The upkeep of Arkansas Career Training Institute facilities, including electrical service and security, will continue until June 30, 2020, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Commissioner Alan McClain said this week.
"We still will be able to use general revenue from the state for that. We feel very confident that we will be able to keep the electricity and security until June 30. Everything needed to maintain the facility," McClain said Thursday.
"We've been assured that we could use some of our federal funding. We are looking at June 30 being the date we will be completely out of that main campus," McClain said.
Clay Farrar, a member of a Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce committee formed to oversee the future of the former Army and Navy General Hospital, agreed with McClain, adding, "We are told that the governor did indeed authorize the $500,000 from his rainy day fund. They're going to try to keep the big building with utilities through June 30 rather than shutting off in January," including boiler operators.
Farrar said the June 30 extension date will allow the committee time to find an avenue to "mothball and repurpose" the building.
The state residential program that provides job training to young adults with disabilities ended at the ACTI complex on July 31.
Farrar said a security meeting was held two weeks ago, and the committee was told that private security personnel contracted by the state have been guarding the front gate of the premises Monday through Friday since Oct. 1.
Farrar said the measures were deemed "insufficient by everyone in the room."
He said there will likely be renegotiations for increased security presence around the clock and a night patrol.
"The Hot Springs Police Department indicated that they also would be doing patrols through the property on occasion," he said.
During November, the committee will visit various clubs and organizations, along with governmental agencies (see related story), to present a resolution adopted by the Chamber of Commerce "asking our congressional delegation to anticipate federal government owning the building and generally preparing for their takeover of the property," Farrar said.
"What we're hoping for is that the federal government or DOD prepares for this rather important takeover, and prepares by having security in place. We're asking for a security fence along the entire back boundary."
A state-funded environmental study conducted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is currently underway at ACTI to determine if the complex presents any environmental threats to Hot Springs National Park.
The study is currently in its first phase, which will take approximately four to six weeks, retired U.S. Army Col. Mike White, another committee member, said. Depending on the findings of the first phase, a second phase may be required.
"Usually, a phase one entails that they'd walk over the site and see what's there and observe. They'll look at prints and operational documents and talk to people to get a feel for what the property was used for and what was done that might generate some kind of environmental issue. Phase two is where they will actually go in and drill sites to get actual samples," White said.
"It's actually pretty quiet around there right now," McClain said.
"We're just sort of waiting to see," White said.
Local on 10/27/2019