Board adds Church Street lot to short‑term facility use policy after heated public comments; effort to protect Giving Team draws requests for exceptions

The Hot Springs Board of Directors on Jan. 21 adopted Ordinance O‑25‑05 to add the Church Street parking lot to the city’s short‑term facility use policy, allowing the city to accept and manage applications for temporary non‑parking uses of the lot.

Deputy City Manager Denny McPhate told the board the amendment would bring the Church Street lot — about 66 spaces — into the same policy that governs temporary uses of other public plazas and parking areas and would make the space available to any applicant under the city’s existing fee structure. McPhate said staff proposed two alternative city‑owned sites for food and resource distribution events and highlighted a potential maximum revenue loss of $792 per day if the entire lot were used for an event.

Bill Burrows, city manager, said inclusion in the short‑term facility policy is intended to create a managed inventory of city spaces available for rent and special events. He told the board, “I don’t want anyone to think this is about the city making $200. It’s about moving this lot into an inventory of lots that we'll have… It’s not about Janice’s event.” He also said the manager’s office routinely waives facility fees for community‑wide resource events.

Public comment focused heavily on the Giving Team Inc.’s monthly Food for Thought resource fair, a long‑running program held at the Church Street lot. Janice Davis, president and founder of the Giving Team Inc., said, “We have always been in the lot. We’ve not been any other place,” and described the event’s mix of food, clothing and services for the working poor, veterans and other underserved residents. Nathan Howell of the NAACP and several volunteers, faith leaders and partner organizations told the board the lot’s location is central to the people they serve and urged officials not to disrupt the program.

Speakers including Chisholm Ewing (president of an organization known as 2030) and Boyce Mitchell (Watchtower Behavior Health) described how small moves in location can materially reduce participation by people who lack transport or are disabled. Several volunteers noted the lot has a fence that helps them set up and manage crowds safely.

Board members discussed alternatives, including moving the Giving Team to city lots near the utility building at 324 Malvern or other nearby parcels, and requested more information on how paid parking, overnight hotel parking and bus parking will be managed if the lot is added to paid‑parking inventory. Director Karen Garcia said staff should revisit the item if the lot becomes heavily used for paid parking; Director Dudley Webb said revised fee schedules and staffing needs should be considered before broadly opening the lot to rental.

Director Phyllis Beard asked whether the board was voting to create a rental option or to impose fees on the Giving Team; staff clarified adding the lot to the short‑term facility use policy makes it available for rental, but the city manager can waive fees for community‑benefit events. The board considered, and rejected, a motion to table the ordinance for 90 days.

After discussion, Director Erin Holliday moved to adopt the ordinance; Director Marsha Dobbs Smith seconded. The board adopted Ordinance O‑25‑05 on a unanimous roll call: Director Marsha Dobbs Smith — aye; Director Dudley Webb — aye; Director Karen Garcia — aye; Director Steve Trustee — aye; Director Erin Holliday — aye; Director Phyllis Beard — aye; Mayor Pat McCabe — aye.

The ordinance places the Church Street parking lot under the city’s short‑term facility use policy and fee schedule; staff said nonprofit users that provide community resource events have historically applied for and, in many cases, received fee waivers. City staff and directors asked staff to return with clarifications on alternative sites, enforcement of paid overnight parking, and any necessary updates to the city’s special‑event fee schedule.