Agenda Highlights 1/11/22

The main items for discussion at the Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 1-11-22 are related items that were discussed back at the July 27,2021 meeting and added to this study session for further consideration.

There will be a presentation about the bids for the construction of the new A-6 cell at the landfill. The previous bidding only brought in one bid and that bid was higher than expected so the bid was allowed to expire. A new bidding process was initiated (following some changes being approved by the State that should result in savings,too, compared to the previous plan estimate) and bids were solicited and received. The second bidding period ended 1-6-22.

Also to be discussed is the current city policy of a 5% bidding preference for local businesses. Currently, a subtraction of 5% (up to a maximum of $100,000) can be made from the bid of local providers when they are in competition for the bid against an out-of-town provider. The intent of the policy is to support a preference for buying from local businesses. The lack of bids in the previous bidding for the construction of the A-6 cell at the landfill sparked questions about whether the local preference policy needed changed to help encourage more companies including those from farther away to bid.