CAMDEN — By PATRIC FLANNIGAN
Staff writer
The Camden Advertising and Promotions Commission held its regular monthly meeting Tuesday to discuss sponsorship for several area projects and appropriate funds towards a project at Carnes Park.
City Treasurer Jim Green said that an additional $25,000 is needed to complete that splash pad project at Carnes Park. Camden Mayor Marie Trisollini elaborated and explained to the commission that the funds will go towards making the splash pad compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, along with needed ground work, wording and fencing to give the project a finished look.
Commissioner Mike Tidwell asked if the park will still include wood-top pavilions to keep parents and grandparents out of the sun and in a comfortable spot to watch their children, and the Trisollini replied that it will.
After a lengthy discussion, the commissioners decided to approve the funding for the project because it is needed in order to fully complete the splash pad.
Missy Chambers of the Ouachita County Fair and Livestock Association requested $3,750 for this year’s Ouachita County Fair. Chambers said that the fair will feature a different carnival, a steak cook-off, entertainment by Blaine Howard and a lumberjack competition between the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Louisiana Tech and Stephen F. Austin.
This was the first reading of the request by the county fair board, and no decision regarding funding was made during Tuesday's meeting.
The first reading of a request for the Charlie’s Angels Car Show at the Camden Barn Sale was reviewed. A&P Chairman Clara Freeland explained that the commission gave $1,000 last year, but the commission is running out of contingencies so it wasn’t budgeted for this year.
The group will review contingencies availability to decide if it will be able to contribute to the show by the next meeting.
Discussions about funding for the Cemetery Walk in October, the 2018 Poison Springs Event and the National Night Out were also on the agenda, but no representatives for those events were present at Tuesday's meeting.
The group also took time to review local businesses that are behind on its payments, but the listings did not appear to be up to date and had some businesses listed as if they had paid for months in advance. The list will be revisited during a future meeting.
Also during the meeting, an appropriation of $16,000 was made for Movies on the River, and an appropriation of around $5,000 was made for park improvements such as breakers and gardening. The meeting concluded with a brief discussion about finding another local business owner to fill an opening on the A&P Commission.
The prospect must be a manager or owner of a local business that pays A&P taxes, and the person must live within the city limits.