EUREKA SPRINGS -- Alderman Eric Scheunemann said he wouldn't vote, and he didn't, and now the hot water immersing the city is closer to the boiling point.

  Faced with a budgetary crisis that threatens to bring legal action on the city over its sewer plant troubles, the Eureka Springs City Council failed Monday night to discuss an ordinance to re-allocate funds from a one-cent sales tax that would help solve the problem, as well as the special election which would allow voters to approve such an ordinance.

  If voters approve the ordinance in a special election 60 days from now, it would would give the city power to re-distribute funds from a one-cent sales tax and thus bail it out of a potential lawsuit with the bond loaning company that funded the building of the city's new sewer treatment facility.

  But they have to agree to do it first.

Multiple 'no-shows'

  Due to a personal emergency, Alderman Patrick Brammer was unable to attend the meeting; Alderman Kathy Harrison also unexpectedly failed to show.

  That left council with a quorum only with the contribution of Mayor Dani Joy, who can vote aye to pass measures which otherwise would fail for lack of a vote.

  Alderman Eric Scheunemann refused to participate in the meeting, however, except to make motions or to adjourn.

  Scheunemann has long argued the mayor and council are operating illegally following the mayor's veto of Pat Matsukis to fill an empty council seat at the Dec. 10, 2007 meeting.

  Scheunemann is part of a lawsuit filed against the mayor over the Matsukis affair, along with Aldermen Harrison and Rae Hahn and Ernst Schrader.

  Without a fully participating quorum, council adjourned the meeting abruptly.

Good news from CAPC

  Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission Executive Director Jim Williams brought good news to the table.

  Through the efforts of the CAPC and the Mayor's Task Force on Tourism, the 2010 Governors' Conference on Tourism will be held in Eureka Springs.

  Williams explained the CAPC invited the managers of the Arkansas Welcome Centers to visit Eureka before their participation in the recent Governors' Conference in Rogers. Snow blighted the visit, so the CAPC invited them to hold their September 2008 meeting here.

  He said the CAPC has also been courting representatives of the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Communication Section, a group of writers and photographers who canvas the state covering its many attractions.

  Williams discussed a new formula for running the city's seasonal festivals that will allow them to be conducted within budget and avoid the sorts of financial losses that have plagued festivals in years past.

  All festivals have been booked except FeatFest. Williams said if its representatives did not meet the May 15 deadline for signing contracts, another festival would be substituted.

  Williams shared an article from the weekend Springdale Morning News indicating that, although slowed, tourism continues to grow in the region.

  He said CAPC Director of Operations Sheila Hulsey had calculated CAPC tax collections since Jan. 1, showing a 9.7-percent increase for the first quarter of this year.

Christmas is a-comin'

  City Building Inspector Marion Chrysler, part of the city's Christmas committee, announced she is about to order bulk Christmas lighting.

  She said the city had limited funds to decorate downtown, but anyone not included in the first phase of the committee's five year plan to decorate Eureka Springs with permanent lighting was "more than welcome" to purchase their own lighting as part of the city's purchase of bulk PVC rope lighting, a quarter of a million lights that will cover the buildings from downtown all the way to the Carnegie Public Library on upper Spring St., and North Main St. from the Auditorium to Main Stage.

  Chrysler said she still had a few of 28 city-owned wreaths that are being passed out to the community as part of a decoration contest. She said the wreaths should be returned by Nov. 1 for judging, and winners would be announced for first, second and third place.

Fixing streets, a costly endeavor

  Public Works Director Dwayne Allen addressed council regarding two recent major water leaks and why "boil orders" had not been issued.

  Allen explained the department carefully follows state guidelines for boil orders, which he said "can cause hardships for businesses" affected, and had done so in this case. He added while he can initiate such an order, only the Health Department can rescind it.

  Allen said his department had completed work on its five-year plan and had begun work on a 20-year plan.

  Allen offered figures for repair costs to city streets. He said the cost of repairing Spring St. would be $504,075, based on a calculation of $65 per square foot, but added "if we bid a substantial section out we can beat this price."

  He said the cost of repairing only the worst areas of Spring St. would be $343,850.

CAPC shrinking

  CAPC Chair Richard Grinnell introduced James DeVito as a candidate to fill the restaurant position on the CAPC vacated recently by K.J. Zumwaldt, adding the commission was in dire need of commissioners because Commissioner Ree Slane just turned in her resignation.

How to proceed now?

  Council went back and forth at the meeting's abrupt ending on how to get the necessary ordinances passed for the special election.

  Their choices were to hold a special meeting or reschedule the next regular meeting so it occurs before the water department's next billing cycle.

  Eureka Springs Water Department Office Manager Amy Williams said the billing cycle could be delayed a day or two if it would help.

'Put a sock in it, Eric!'

  Discussion of Scheunemann's refusal to participate in the voting led to Scheunemann quoting state law he feels has been broken by the mayor and council, but his exposition was interrupted by Alderman Joyce Zeller telling him to "put a sock in it."

  Scheunemann called out "Point of order!", which indicates Robert's Rules of Order are being broken.

  "That was out of order, Miss Zeller," he said.

  Zeller sighed and replied, "Oh, you're right, Eric. Me bad."

  At meeting's end, an angry citizen loudly demanded to know why Scheunemann showed up at meetings if he did not intend to participate, suggested he resign and told him his chances of re-election were zero.

  Scheunemann, who has said he will not seek a council seat next term, pointed to Joy, who with the others was leaving the room, and replied the mayor was the one not following the law, not him.