MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013, 8: 00 A.M.
FOUNTAIN LAKE HIGH SCHOOL – ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
Highlights of the meeting are summarized below:
 Our hosts at Fountain Lake High School indicated that 2013 enrollment exceeded 1,300
students, with capacity for an additional 200 students. To deal with pre- and post-school
traffic problems, a signal light on State Highway 7 is being considered.
 Chair Jerry Yeric is meeting with POA Board president Keith Keck to schedule the first
GAC-Board quarterly meeting.
 The presentation “Retiree Relocation – An Economic Force for Saline County was wellreceived by the Saline County Economic Development Corporation.
 Testimonials on why persons chose Arkansas or Hot Springs Village as their new
residence are being prepared and shared with the Arkansas Tourism Department.
 The water Treatment Plant expansion continues its steady progress. Lakes are being
sprayed for vegetation control. A Lakes Management Plan and budget was presented to
the POA Board.
 The By-Pass project maintains an active schedule for the 2017-2019 interval.
 A comprehensive water plan was prepared identifying the current and future needs of Hot
Springs and surrounding communities.
 A meeting of the POA Board and officials from Hot Springs discussed establishing a
more symbiotic relationship in the future.
 The Demographics Project recommended a basic training in research for POA Staff to
ensure best practices in data gathering efforts. Data maintained by the American
Community Survey were found to be especially useful.
 Saline County’s revenue sources are running above anticipated levels. Representatives of
the Chambers of Benton, Bryant and the saline County Economic Development
Corporation began to discuss joining these organizations in a single entity.
Committee Members.
Chair Jerry Yeric (absent), Vice Chair Gerald Allen, Dick Breckon, Larry Frazer (absent) Jim
Harlow, Mary Neilson, Lu Otto, Paul Pool, Dick Schmidt, Joan Sible (absent) Katherine
Winslow
Ad Hoc Members
Keith Brown
Ex-Officio Members
George Bollier, Water
John Lands, Schools
Bob Shoemaker, Local and State Officials
Justices of the Peace
Garland County, J.P. Larry Griffin (absent)
Saline County, J.P. James Zahnd (absent)
:
POA Board Members and Staff
Keith Keck, Board Liaison
David Twiggs, COO/GM
Press
Louis Delavan, Village Voice
All to Order
Vice Chair Gerald Allen called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Agenda
The agenda was approved as submitted.
Minutes
The July 5, 2013 minutes were approved upon motion by Keith Brown
and second by Dick Breckon. Correction: Bob Shoemaker was
erroneously listed as absent at that meeting.
Reports
Keith Keck reported on the August 7, 2013 POA Board Work Session as
follows
 An update on visitor policy was discussed.
 A $0.68 increase in assessments was considered
 Gate designs will initially focus on the West Gate, with the East gate
to be implemented later.
 It was suggeste4d that GAC look into Saline County Equalization
issues, especially assessments and taxes
 There will be no merger between NPMA and Mercy hospitals. It will
be increasingly important to focus on HSV medical care issues.
 Boomer Rock survey reported that the community had a very positive
reaction to COO/GM Twigg’s initial town hall “conversation”:
Chairman’s Report—Jerry Yeric
As we are all aware the political season is upon us. From early observations it appears we could
lose our District 22 State Representative, Bruce Westerman to the 4th Congressional seat. Of
course a lot of bridges remained to be crossed. Nonetheless, it is clear we will have a new person
representing the 4th district in congress. Arkansas is going to be in the national spot light with a
highly contested Senate race. So batten down the hatches for we are in for a long and nasty
political season. Please remember that while you are supporting your candidates, this committee
and its work depends on its non-partisanship.
I am currently working with Keith Keck to find a time following one of the board meetings to
have our first joint meeting. I am hopeful that we will have sufficient lead time so members can
clear their schedules. Remember our charter was amended and calls for quarterly meetings with
the board.
