City council allows wine for Willie's concert

The Eureka Springs City Council adopted a "one-time" ordinance Monday night to allow open containers of alcohol in the City Auditorium for the Willie Nelson concert Friday evening.

The contracts and special ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) Division of the State of Arkansas license were approved months ago for the Nelson contract.

It was brought to the council's attention March 8 that it is illegal for alcohol to be sold or consumed in public (city owned) buildings.

Another wrinkle in the argument is protecting the new finish on the floor and carpeting in the theater area of the auditorium.

Not-for-profit groups have been allowed to sell wine in the lobby of the auditorium building as part of the concessions to raise funds for their organizations.

City Advertising and Promotion Commission Director LeRoy Gorrell gave the council a letter about policies for serving alcohol in the facility, but that did not seem to reassure them. They want changes in the Municipal Code setting out guidelines.

Festival regulations

Three short ordinances were given their first readings to make festivals "feel like festivals."

The first allows banners and pennants as signage during city-sponsored events.

The second allows "persons actually performing music, visual arts, drama or other art forms on public property may receive payments or contributions from bystanders or the general public and during city-sponsored festivals and/or events, memorabilia may be sold...Signs identifying the artist or musician are allowed while the artist is performing."

Thirdly, "sales of festival and/or event-related items at a city-sponsored event, from tent or open air stand shall be allowable by permit from the mayor's office, the CAPC and or special events director."

In a related matter, the council voted to designate the Lucky 13 Starlight Cinema Festival as a city-sponsored event.

Charlotte Buchanan and Janet Farthing have organized the festival which features an open air market with evening entertainment and movies on Sundays, June 13 through mid-October.

The ladies will project the movies onto the side of the Basin Spring Bathhouse building on North Main.

Manufactured homes

Location of a residential area for manufactured homes came under a lengthy discussion.

The Arkansas Legislature mandated in 2003 that cities with zoning districts designate areas where manufactured homes can be placed, but not in a mobile home park or an historic district. The work was to have been done by Oct. 1, 2003.

The Planning Commission has recommended an ordinance designating R-3, multi-family residential, areas. However, there are only two such areas in town - on Pivot Rock Road and they are locations of duplexes and an apartment building. There is no open R-3 space, at the moment.

Tim Weaver wants to include Agriculture Zones in the ordinance. The city has several agriculture areas.

In the opinion of Municipal League Attorney David Schoen, agriculture is not a residential zoning designation.

Weaver maintains residential areas can be established in agriculture zones.

The council read the ordinance allowing manufactured homes in both zones, with the understanding that the planning commission is to move quickly to identify areas within the city limits which can be re-zoned to R-3 as soon as possible.

Animal-drawn vehicles

A special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, March 29, to discuss franchise agreements with the three horse-drawn carriage companies.

According to Municipal Code, the council must approve the annual franchise permit before the business owners can get their annual occupation licenses.

Dunlap Street

The council approved an ordinance taking Dunlap Street out of the Green Zone category, under the Parks and Recreation Commission control, and putting control with the council.

This is the first step in solving a property dispute at 44 Owen St. A garage sits across Dunlap St., but there is a city-owned sewer line under a corner of the house that does not have a proper easement for access.

The garage was built in the 1970s, but the current owner recently discovered discrepancies in her property title.

The council is trying to develop a method of solving both situations.

City council allows wine for Willie's concert

The Eureka Springs City Council adopted a "one-time" ordinance Monday night to allow open containers of alcohol in the City Auditorium for the Willie Nelson concert Friday evening.

Change in CAPC collectors delayed

The Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission (CAPC) is taking its proposed new definition of "gift shops" back to the discussion table.

HISID closes Clubhouse restaurant and approves vending machines

In a very heavy agenda Monday night, the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) Board of Commissioners resolved a long-standing issue: it voted to close the Clubhouse restaurant and to purchase a sandwich vending machine.

Holiday Island animal control still not contracted, agreement to be worked out with county

As of this writing, there is still no enforcement of Carroll County's animal control ordinance in Holiday Island because of legal wrangling between the county, the sheriff's office and the Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID).