Agenda Highlights 11/4/24

The Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 11-4-24 will begin with a vote on a zoning change for 5800 Cliff to allow for it to be replatted into 4 single-family residential lots.

The Board will vote on whether to annex 86 properties totaling 637 acres located at Hwy 271 and Hwy 253 and to change the zonings for the annexed property. The island of property is surrounded by city limits on three sides and the Oklahoma state border on the fourth side. Benefits to property owners of being annexed include access to all City services, lower insurance rates (because Fort Smith has the best possible ISO rating , a 1, and the fire service currently serving that area only has a 4 rating), and City maintenance of streets. Negative impacts on property owners if annexed include an 8 mill increase in property tax, a higher sales tax rate of 9.5%, having to follow all City codes including property codes and the animal ordinance and the prohibition of discharge of firearms. Amendment to the code would be made to allow for fireworks to be sold from permanent structures on streets listed as major arterial or higher in zoning classes Commerical 2-5 and Industrial 1-3 from June 20th through July 10th (to accommodate Hale Fireworks that operates at 8520 Hwy 271). Fireworks sales from tents would still not be allowed. Discharging fireworks within the city limits would still be prohibited. Amendment to the code would also be made to allow for Pajaro Gun Club that operates at 802 Old Highway 271 to continue their operations. The public was invited to speak on this issue at the public hearing held during the 9-17-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on whether to approve the Streets Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and the 2025 Sidewalks plan. These were discussed at the 10-15-24 meeting.

The Board vote on whether to approve the Parks Department 5 year Capital Improvements Plan. The plans for 2025 include a new playground at Carol Ann Cross Park, work on Phase II of the Maybranch Greenway from Martin Luther King Park to Creekmore (A Reconnecting Communities federal grant is being sought to provide 50% funding for Phase II.), a new inclusive playground at Tilles Park that will include an uncommon piece of equipment especially designed to be able to also accommodate older children, interior remodel of the Tilles restrooms, the completion of the new Creekmore pool bathhouse, repaving the parking lot next to the Creekmore community building, drainage and interior sidewalk improvements at Creekmore, replacing the lights at Kelley Ball Fields with LED lights, pickleball courts at John Bell Jr. Park, and bridge improvements at Riley Park.

At the 10-15-24 meeting, the Board discussed the Parks CIP and before that meeting the Parks Department had been instructed by Administration to amend the CIP that they had created and the Parks and Recreation Commission had approved to remove funding for the improvements at John Bell JR and Riley Park to instead fund the installation of recently purchased waterslides at Parrot Island. But based on the discussion at the 10-15-24 meeting and the recommendations from the Board, the CIP up for a vote on 11-4-24 is one that was reverted back to the original (that included the pickleball courts at John Bell Jr and improvements at Riley Park and did not include funding for waterslide installation).

The Board will vote on whether to approve the Solid Waste Department CIP. It was discussed at the 10-29-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on whether to approve Transit Department’s Transit Asset Management Plan, a report required by the Federal Transit Administration to be eligible for federal funding that includes an inventory and assessment of the condition of all of the department’s assets and plans to replace them to keep everything in the required state of good repair. The plan for 2025 includes replacement of 4 demand response buses. The plan was discussed at the 10-15-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on whether to approve the Police Department’s 5 year Personnel and Capital Improvement Plan. The plan was discussed at the 10-29-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on whether to approve the Fire Department CIP. The plan was discussed at the 10-15-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on whether to approve the Water and Sewer CIPs. These were discussed at the 10-29-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on allowing the convention center to offer off-site catering to their clients.

The Board will vote on adding an additional $692,441 to the contract with Van Horn Construction for Maybranch outfall culvert remediation to include the repair of 2 flood pumps at the P Street flood pump station.

The Board will vote on whether to accept a bid for $150,100 from Christopher Witt for the purchase of the parking lot at 724 Garrison. The process of selling the property was begun at the 6-4-24 meeting.

The Board will vote on purchasing a new inclusive playground for Tilles Park from ACS Playground Adventures for $1,357,892.61. The new playground will include a rare piece of equipment, Quantis 8.2 , that will accommodate older children.

The Board will vote on adding an additional $211,093 to the contract with Steve Beam Construction for an extension of Maybranch Greenway Phase 1A that includes a signalized crossing at North Greenwood and North O.