Retiree/Relocation Update—Jim Harlow, Katherine Winslow, Dick Breckon
At the July meeting of the Saline County Economic Development Commission (SCEDC), held
July 8th, I presented a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Retiree Relocation---An Economic
Force for Saline County . The purpose of the presentation was twofold: 1. to continue the PR
campaign regarding the merits of Retiree Relocation as a Clean, Green, Renewable Industry and
why it is important that the SCEDC at least consider retiree relo as a potential “plank” in their
Saline County Strategic Plan Platform; and 2. to gain the SCEDC’s support as we continue to
push the Arkansas Tourism Dept. and the Arkansas Legislature toward viewing Retiree
Relocation as an industry, just as viable as the traditional “brick & mortar”/ “smokestack
industries that they continue to pursue.
The presentation was met with support by the SCEDC and I believe they will be a valuable
supporter in our efforts to move this initiative forward.
In July Katherine Winslow spearheaded an initiative that supports the Retiree Relo Program. The
initiative supports Dannet Botkin and her HSV marketing efforts as well as the State of Arkansas
Tourism website revamp. In March of this year we met with the Tourism Dept. and their
marketing company (Aristotle) to review the current Arkansas Tourism website and how it could
be expanded to include valuable info for prospective retiree relocators to the state. During that
meeting we discussed the idea of having on the websites of both the Village and the State, a U.S.
map whereby a person who is exploring the State of Arkansas or Hot Springs Village could click
on their particular home state and see someone from that state give a testimonial on how and why
they decided to move to either Arkansas or Hot Springs Village as their new place of residence.
We told the Tourism Dept. that we were already doing this project in HSV and would expand our
testimonials to include a short, separate testimonial on why those people chose Arkansas as their
state. To date there have been 18 testimonials completed for HSV and for Arkansas by Dannet,
Katherine, and Renee Steinpreis who is handling the video production.
This added website feature should be a fun, informative, personal addition to the existing canned
PR material already on the websites. Upon completion of the “Arkansas testimonials”, we will
forward them to the Tourism Dept. for use on the website.
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HSV Water—George Bollier
WTP Construction
Max Foote is coming along very well. The roof of the pipe galley is poured and ready to start the
upper room for the filter controls. Both additional filters have the steel up and ready for the
concrete forms. Billy Graves has approved a mock wall for the brick selection, which he
indicated will match the existing brick very well.
Lakes
The lakes are being looked at for vegetation growth and Dave Harper is trying to catch up on the
spraying for algae control. Dave and a helper sprayed Lake Cortez for the milfoil problem last
week, and hope to see some results in a few days.
As of July 30th, The lake levels were Desoto -5.5", Pineda -0.5", Coronado -7.75", Balboa -7",
Isabella is full, Sophia -7", Maria -9", Estrella -7.5" Granada -13", Lago -5.1", and Lake Cortez
has gained 5.5" since the 22nd and is now down 11.5". The outlet gate is open on DeSoto to help
the level in Cortez.
The plan to treat Lake Isabella with alum has been abandoned for now. The cost was much
greater than originally anticipated. Dr. Reed and Dave Harper are discussing a plan for drawing
down Isabella about 7" then pumping it back to full from Lake Balboa to try and solve the
problems with the phosphorus and low dissolved oxygen. No final decision has been made on
implementing this plan.
Wastewater
Both of the waste water plants are running well at this time, no major problems to report.
Lakes Committee
As noted in the latest issue of the Voice, the Lakes Committee has presented a Lakes
Management Plan to the POA Board, along with a budget for implementing the plan.. The goal is
to establish a budget for managing the lakes on a proactive basis. As part of the plan, the Lakes
Committee has assigned its members to be responsible for monitoring the conditions at each lake
including items such as signage, parking, launching ramps, marinas, and water quality.
