Agenda Highlights 2/28/23

The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting will start with a discussion about the rezoning for an undeveloped area at 2902-2928 Old Greenwood Road to facilitate Viguet Landing, a mixed use development including an up to 6 story building incorporating light commercial businesses, a restaurant with outdoor dining, “nicer condo/apartment units”, a parking garage, a walking trail, an indoor workout facility, a greenspace, and 14 gated duplexes. At the Neighborhood Meetings held by the Planning Commission about this property and at the voting meeting of the Planning Commission, there was opposition to the development expressed by residents of nearby properties. It was also mentioned during the Officials Forum section of the 2-21-23 Board of Directors meeting that some Directors had been contacted by citizens critical of the potential development. This rezoning request was denied (1 in vote favor and 8 opposed) by the Planning Commission. The denial was appealed and will go before the Board of Directors at the 3-7-23 meeting where the Board will have the opportunity to either override the Planning Commission decision and approve the rezoning request or continue to deny the request.

Then the Board will discuss how to utilize the funds left over from the 3/4% sales tax that was enacted to pay for the 2012 and 2014 water bonds. The tax produced enough revenue to pay the bonds off early in July-September of 2022, but by State law the tax had to continue being collected until December 31, 2022. The sales tax was renewed recently with 16.67% to go to the Police Department and 83.33% to go to consent decree required sewer repairs. That renewal did not go into effect until January 1, 2023. So there is an excess of $14,645,239 from the collection of the old tax from October through December.

The Board discussed that sales tax overage at the 2-6-22 study session and asked the Administration to bring them recommendations on how to allocate the funds. Administrator Geffken, Deputy Administrator Dingman, Finance Director Richards, Parks Director Reinert, and Utilities Director McAvoy recommend spending 100% of the funds on water and wastewater projects. Geffken expressed the opinion that in addition to that the water projects and sewer projects including consent decree sewer projects are highly needed, spending all of the money collected on water/sewer projects is in keeping with the original voter approved use of the funds.