Council votes to cap showers at Community Building

The El Dorado Springs City Council at the Aug. 3 council meeting voted unanimously to cap the showers in the Community Building due to misuse.

Civic Center Director Charlie Cantrell said that the showers had been closed since the Covid-19 outbreak and had been cleaned and painted and were currently not in use. He said there had been more and more people coming into the Community Building just to take a shower or use the shower room. He said he had found needles and other paraphernalia after they left with some people trashing the area. He said he was worried about children who do frequent the Community Building.

Councilman Cory Gayman asked if there was a formal policy for use or was it open use.

Rogers said it was open use.

Councilman Jim Luster said, “I don’t think the Community Building was built for showers.”

Cantrell said, “I don’t think it should be used as a shelter for them.” He also said that most local people that use the facilities go home to shower.

Councilmen Brett Entrikin, Jim Luster, and Cory Gayman were at the meeting. Councilman Nick Bland, mayor pro-tem presided as Mayor Nathan Murrell was absent. City Manager Bruce Rogers and City Clerk Kandi Baldwin were also present.

The council awarded a bid for banking services to Community Bank of El Dorado Springs; awarded a bid for a 12-inch water main pipe to Core and Main for 2,240 feet in the amount of $24,259.20 and awarded a bid for 69KV High Voltage Tree Trimming services to Poor Boy Tree Service for $6,072 per week.

Glenna West commented at the public forum that a house on her street had been condemned and boarded up but there was still someone living in it. She said that the police wouldn’t do anything about it and she thought it was a dangerous situation.

Rogers said he would need more information from the police department and Aaron Smith the city inspector.

Gayman asked if there was an ordinance about living in a condemned building. Rogers said he didn’t think the city had condemned this particular building.

Ms. West said she would like to have another bowling alley and the city needs more recycling.

Glenda Baker said she had received complaints about the condition of the South Side Parks. She said told the people that contacted her that she would bring it up.

Rogers said that due to declining state revenues, there would not be any matching grants for improvements at the fishing lake west of town for a while. He said capital improvements like a spillway and handicapped ramp were on hold.

The council moved to have Rogers proceed with investigating an automated system for paying electric bills with credit and debit cards; a website that would accept credit and debit card payments and a way to direct deposit payroll checks.

Rogers said the city had received a small grant to determine why the city had so much trouble with the asphalt at the airport. Rogers said there was too much water under the runway.

Rogers said the repair work at Fields and Main had been completed.  He also reminded the council that the next meeting would be for the tax levy.