Please email us at ihcc.nlr@gmail.com to sign the petition in favor of the USD. We will bring it straight to your door or mail it at your request!

Frequently Asked Questions…

The IHCC Board welcomes questions and we appreciate them.   We would like to make it very clear that we are your neighbors, and we are an all-volunteer board.  We are working with the neighborhood’s future and finances in mind and are being as transparent as we can with the information we currently have. Here are answers to the questions that have been brought to our attention. We will keep updating this page as new questions are asked.

What is an Urban Service District? -An urban service district OR (U.S.D) can be established after a certain percentage (25%) of registered voters from within a designated area sign a petition to accept the terms, which include a monthly charge that is added to each residential water bill. The water utility company collects the money on behalf of the neighborhood and charges a fee which is included in the USD budget.

Will I be able to see how the money is being spent? -Yes. IHCC will be posting progress reports for the entire neighborhood to see. We will gather multiple competitive quotes on all work to get the best value for all of our money. We will be transparent with where the money goes and when.

Can anyone sign the petition? -No. Only registered voters within the neighborhood boundary map included in the USD may sign the petition.

What if I move? -You stop paying the fee and the next homeowner begins paying. They will learn about the USD when buying their home.

What if I am only renting in the neighborhood? -You are still an important part of the neighborhood, and we would like you to contribute to our efforts.

What happens after the ten years? -The Urban Service District ends, and the neighborhood will be able to decide together how to move forward. We will be in a much better position to continue supporting the more basic and affordable amenities we are proposing.

Will lake homeowners pay more? -We are strongly considering a second USD just for lake homeowners in order to raise additional money to help maintain the lakes. Although the lakes serve the entire neighborhood as storm water retention ponds and can be accessed by the neighborhood, we recognize that lake homeowners’ property values are more directly affected by the lakes.

Can the fee for the USD be increased or go up on my water bill? -No. The USD petition will communicate the fee that is to be collected and it will not change during the ten-year term.

Will the USD automatically renew after the ten years? -No. Once the ten years has finished, the fee will no longer be applied to your bill.

Can I see the details of how much money is being raised and how it is planned to be spent? -Yes. Please come to the public meeting when you receive your mailed invitation, and we will present all of the information in detail. If you cannot make the scheduled time, there will be an email address to contact us, and we will invite you to another meeting time.

Can I ask a question now before the public meetings? Yes. Please email ihcc.nlr@gmail.com and we will post your question here and create a response. We will also be trying to respond on social media and direct neighbors back to this site for answers to questions that have been asked.

There seem to be two different Facebook pages for Indian Hills. Which do I use to ask questions or make comments? -Our Facebook page can be found at Indian Hills Community Club | North Little Rock AR | Facebook We will try to also answer questions on the NLR Indian Hills Neighborhood Association Facebook page, however we do not run that page. We do recognize it as a resource where neighbors are communicating about neighborhood topics. Here is the official logo of our Facebook page for your reference.

What if I move from the neighborhood? -You stop paying the fee and the next homeowner begins paying it on their water bill. 

How will this notification happen to the new buyer? What is the legal requirement? -At the last public meeting it was stated that there is no legal requirement to disclose this information to the new buyer. That really is a good question the new buyer should be asking their realtor, knowing there are amenities in the neighborhood.  Regarding the fee, the realtor should direct them to the proper utilities for this information.  It’s not the realtor’s position to determine the use of fees the utilities collect. Regarding the Urban Service District itself and what it includes… Agents should be educating themselves the best they can to stay abreast on the nuances within a particular neighborhood.  Again, there is no law against it, rather a code of ethics that’s understood every realtor should follow.

What if I am renting in the neighborhood? -Who pays the water bill depends on the arrangement the renter has with the landlord. Whoever pays the water bill pays the USD fee.

Can a renter (who is registered to vote) vote for or against the USD? -The USD proposal is NOT a vote.  It is a petition.  If you are not for the USD, then don’t sign the petition. If someone is renting a house in the proposed USD, then if they are a registered voter at the time of the petition signing, they can sign the petition.

