AMP commission sets June 9 deadline for 2026 grant applications after fairness concerns; two requests tabled

The AMP commission on Tuesday agreed to accept 2026 grant applications through 5:00 p.m. on June 9 and to notify the public by normal channels and direct notice to prior applicants, after members and residents raised concerns that some groups had not been told funding was available.

City staff clarified that no general notice was sent announcing new 2026 funding and that at least one prior awardee had repeatedly submitted proposals that staff forwarded to the commission. "No notices were ever sent out to anyone that any funding was available because that was never formally discussed by the commission," city staffer Tyler said during the meeting, describing how proposals had been routed to the commission over several months.

Commissioners debated whether the meeting was a workshop or a special-called meeting and expressed differing views about voting with only three members present. With two seats vacant, three of five seated members constituted a quorum; commissioners repeatedly said they were uncomfortable making decisions that absent colleagues might have opposed. Nonetheless, the panel agreed to set an expedited application window so organizations with imminent events could apply.

Two applicants who were on the agenda — the Scholars group and Winter Circle — asked to be tabled until the post-deadline meeting. The commission moved and seconded motions to table each request; roll call votes recorded Juel "yes," Dodson "yes," and Brewer "yes" on both motions, which passed. The motions did not decide awards; they simply delayed consideration until a meeting after the June 9 application cutoff.

Members of the public pressed the commission for clarity and fairness. Dian Patterson, sales manager at the Hampton hotel on the Arkansas side, urged officials to track "heads and beds" to show which events fill local hotels and to base awards on measurable tourism impact. "We want tourism, but it needs to be fair," Patterson said.

Staff told applicants that incomplete packets will be allowed to supplement materials but urged applicants to file complete submissions by the deadline. The commission said it will schedule a meeting after June 9 to review new filings and will accept applications submitted before the deadline for consideration in that session.

The meeting closed after routine agenda business and a motion to adjourn passed by roll call. The commission did not make any final funding awards at Tuesday’s session; the June 9 deadline and a follow-up meeting are the next procedural steps.