Hot Springs Water Supply Study Update—Gerald Allen
The Hot Springs Water Facilities Committee and the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Water
Task Force met jointly on July 31 to discuss an update of the draft report of the water supply study being
conducted by Crist Engineers. The highlights of the updates presented by Crist Engineers, the City’s
consulting engineer, are summarized as follows:
Current water treatment capacity is 25 million gallons per day (MGD) and current maximum-day
water usage is 23 MGD.
Lake Hamilton is currently the principal source of water for the Hot Springs metropolitan area
and is expected to continue in the long-term under the agreement with Entergy; however, the
development of additional source(s) soon is very important.
The prospect of acquiring the right to withdraw water from both Lake Ouachita and Lake DeGray
continues to be highly viable.
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o Negotiations with Central Arkansas Water regarding acquiring a portion of rights it holds
to withdraw water from Lake DeGray are ongoing and expected to be concluded by the
end of the year.
o The studies by the Corps of Engineers regarding the reallocation of discretionary storage
for water supply in Lake Ouachita are underway.
Although the water supply needs can be met for several decades by the development of a new
supply from either of these sources, there are obvious advantages to acquiring the right to
withdraw water from both sources at this time. This would provide the following combined water
supply capacity:
o Lake Ouachita: 15.75 MGD
o Lake DeGray: 20.00 MGD
o Lake Hamilton: 20.00 MGD
Total: 55.75 MGD
Based on current information, it appears that the most favorable location for a new water
treatment plant is in the vicinity of Highway 7 on the south side of Lake Hamilton. The expected
initial capacity of the plant is 15 million gallons per day and the preliminary cost estimate is
$26.8 million. The estimated cost of treated water transmission works required to transport
treated water into the water distribution network has not been determined yet.
Preliminary cost estimates for the construction of intake works and raw water transmission mains
from the lakes to a treatment plant at this location are as follows:
o Lake Ouachita: $47.2 Million
o Lake DeGray: $34.8 Million
Other comparisons:
o Water quality – both excellent.
o Energy cost of pumping raw water – Lake Ouachita has advantage due to higher pool
elevation.
o Storage currently allocated to water supply
Lake DeGray: 152 MGD
Lake Ouachita: none; however, approximately 30 MGD is considered discretionary
storage.
Hot Springs Metro Partnership—Tom Arwood
By Pass Status: The Executive Committee for the By Pass is maintaining an active schedule to
assure that our project gets in the next Highway Planning (2017-2019). The key members are
David Watkins, City Manager Hot Springs, and Judge Davis Garland County. Jim Fram, CEO
HSMP, Senator Bill Sample and MG Arwood, Hot Springs Village. Key actions last two weeks.
Flam, Davis and Watkins met with the Director of the National Park, She was more positive and
agreed to work with the Task Force and is reviewing the proposed route and will work in the
planning and proposal to the Highway Department. The Executive Committee will meet again on
the 13th of August.
Hot Springs Water Study: The City Manager published a comprehensive Plan identifying the
current and future needs of the City and surrounding Community. This is the base line for the
ongoing actions to get additional water supply by working with the Corps of Engineers for
allocation from local sources and buying part of the Arkansas Central Water Authority allocation.
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This is critical to meet known needs for Development in the area for Commercial and Industrial
expansion.
Supporting Aerospace: Representatives from eight Hot Springs area aerospace companies met
at the Chamber to explore ways to promote the industry, to market products and services, and to
communicate with each other to expand business opportunities. Representatives from NPCC and
the City of Hot Springs also participated.
Tulsa Chamber’s Young Professionals: (TYPROS) Brian Paschal, Executive Director from
Tulsa made a presentation to both the Chamber and Partnership Boards. This has been a major
success in Tulsa with a membership of over 8000 young entrepreneurs with renew of run down
areas of Tulsa to productive business areas. MG Arwood arranged to have David Twiggs and
Cindy Wagstaff, HSV Chamber Executive to attend the “after Hours” session for information.
Both thought there are opportunities to combine some of the activities in our growth in the future.