When someone is no longer renting the home in the USD will they continue to pay the fee? -If they are no longer living in the home and have moved to another home in another neighborhood, they will no longer be paying a water bill for the home in the USD.  The fee is attached to the water bill of the home.  The responsibility falls on the landlord or the renter if the renter is responsible for paying the water bill.  NO ONE has entered a contract for the USD.

Who is paying for the professional consultant? -We met with a consultant one time, and he met with us pro bono. He was not paid anything.  Also, our attorney is a volunteer board member like the rest of us and is pro bono.

If the community club has been collecting membership fees for years now, how is it the dams and levees have come to be in such a terrible state of disrepair?  According to the reports, there are/were mature trees growing on them.  Those don't sprout overnight.  Why weren't the levees and dams being maintained all this time with a portion of the fees being collected? -The leadership groups and memberships have always been voluntary since the inception of IHCC.  An effort to create a structured, long standing organization that had a specific purpose to oversee and maintain the IHCC properties and amenities to state safety standards was never cultivated. Past voluntary board members never realized the significance, nor the liability of the dams in the neighborhood. The volunteer memberships were never sufficient to maintain the pool and the 30 acres over the course of 60+ years.

How many registered voters are there in the Indian Hills neighborhood and where does that info come from? -At the time this question was asked, there are 2,271 registered voters. This information is obtained from the County Clerk’s office.

Does the USD petition require physical signatures on an official petition form? -Yes.

Will these signatures be verified? By Whom? -Yes. The petition is given to the city to approve and verify the signatures. Each petitioner’s voter registration must be current at the time of verification.

Is there a cut-off date for gathering signatures? -We will turn the petition in when we have collected at least 25% or more of the registered voters’ signatures. The petition will remain open at the very least until after the last community meeting in July.

If the USD passes, will the entire neighborhood will have recreational access to the lakes? Can you describe that access? Fishing? Canoeing/paddle boating? Where will we park to use the lake? -Yes, all households within the Urban Service District would have fishing and non-motorized boat access to the lakes. The access to the upper lake is off Flintrock and the access to the lower lake levee is off Coronado. Right now the boat launch on Flintrock is a mess due to the tornado. Given USD funding, the goal would be to make that into an attractive greenspace where people can come to hang out, picnic, and fish. Parking is available on the street or, at the lower lake, in the former pool parking lot.

What type of accounting will there be for this amount of money? -IHCC has always had an elected volunteer/treasurer that has taken care of the bookkeeping, but if the USD passes, we have budgeted for third party tax prep and bookkeeping.

It sounds more like a condo association and we had a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer and monthly meetings plus an accounting company responsible for paying all bills, scheduling all repairs, lock down of facility and maintaining all buildings. Have you considered this or plan to only have a volunteer association? -IHCC has bylaws and officers. They have been elected every year since its inception.  That will not go away when the USD passes, what will change is that all households in the USD will be members of IHCC since they will be paying the mandatory fee.   No other fees will be collected from those who live in the USD. IHCC will still have a volunteer board of directors and will still have monthly meetings and will coordinate with the smaller USD advisory board that will work with the city. Those on the USD advisory board will be required to also be an IHCC board member.

How many homes in Indian Hills will be paying into IHCC? -We have counted 1,268 households across the Indian Hills subdivision.

Does this include the apartments and the other multi home complexes? -No.

Why not, they will surely be using the property the same as the homes in the area? -The townhomes have their own POA, dues, and amenities, including a pool. The apartment complexes also often have their own pools. The details of this have not been worked out, but there could be an opportunity for those who live outside the USD to pay for a membership to use the amenities especially the tennis/pickleball courts, the lakes, and renting the Pavilion.

What is the timeline for repairs and what is the cost? -We have a detailed timeline for the ten years that is a pay as we go plan.  It is subject to revision based on actual costs and neighborhood priorities.  Because the dams are an immediate concern and the greatest liability, we are planning to get those cleaned up and maintained first.  Then we will tackle the tennis/pickleball courts and demolition of the pool.  If the USD passes, there is a possibility to apply for grant money for an inclusive playground in the first 2-3 years.  Grants usually require applicants to show ability to maintain the facilities once they are built, which the USD gives us. We have several people on the IHCC board and in the neighborhood that can write grants, and several with experience in architecture and construction.   This is a process that will take a lot of planning and we have begun that process.  We have spent many hours meeting with contractors and experts getting quotes and the board will continue to do so.  We are always looking for others in the neighborhood to join the board and give their expertise and input.

