Documents from the first half of 2023 show two unrelated conversations happening:

1. Leadership Properties began the application process for their next planned phase of development on the 80 acres north of Scissortail, and tried to navigate challenges obtaining utility service.

2. The Rogers Planning Department initiated preliminary conversations with Bentonville about the feasibility of transferring lands west of Hwy AR-112.

By early 2024, the groundwork has been laid for Rogers and Cave Springs to begin formal discussions. The February 13 introduction from Attorney Bill Watkins became the start of public awareness of the proposal, but the communications to this point show that has been months in the making.

The land swap gets it's first official public hearings as both Cave Springs City Council and the Rogers City Council have votes on their agendas on the same night.

Following the City Council Meetings, the documents again show two separate efforts running at the same time:

1. Staff at the Cities of Rogers and Cave Springs carry on with their efforts to move the plan forward.

2. Scissortail Residents begin organizing and looking for alternatives.

Both Cave Springs and Rogers again have simultaneous meetings with discussions on land swap related procedural items, including corrections to legal descriptions in the previously approved resolutions.

While comunications among staff clearly show the process and timeline leading to Peter Farmer's resignation from the Rogers Water & Sewer Utility Commission, there's no indication here of what discussions prompted the move. The minutes from the May 2 meeting to choose a new chair simply note the RWU Attorney informing the Commission that Farmer was unable to continue due to a conflict of interest. There was no further elaboration.

Our document requests covered various periods up to May 1, so we don't have additional staff communications to present after that point. But by now, you can see where the ideas originated and how the early process unfolded. Since the March and April City Council meetings attracted public and media awareness, there has been greater public awareness as the process unfolds.

We don't know what the final decisions will be, but we can be sure the public meetings will continue!