Agenda Highlights 8/13/24

The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 8-13-24 will begin with discussion about changing the policy for towing by the Police Department from the current system of a rotation of 26 towing companies to a single towing company contracted with the City to provide Police towing at a set price. The Police Department favor the change because it would allow for greater efficiency, would eliminate any confusion about who towed each vehicle and where they took it, and would save labor hours spent under the current system inspecting the trucks of each of the 26 different companies in the rotation. Some tow companies have voiced opposition to the change. If the new system were to be adopted, the due date for towing companies wishing to seek the contract to submit their proposals would be 9-16-24.

The Board will discuss the Move Fort Smith Active Transportation Master Plan for making the City better and safer for active transportation like walking and biking. The approval for the plan to be created was made at the 1-17-23 meeting.

Recommendations in the plan include changes to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist accidents with motor vehicles, allocating budget for infrastructure, increased commuter walking and bike paths, measuring active transportation network usage, increasing trails amenities (like benches, water fountains, art, and pocket parks), Unified Development Ordinance changes to require or encourage pedestrian/bike friendly development, code changes to treat E-bikes and electric scooters the same as traditional bikes and scooters, renovation of alleyways into paved paths, more on-street bike features, and more sidewalks.

The plan highlights 6 high priority Catalyst Projects including a two-way protected bike lane on North B Street (estimated cost of $1,125,000-$1,250,000), renovation of the 10th Street alleyway from Kelley Highway to North B into a paved path (estimated cost of $3,290,460-3,590,000), a paved path from South 66th to Massard (estimated cost $3,278,476-$3,578,000), a paved path from Fianna to Ben Geren Park (estimated cost of $3,135,142-$3,435,000), protected bike lanes from Lexington to B street including across Garrison($1,716,665-$1,888,352), and completing the Bass Reeves Legacy Loop, a paved pathway looping around the City that would incorporate the existing Riverfront Trail and the Maybranch Trail (estimated total cost of $24,987,000)

The Board will discuss the results of the Street Department’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. The plan, funded by a federal grant, and approved to be conducted at the 9-5-23 meeting identified and prioritized projects to improve traffic safety and reduce the number of traffic accidents and fatalities. The plan allows the City to be eligible for future federal grants to implement the plan’s identified projects.

Nearly every week there is a crash with serious injury or fatality that occurs in Fort Smith. The fatalities per population rate in Fort Smith is better than the statewide average and better than Little Rock and Springdale but worse than Fayetteville or Edmond, OK. 67% of crashes occur on the main arteries. 55% happen in intersections. Crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists, construction workers, and other people who are outside of motor vehicles only make up 5% of the serious injury and fatality crashes, but 31% of crashes involving people outside of vehicles result in serious injuries or death. Crashes involving people outside of motor vehicles occur more frequently at night than other crashes.

The top ten priority areas for improvement projects identified by the plan are

• Garrison from 2nd to 14th

• Rogers from 46th to 79th

• Grand from 21st to 37th

• Kelley Highway and 50th intersection

• Towson from Phoenix to Raleigh

• Jenny Lind from Jackson to Louisville

• Rogers and Albert Pike intersection

• Park from North Greenwood to North 35th

• Kelley Highway and 32nd intersection

• North B from North 6th to North 15th

The Board will discuss a request for help with mowing from Fort Smith Cemeteries Inc., the non-profit organization that owns Forest Park, Holy Cross, and Rose Lawn cemeteries. The organization received assistance from the City last year when they could not afford mowing in the form of the City paying for mowing to occur without having to wait for the situation to be addressed through the standard cleanup lien process and liens would be placed on the property for the mowing cost until the City is repaid for the mowing cost. Fort Smith Cemeteries Inc. have since installed a new Board of Directors and have been working to improve their finances but are struggling to pay debts incurred under the previous leadership.