Agenda Highlights 3/21/23

A vote to abandon the public right of way on the Leigh Avenue horeshoe section is on the agenda for the 3-21-23 Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting, but the administration recommends this issue be tabled until the December 5, 2023 meeting when the new Leigh Avenue extension is set to be completed. So it is highly likely this item will be tabled instead of discussed or voted on on Tuesday.

The Board will vote on changes to the animal ordinances. Some of the most significant changes being proposed are…

• Requiring microchip identification for all cats and dogs not secured at all times within a building, enclosure, or yard or on a leash. Plus a secondary form of identification like a collar tag will be required

• Requiring spaying or neutering for all cats and dogs not secured at all times within a building, enclosure, or yard or on a leash. Animals that have a letter from a veterinarian attesting they are too old or have health problems that would make altering them inappropriate will be exempt from the requirement.

• Vouchers for spaying and neutering will be made available to low income residents through the Police Chief or their designee with required proof of residency and income. They will be available on a first come first serve basis, limited to one per household per year, and will be available until money budgeted for the program runs out.

• Any loose animals brought to the shelter will be spayed or neutered and microchipped and vaccinated if they are not already sterilized and chipped and vaccinated. The owner will be required to pay the fees for these procedures to be able to retrieve their animal.

• Animal control will return altered animals that can be identified by their microchips directly to their homes twice a year. Any more escapes will result in a citation for an unsecure enclosure. Any unaltered or unchipped animals will be taken to the shelter.

• Leaving pet food out unattended will be prohibited.

• Citations will be issued to the owners of barking dogs that receive 3 or more complaints within 90 days from 2 separate households regarding sustained barking in the daytime. Citations can be issued for any instances of complaints regarding sustained barking from 10pm-7am.

• Dogs will not be allowed to be tethered for longer than 10 days and nights and must have access to food, water, shade, and shelter at all times while tethered.

• Animals riding in open vehicles, including the beds of pickup trucks, must be inside a secured container.

• The threshold to be considered a “kennel” will be lowered from 7 dogs to 4 (with the exception of temporary fosters).

• The price of a Breeder’s License will increase to $1000 per year per animal and will require meeting all of the other requirements for a business license.

• A $500 annual fee will be required to keep an animal deemed “aggressive” and it must be spayed and neutered.

• People taking in strays (including pregnant animals) for the purpose of re-homing them will be exempt from the newly instituted rules prohibiting selling and giving away animals. Sales of livestock (including the auctions at the fair) will also be exempt from the new prohibition on animal sales.

The Board will vote on allowing Covia ISP to participate in the tax back program that allows for them to get back state and local sales taxes paid on building materials and machinery used for expansions. Covia intends to invest $36.5 million in the expansion of their plant on Gerber Road that makes ultra white filler materials for engineered stone used in bathroom and kitchen countertops. The expansion will add 11 new jobs at an average pay rate of $22.95 per hour.

The Board will vote on whether to approve a contract with Plante Moran for $165,360 for an audit of the IT department’s processes, resources, networks, systems, and security.

The Board will vote on a change to the Board of Directors best practices document. This list of non-binding guidance suggestions includes things like a code of conduct and ethics and the responsibilities for the Board of Directors. During the annual review of the document at last week’s study session, it was proposed that the wording in one section be changed to “Effective decision making requires finality. While it is important to deliberate in many voices, the Board must govern with one voice. Decisions of the Board must be allowed to stand, and should only be revisited if changes in facts or circumstances suggest that the Board might consider a different decision.” from the previous version of that section that read only “Effective decision making results in finality. While it’s important to deliberate in many voices, the Board must govern with one voice.”

The Board will vote on whether to approve a contract with Steve Beam Construction for $2,717,154 for multiple drainage improvement projects.

The Board will vote on approval of a purchase of a 25 cubic yard CNG fueled rear loader garbage truck for commercial collections from Labrie Environmental Group. The truck will cost a total of $401,828.40 with $100,000 of that cost being covered by a grant from the State.

The Board will vote on approval of the purchase of Fire and Police computer aided dispatch, wireless digital assistant, and records management software from ProPhoenix for $968,855.