City of Hot Springs Report – Mary Neilson
A meeting was held July 15 with Hot Springs Mayor Ruth Carney, Hot Springs City Manager,
David Watkins, Hot Springs Deputy City Manager Bill Burrough, POA President Keith Keck and
HSV General Manager David Twiggs. The group discussed how Hot Springs Village and Hot
Springs could enjoy a more symbiotic relationship in the future. David Twiggs pointed out how
the two share the name "Hot Springs" and how the HSV might be able to build on that
commonality. Twiggs also shared with the group his vision and great ideas and plans for the
future growth and success of HSV.
The City of Hot Springs has a new link on their website to clarify some statistics about water
connections in the city and county over the past few months. WATER CONNECTION REPORT
Hot Springs Utilities Department For the period April 22 – July 23, 2013. Of 213 connection
requests, 204 were approved (96%) and 9 were denied (4%). Of the 204 approved connections,
59 were in the city (29%) and 145 were in the county (71%). Of the 204 approved connections,
only 53 paid their fees and were issued a work order in City works. Four other potential
subdivisions were discussed between the city engineer and the developer but were unable to be
approved at this time. Here is a link to the report -http://www.cityhs.net/pdfs/pw/utilities/WWW%
20Connections%20Apr-July%202013.pdf.
The City of Hot Springs is accepting applications for 13 positions on advisory boards and
commissions.
Hot Springs will sponsor and electronic waste recycling event August 30 and 31 open to Garland
County residents.
http://www.cityhs.net/newsroom/files/show.php?filename=elecwaste_recylevent_flyer.pdf
Village Demographics Project – Lu Otto
The Village Demographics Project has been wrestling with issues related to improving the quality
of two basic kinds of data used in the Village, Census-type information and Village selfgenerated
data.
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Our August verbal report to the Committee will include an overview of the American Community
Survey data base, which we recommend as a primary source of basic demographic data on the
Village. Also, we will discuss ways to improve the quality of Village generated attitude and
opinion surveys.
A more detailed statement on the American Community Survey, which will also be the basis of
our more general verbal overview is attached.
Saline County—JP Jim Zahnd
Mid-year reports from Saline County’s finance director show the County’s primary sources of
revenue are running above anticipated levels. The higher revenues are due, in part, to higher
property values and improved collections.
Saline County Solid Waste Agency last month withdrew previously announced plans to
implement a curb-side recycling program in five of the County’s largest communities. The action
was taken after stringent public objections to the plan. The Board is developing new curb-side
recycling policies and programs, and will submit them to public review prior to implementation.
Representatives of the Benton Chamber of Commerce, Bryant Chamber of Commerce and Saline
County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) have begun discussing the potential for
joining the three organizations in a single entity. The recommendation to form a single
organization was contained “Saline 2020”, the recently released economic development study
commissioned by SCEDC. The report suggests a single entity would offer improved focus on
economic development and business growth in Saline County.
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Village Demographics
A GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE PROJECT*
August 9, 2013
Lu Otto
American Community Survey: an Overview**
Since 1790, the Census Bureau has been mandated by the Constitution to conduct a head count of
the entire population every ten years. While the primary purpose of the Census was to provide Congress
with an official count with which to apportion seats in the House of Representatives, the Census data have
proven invaluable for charting changes in our society and planning for the future. Indeed, the content and
form of the census have been stretched repeatedly in response to changing social needs. Those
acknowledgments aside, the content of the census is very limited and census data is perishable. It grows
old and misleading as the time following decennial head counts lengthens. Ten, even twelve and thirteen
year old data is increasingly inadequate for tracking and managing the pace of change in the age of
Twitter.
That changed following the 2000 census, however. In 2006, the Census Bureau created a better
way to collect more information and collect the data more frequently. That better way is the American
Community Survey (hereafter the ACS). The ACS and decennial Census (hereafter the Census) have the
same pedigree. The ACS, like the Census, is Census data. The ACS, like the Census, is collected by the
Census Bureau. Importantly, the ACS does not replace the Census and it is not an alternative to the
Census. The ACS is data collected in addition to the ongoing 10-year Census. It supplements the Census.
