it.
ETC returned with design options and budget estimates ranging from $1.2 million to just over $7 million.
Conceptual designs presented by ETC included upgrades to existing complex amenities — including restrooms, fields and the RV site — and the addition of new features, such as a college baseball field, junior soccer fields and a splash pad for the playground.
Harrison said he never received confirmation or a timeline of Loftin’s pledge to repair the parking lot.
The city and county contribute to the annual operating budget for the complex. The city owns the real property of the facility, which sits just outside city limits near the Union County Shop on Champagnolle Road.
“Why does the (county) judge not attend these meetings? This is a joint thing, and it seems like the county judge is an integral part of all this,” Hash said.
Harrison said Loftin has entrusted him and Crowder with representing the county on the complex board of directors.
“Some things we’ve taken back to him and gotten help on, but one of the main, critical issues is the parking lot,” Harrison said.
Hash said about eight or 10 lights need to be removed from the decommissioned Babe Ruth League field at South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field.
He and Robert Edmonds, director of public works, said the lights are in good working order and can be used at the complex.
“We’ve got to figure out where to put them. Some of these issues that we can get done without having to go to a grant or whatevers, we need to get done,” Hash said.
“We honestly can’t pick up the ball if everybody is not talking at the same time,” he continued. “I’m not throwing stones because money is tight with the city and money is tight with the county, but we can maximize our efforts by pooling our resources.”
Crowder said he and Harrison will get a confirmation from Loftin about the parking lot. Harrison said he will also schedule a meeting with city and county officials to hash out the matter.
The board heard about various funding options from Jason Holsclaw and Melissa Walsh of Stephens Financial, an independent financial services firm that is based in Little Rock.
Stephens specializes in public finance investment banking, and Holsclaw discussed several possible funding sources.
Three of them — sales and use tax bonds, an advertising and promotion tax, and property tax bonds — would require a public vote.
A franchise fee bond would not require a vote. The city charges franchise fees for utilities to use city rights-of-way.
Holsclaw noted that a 2016 legislative audit for the city showed that El Dorado collected $1.3 million in franchise fee revenues.
He also said the situation is unique in that the city and county operate the complex, and the entities would have to reach a memorandum of agreement/understanding regarding any tax proposals and the use of any revenues from city franchise fees.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].