City Attorney Bridal Albright presented a proposed interlocal agreement that would continue the longstanding arrangement under which the City of Hot Springs provides animal-control services in unincorporated Garland County.

Albright told the board the county will pay an annualized sum of $494,213 and will provide a truck for use in the city’s fleet; the contract term would run through Dec. 31, 2026. "It's been a mutually beneficial arrangement for many years now," Albright said, describing the budget division and the county’s contributions.

During discussion, Director Garcia said she had received complaints from county residents about slow response times after about 5 p.m. "We've had a number of complaints regarding lack of very speedy response when there are issues," Garcia said. Albright and the City Manager said evening responses are handled on an on-call basis and, depending on the issue, the sheriff’s office or police may be contacted.

No formal action was taken during the agenda review; the resolution is scheduled for the Board’s Dec. 2 meeting.