The Hot Springs City Council approved a $12,500 future contingency transfer to the general fund nuisance and compliance services and fees budget to fund abatement of the property at 1270 South Sixth Street.

City Administrator Jacqueline Kelsey told the council the city had sought multiple responses from the property owner and that recent staff efforts to address the long‑running problem had not succeeded. "The amount that's in here, is the cost that we're anticipating it will take to abate the property," Kelsey said, noting two contractor estimates included in the council packet: a $12,500 quote from WENI Construction described as "Contracted Company Responsible for All Cleanup, Demolition, and Cleanup," and a $4,500 quote from Stanton and Sons Construction that would use city labor and equipment with separate dumping fees.

Kelsey said the $12,500 figure would allow the city to hand the work to a single contractor so staff would not provide the labor. She described the next steps if funding is approved: post a notice on the property identifying the nuisance and an order to correct, give the owner time to comply, and proceed with abatement if the owner does not act. "This property needs to have something done to it," Kelsey said. She also said the city would place the cost on a lien against the property so the city could seek reimbursement if the property sells.

Wesley (city staff) and the city attorney participated in the discussion and confirmed there was not yet an executed contract with either bidder; council approval of the contingency was required before staff could proceed. Council members asked whether the site was privately owned and whether it was occupied; Kelsey said the parcel is privately owned and "not legally occupied," though people were observed coming and going.

Council members expressed support for addressing the long‑standing problem and voted to approve the contingency transfer. The council recorded no recorded Nay votes during the motion.

Clarifying details available in the meeting packet include a WENI Construction quote for $12,500, a Stanton and Sons Construction quote for $4,500 (city labor and equipment to haul to Edgemont), and a note that Wesley's current nuisance budget held about $2,000, which would not cover the full cost if the city proceeds with the larger contractor. Staff said no contract had been signed at the time of the vote and that a notice would be posted on the property as the first formal step in abatement.

The council did not identify the property owners by name in the public meeting; staff said owner information is public but deferred detailed owner history to executive session if needed. Staff said they would keep the council informed as the abatement process progresses.