Today, according to the Census Bureau and our own state data center, the ACS is the most
important and the most widely accepted data set used for federal, state and local management and
planning. Unlike the Census which counts noses, the ACS data shows how people live and how people’s
lives are changing over time. The ACS tracks data on age, education, sex, race, family and relationships,
income and benefits, health insurance, education, veteran status, disabilities, where people live, where
people work, how they get to work, the routes people drive to work, how long it takes them to get to
work, where they live, how much they pay for essentials, and a lot, lot more.
Moreover, the ACS data is updated annually. It is current. Because it is updated annually it can be
used to monitor change; and having the capacity to establish data points over time enables users to make
informed projections and plans for the future. To those four reasons for using the ACS, I would add that
the ACS is budget neutral. It’s paid for. It’s accessible to anybody who has a computer. And, as is true
with many new ventures, the more users dig into the ACS, the more applications they see and the more
creative they become with applying the data.
To portend one of our recommendations: We need to start using the ACS as a contributing
primary data source. To be clear, for any single demographic variable, sometimes that best possible data
source will probably be the decennial census. Other times that best possible data source may be Village
generated data: sometimes from office files, other times from Village surveys. Still other times the source
of our best estimate is likely to be the ACS. Given the recommendation of the Census Bureau and that of
our own state data center - that the ACS is the most important and the most widely accepted data set used
for federal, state and local management and planning, there, there appears to be little reason not to use it.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the American Community Survey.
* Members of the Village Demographics Project are Earl Babbie, Mary Nielson, Lu Otto and Sharon
Prislipski.
**Information in this overview is redacted from U.S. Census Bureau web sites, primarily those listed as
“Resources” near the end of the paper.
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How the ACS Can Be Used in the Village
Allow me to flesh out in a little more detail how ACS data might be used in the Village. I’ve
chosen an example that has more policy implications than, say, simply asking and answering how many
people live in the Village.
One of the emerging populations in the Village is the increase in school-age children, preschool
through high school. How many children there are; in what age brackets; how fast that population is
growing; where the children live; where they live relative to Village youth amenities; their social
wellbeing
based on family and household composition, economic wellbeing, and the like. These are descriptive
statistics of an emerging Village population that, as we all recognize, will increasingly call for informed
Village policies and such related support services as recreation, security and the like.
No data set will ever tell us everything we want to know about a particular topic, but the ACS,
taken together with school data, to which we also have access, and Village generated data, can provide
information on such details as what is their age distribution, what is the state of their social and economic
wellbeing, what is their growth projection - over, say, 3, 5 or 10 years; numbers that can inform Village
discussion and supporting policies.
There are, undoubtedly, other emerging, or declining populations that, also, are changing the
Village mix. More, or perhaps fewer renters? More, or perhaps fewer widows and widowers? More, or
perhaps fewer residents on some form of public assistance? And more or fewer of these populations
concentrated in one end of the Village or the other? The point is that the ACS is the wealthiest data base
of its kind ever collected systematically and made available for the expressed purpose of assisting
governance at every level manage, monitor change, and plan more effectively.
From my point of view, hard numbers are always better than soft assumptions; information is
always better than ignorance; and good information is always better than bad information. That said, let’s
move away from substantive issues potentially covered by the ACS and get into some methods issues
which further support the integrity and credibility of the ACS as a primary data source.
ACS Data Collection
Each year the Census Bureau randomly selects about 3.5 million addresses into its ACS sample,
and every month about 275 to 300,000 residential addresses receive an ACS questionnaire. The ACS is
conducted in every county and it is in continuing process nearly every day of the year.
The Census Bureau is tenacious about collecting data and it uses three sequential methods for
collecting ACS data. First, each household in the sample receives a mailed questionnaire with a request to
complete it and return it by mail. If the mailed questionnaire is not completed and returned, the
nonrespondent
receives a Census Bureau telephone follow-up. Finally, if a respondent is not reached either
by mail or telephone, a Census Bureau representative arranges a home visit with the respondent.
