Agenda Highlights 4/4/23
The Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 4-4-23 will begin with a vote on changes to the Unified Development Ordinance concerning chickens. Currently the regulations require a half acre to keep chickens, allow an unlimited number of them, and allow roosters. The proposed changes would limit fowl to only ducks and chickens and would only allow female chickens, no roosters. It would allow 4 fowl on lots of 5000 square feet and a maximum of 10 fowl total on any size yard. Chickens would be required to be kept inside a fenced rear yard. Coops and roosts would not be allowed to be located closer than 25 feet to adjacent residential buildings. The proposed changes are intended to allow for chickens to be kept on smaller lots and to address concerns about noise from roosters and unpleasant smells created by large numbers of chickens.
The Board will vote on changes to the recently approved animal ordinances that would provide that the shelter director will be in consultation with a licensed veterinarian about medical decisions for injured animals brought into the shelter. Also proposed is a change that would allow for the Board of Directors to lay out and adjust the details of the spay and neuter voucher by resolution instead of including the specifics as part of the municipal code.
The Board will vote on acceptance of a donation of $19,377.37 to the Fire Department from Fort Smith Fire Fighters Local 33 that will be used to purchase technical rescue equipment.
The Board will vote on accepting a donation to the Police Department from Fort Smith Music and Arts Festival (Peacemaker Festival) of $16,648 towards the leasing of additional mobile surveillance trailers. The Police Department will be returning 2 more expensive leased trailers and replacing them with 4 less expensive trailers from a new vendor. The donation will cover the first year lease and the donor is also committed to covering a second year of the lease.
The Board will vote on whether to accept bids from Forsgren on two contracts for sewer work and manhole replacements. The first is for $2,299,325.30 to come from the excess sales tax appropriation. The second is for $1,303,079 to come from the excess sales tax appropriation and American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The Board will vote on whether to accept a bid from RJN Group for the inspection of manholes for $234,606 to come from the excess sales tax appropriation.
