Agenda Highlights 10/19/21

At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 10-19-21, they will vote on abolishing the Water and Sanitary Sewer Utilities Advisory Commission and replacing it with a new Water Advisory Committee.

The existing committee has failed to have enough attendance to make quorum at the last 5 of its meetings with the best attended one only having 3 members. 5 are required for quorum. The State of Arkansas requires the city to establish a Water Advisory Committee. The required committee must be 6 members, one from each ward and 2 non-residents who are Fort Smith water customers from outside of the city limits. 4 members are required for quorum. The committee must meet at least once per year but not more than once per quarter.

The Board will vote on whether or not to lease the Kelley Ball Fields to Fort Smith Youth Baseball and Softball.

The Board will vote on extending the contract to 12-31-2026 for the Fort Smith Public Schools to continue leasing the Ted Skokos Field at the Kelley Ball Fields for use by the Southside Mavericks Softball team. The school will be required to pay $5000 annually to the city to go toward eventual replacement of the artificial turf.

The Board will vote on whether or not to set in motion the process for accepting Fort Smith’s share of the 2 legal settlements recently obtained by Arkansas Attorney General Rutledge against opioid distributors.

The Board will vote on whether to extend the contract with Kitties and Kanines for animal services currently set to expire on 10-31-21 out to 4-30-21. A more long-term contract is still being ironed out and will be brought to the Board for a vote as soon as it is ready.

The Board will be presented with paper copies of the full 2022 Budget at the meeting. There will be a hearing on the budget on 11-5-21.