Will people have access to the lakes all the way around them?  -Access will not be provided around the shoreline around the lakes. From the inception of Indian Hills, there was no public access easement included around the lakes. However, we do plan to make the current access points clearer and hope to gain an access that was closed years ago to the upper dam.  The upper lake can be accessed via a put-in on Flintrock Rd. between #6912 Flintrock Rd. and #1 Edenwood Lane.The lower lake can be accessed from its levee on Coronado Circle, between #41 and #43 Coronado Circle. There is a chain barrier to prevent vehicle access, but you may walk around it.

Is a dock planned and proper parking for people wanting to access it? -There will be parking when the gate to the park is open during the day.  There are plans to clear the bamboo away from the boat launch to make room for more parking at that site.  People can always park on the street.  We have not discussed a dock, but that would be a nice addition. 

Will the lakes be stocked on a regular basis? -The lakes as far as we know have fish and don’t need to be stocked.  One of the things we are planning to do is dredge the lakes.  That has not been done in 25 years.  Sledge builds up and when that happens there is less area for water retention.  When that is done, then we will talk to Game and Fish about restocking them.

What are the plans for security and opening and closing the picnic area so kids and adults are not hanging around after dark? -We have budgeted for better lighting and monitored security cameras and plan to have a gate that can be automatically closed at night.  The USD would also pay for the necessary electric and internet utilities to make the security system effective.

Who will be locking up the restrooms that are planned? -We are looking at systems that can be locked remotely on a timer.

Who will be maintaining these areas? -In the budget there are estimated maintenance costs for cleaning and maintaining the area by independent contractors.

After the ten years where will the money come from to maintain the property?  -Hopefully, the neighborhood will have seen the value in the USD and renew it at a lower cost. This first 10 years includes costs to demolish existing structures and build new amenities. A future USD would only need to cover the cost of maintaining these simplified amenities. We think a future USD to maintain the simplified amenities would be under $5/month. In addition, the board will be looking for potential ways to offset future costs by creating income generating events around the facilities.

Will a new USD at a reduced cost be voted on again or renewed at the same amount automatically? -No, it is not automatically renewed. A new petition effort  and City Council vote would be required.

How many votes do you lack to put before the NLR City Council? -That number is changing every day. We will turn in the petition when we 1) have the signatures required by state law and 2) feel confident that the number of signatures demonstrates strong support for the USD.

What is the Percentage of No votes? -This is not a vote. It is a petition.  We are not counting “no” signatures.   When the city receives our petition one of three things could occur. 1.  The city could table it, 2. Pass it, 3. Bring it up for a referendum vote to the USD district.  Only registered voters would be allowed to vote just like only registered voters are allowed to sign the petition, that is the law.

What happens if this passes and people cannot afford to pay this amount due to limited income? -We have looked at the average income in Indian Hills and we have determined that the majority of the residents can afford the $8.50 from their expendable income. For those who are truly in need, we are willing to investigate a process where they can apply for help.  Many neighbors are willing to pay for those who are especially in need. 

Other than the playground, picnic area, and courts why should all the residents that will not use these pay for this? -We are of the opinion that well kept amenities in a neighborhood attract home buyers and add value to all our properties whether we use them or not.  We would hope this beautiful green space would be used by everyone.  It will give a place for children and families to play and gather as well as places for the neighborhood to have events.  The lakes are already used and promoted by real estate companies to sell houses in our neighborhood.  The lakes also provide drainage for a large portion of the neighborhood, and they attract homebuyers. They do enhance the neighborhood whether you use them or not. The lakes receive sediment and run-off from a large area. While the lakes may not be used recreationally by everyone in the neighborhood, they have been serving a large part of the residents for decades. The dredging that needs to take place is a direct result of the sediment that has been captured and built-up from the run-off area attached to the lakes.