ASC Annual Estimates
The ASC collects data every year. The data are then pooled and provide:
1-year estimates based on 12 months of data collection
3-year estimates based on 36 months of data collection
5-year estimates based on 60 months of data collection
The main reason the data are pooled into 1, 3 and 5-year periods is to bring sample sizes up to
sufficient numbers that provide reliable estimates for different sized populations. (Keep in mind that the
Hot Springs Village population is about 12,800.)
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One-year ACS estimates are of sufficient sample size to provide reliable estimates for
populations of 65,000 and more.
Three-year ACS estimates are of sufficient sample size to provide reliable estimates for
populations of 20,000 and more.
Five-year ACS estimates are of sufficient sample size to provide reliable estimates for
populations of almost any size.
ACS Period Estimates
Because the ACS collects data throughout the year and pools data across more than one year, the
data are "period" samples. This means that ACS estimates describe the characteristics of the population
over a period of time. For example, the 2012 ACS 1-year data describe the sample characteristics from
January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011; and the 2011 ACS 5-year pooled data describe the sample
characteristics from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2010. By comparison, the census describes
respondents over the two or three month period in the single year in which the census was conducted.
Comment: The effect of pooling data is that it has an averaging effect on sample estimates, not
undesirable when dealing with small samples.
When ACS Data is Released
The ACS data was first released in 2006, and successive annual releases have followed:
The 2006 release consisted only of 1-year estimates based on data collected in 2005. The 1-year
estimates applied only to populations of 65,000 or more.
ACS 3-year estimates, which are applicable to populations of 20,000 or more, were first released
in 2008 and were based on data collected from 2005 through 2007.
The first 5-year estimates, which are applicable to populations of almost any size populations,
were released in 2010 and based on data collected from 2005 through 2009.
Going forward, the Census Bureau plans to release updated 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year ACS data
every year.
ASC Data Estimates and Margins of Error
Importantly, the ACS data is gathered from samples of the population rather than from the entire
population, which is the source of Census data. Numbers generated from samples are never head counts,
but are always estimates of head counts. Because information generated by the ACS is gathered from
samples of the population, it is properly referred to as “estimates” – just as any data gathered in any
sample survey produces estimates, not head counts.
Because the ACS produces estimates, the Census Bureau publishes a margin of error for every
ACS estimate that helps users interpret the reliability of the estimate. All data based on samples include a
range of uncertainty, one of the primary causes being sampling error. A major cause of sampling error is
lack of a good fit or accurate reflection of the population in the sample. Because the ACS is sample data,
users need to be aware of the amount of sampling error before using specific data estimates.
Fortunately, the Census Bureau is extraordinarily fastidious about drawing samples, plus the ACS
helps users assess the reliability of its estimates by providing margins of error for each estimate. Margins
of error are calculations that establish confidence intervals or the range of values within which the true
value of an estimate falls in the population. All ACS data are published with margins of error at the 90
percent confidence level which means that a user can be 90 percent confident that a published value falls
within a defined range of values in the population.
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That’s a mouthful, even a head full, but it is important for two reasons:
It means that the ACS data are a different kind of data than are Census data – different, but not
inferior. Further, it means that the Census Bureau has taken every reasonable precaution to assure
the quality of the ACS data.
However, the ACS is good data only when used appropriately. Not every estimate in the ACS
data is a good data point when based on a small population. Users need to understand what
estimates are reliable, which are unreliable – and why. Fortunately, users can learn how to make
that determination.
Examples of ACS Data Estimates and Their Margins of Error
A general rule applies to all sample survey estimates: for any given geographical area – whether
that be a state, county or a community like our own – the larger the sample, the greater the confidence a
user can have in the estimates because margins of error decline as sample sizes increase. Alternatively,
the smaller the sample, the less confidence users can have in the estimate. The margins of error will be
higher.
