Agenda Highlights 12/2/21
At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 12-2-21, they will vote on whether or not to issue up to $145 million dollars in Industrial Revenue Bonds for the Mars Petcare factory expansion. The 200,000 square ft expansion is predicted to add 120 new jobs. Mars will be responsible for the service and repayment of the bonds.
The Board will vote on three different significant zoning changes. One at 2200 Jenny Lind would allow for a vacant building that was formerly Hair Benders salon to be turned into a tattoo shop. The second would allow for 6.41 undeveloped acres on the east side of Highway 45 and Regions Park Drive to be developed into a warehouse development. And the third would allow for a mixed use development at The HUB at Providence, to be built on vacant lots on R.A. Young Drive.
The Board will vote on whether or not to adopt the 2022 Budget. They will also vote on whether or not to approve the five and ten year Capital Improvement Plans.
The Board will vote on whether to renew the contract with Daily and Woods for legal services. Daily and Woods have been the City Attorney since 1973. They were the only firm to submit a proposal seeking the contract. Their rate for attorney services would be $175/hr and $60/hr for paralegal services.
Several purchases are up for approval. One is for $173,604.55 for a restroom to be installed at the Riverfront Drive Sports Fields.
Another spending item is by the Police Department from Axon. The cost will be a total of $1,356,225.84 for 5 years. This will include equipment, licenses, data storage, in car cameras, an interview review system, and tasers. The new equipment purchases include an immersive virtual reality officer training system and system that automatically activates the body cameras of the officer and any officer in a 30 ft radius any time a firearm is removed from its holster. Consolidation of current contracts with Axon and purchasing right now is predicted to save an estimated $220,000.
Other spending items include the Fire Department accepting bids for $761,018 to buy 150 portable radios from Motorola and $1,549,997 to buy a new ladder truck to replace one that currently serves the North side of town that is worn out.