If this does not go through will the city of NLR take over the lakes and dams because they are responsible for run off and 5 mile creek? -We have no idea what will happen to the property if the neighborhood does not pass the USD and take responsibility for the 30 acres.  What we do know is that the city has not offered to take it and that someone would need to petition the city through our council members to take it. The city council members represent other areas that are vying for funds.  They may not want to add these properties, which may very well make the city’s taxes go up or take money from other areas.  There are no funds at the present time for the city to take it nor any plans of what they would do with it. The mayor told the board that he would only mow it and keep it lit. He also said he would never reopen the pool.  It is too costly and too much of a liability. If the IHCC board folds, then we lose our tax-exempt status, and the taxes would be due on the property and the land could go up for public auction.  The State can be petitioned to take over regulation of the dams. They are high hazard and those downstream would have an interest in the state overseeing the dams if IHCC folds. If the dams become state regulated and no one is performing maintenance, inspections or meeting safety standards, then the state could breach them and that would leave an ugly mess. IHCC has always been the entity that has been in place since the inception of the neighborhood entrusted with running the pool and taking care of the amenities. Whoever made the decision not to enforce the POA that was supposed to give the properties a continuing source of revenue unfortunately made the wrong decision and here we are today trying to fix that decision. Those people, who are long gone, thought that the amenities would be sustained by volunteer memberships only and 60 years later that has been proven wrong.   Through our research, this was known about 30 years ago and they tried several times to get some source of continual revenue, but they were never able to do it.    If the USD passes, people who are new buyers in the neighborhood will know upfront that they will be assessed on their water bill, and they can decide if it is worth buying a house in the neighborhood.

Of the $8.50 how much does the Water company get? -Central Arkansas Water (CAW) charges an administrative fee of $0.76 per monthly collection from each household. Based on 1,268 households, CAW would receive $11,564 per year in administrative fees.

How much does the USD get? -The USD would receive $129,336 minus $11,564 = $117,772 per year. Over ten years, the USD would raise $1,179,240 for neighborhood improvements.

How big is the “small” playground going to be? -The intent is to cover the existing pool footprint with a lawn and playground. We envisioned a natural adventure-style playground using the existing hillside. In the $8.50/month USD budget, $56,000 was allocated to the playground. Nowadays, professionally sourced, ready-made playgrounds can run upwards of $150,000. So we would be seeking grants and volunteer labor to maximize what we can do with $56,000. Luckily, we have an architect on our board who will volunteer his design services, and several volunteers experienced in construction. So we will be able to make something fun happen!

Are there plans drawn up for it? -No plans yet, but if the USD goes into effect, our volunteer architect will help draw up plans. He had already researched several similar nature-based playgrounds and came up with a "mock up" to use as a concept drawing. 

How does it compare to the LPOA playground? -It would be smaller and simpler than the LPOA playground at first, with room to grow over time. 

 Is it going to be closed to the public and only accessible to Indian Hills residents(similar to LPOA’s playground) since we are paying for it? -It would remain private Indian Hills Community Club property and all those in the USD district would automatically be members of the Indian Hills Community Club. Non-member could be asked to leave, but, like Lakewood, this would not be continuously enforced. But, it does give us recourse if somebody from outside Indian Hills is causing a disturbance or if the park is getting overcrowded.

 Why is the lake getting worked on first when other amenities that would improve our neighborhood seem like they would be less expensive? (Example: playground, tennis courts, etc.) Why not get them out of the way first so everyone can enjoy them, then work on the lake? -Any urgent repairs to the dams would need to be completed as needed, and regular dam/lake maintenance would need to be done every year. Based on conversations I've had with community members, there is a lot of interest in getting the paviliion, playground, and tennis/Pickleball courts up and running ASAP, and the order of projects is by no means set in stone. If the USD goes into effect, all residents inside the USD area will be IHCC members and will be able to weigh in on spending priorities. The IHCC holds an annual membership meeting each year in February, which would be a good opportunity to present financials and poll members on which projects to pursue in the coming year.