This means three things for Village users of ACS data:
The ACS 1-year and 3-year data samples are too small and, therefore, are unreliable for
populations the size of our Village and should not be used for estimating Village variables.
Uniformly, the numbers will be unreliable.
In terms of population size, the Village is of sufficient size to use the 5-year period data.
However, because the Village is a small population, users need to be attentive to confidence
intervals which can fluctuate from one variable to another.
As a general rule, aggregate numbers (e.g., total Village population) will be more reliable than
disaggregated numbers (e.g., number of men or number of women in the Village.). Many finely
disaggregated numbers in the ACS data will not be useful. For example, a hypothetical estimate
of the number of Village women working in the civilian labor force likely will be more reliable
than, say, an estimate of the number Village women of Asian origin working in the civilian labor
force. In fact, the latter estimate may be unreliable, as the margin of error will indicate.
Hot Springs Village CDP, Arkansas
Release of the 2010 Census population data for HSV underestimated the Village population by
965 persons. At issue were Village boundaries, specifically the area at the southeastern end of Lake
Balboa, including Magellan and Isabella subdivisions, which are roughly adjacent to the northern border
of Fountain Lake. The Village, through the GAC, requested that the 2010 Census count for the Village
include this property in its estimates and, accordingly, revise the population count upwards. The Census
Bureau honored that request, and the revised Village population was established at 13,772 (although the
official population count for the Village will remain at 13,807 until release of the 2020 census).
For census purposes, Hot Springs Village is categorized as a Census Designate Place (CDP),
which is not one of the standard geographic areas for which the Census Bureau routinely provides ACS
estimates. However, in June 2013, in a meeting with the Director of the Census State Data Center in Little
Rock, we requested and offered justification for recognizing Hot Springs Village as an identifiable
Census geographic area, and that the Village geographic area include the area on which the 2010 revised
population count was based. Both requests were approved, which means that census data specific to Hot
Springs Village can be downloaded using the name “Hot Springs Village CDP, Arkansas”.
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Resources
The Census Bureau releases all ACS data in an interactive Internet application called American
FactFinder. FactFinder can be accessed at: http://factfinder2.census.gov.
When asked to enter a state, county, city, town or zip code, enter “Hot Springs Village CDP,
Arkansas.”
American FactFinder provides access to data sets from various Census Bureau sources, including
the ACS, in the form of maps, tables, and reports.
American FactFinder provides helpful videos on how to use various ACS data products.
More information about the ACS and its methodology is available at:
http://www.census.gov/acs.
The Census Bureau maintains a tutorial that outlines the purpose and benefits of the ACS and
explains how to access ACS data products and resources at:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users.
SUMMARY
The Census Bureau produces the American Community Survey which expands the range of
populations characteristics studies and annually produces estimates available to all levels of federal, state
and local management, including small communities such as our own, enabling management to more
effectively monitor change and plan.
The ACS:
Provides data on more topics than the Census ever did or could.
Provides updated data every year.
Is the most widely used data source of its kind and, therefore, is the most comparable to data
used across the country including the State of Arkansas and Saline Country.
Is designed to help communities identify and inform issues, explore possible solutions,
establish goals, and measure the performance of programs.
Provides data for the Village going back to 2010 with which the Village may be able to begin
charting trends and make out-year projections.
Is budget neutral. It costs users nothing.
Is supported by numerous on-line helpful tutorials that explain how to access and use ACS
data products and resources.
Is closely tied to Constitutional mandates and, therefore, out-year funding for the ACS is in
place. The ACS is sequester proof.
Our recommendation is that the Village, as represented by its governance and administrative
structures, explore and incorporate use of the American Community Survey as a primary resource for
monitoring change and planning the future of the Village.
Reminders and Calendar
Next GAC Meeting: September 6, 2013, 8:00 a.m., Ouachita Room @ Ponce de Leon Center
George Bollier will offer a presentation on Water