Agenda Highlights 8/29/23

The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 8-29-23 will begin with a discussion regarding the appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval to build a 158 ft tall AT&T cellphone tower at 3915 Newlon Road. The Planning Commission voted 7 in favor and 1 opposed to allow building the tower. The appeal opposing the approval was filed by Stephen Smith, attorney for SBA Communications that owns another cellphone tower less than half a mile away. SBA would prefer for AT&T to add height to and share the existing SBA tower instead of building a new tower. And while there were no neighborhood residents in attendance to oppose the tower at the public meetings about it, the Planning Commission did receive a petition and multiple communications from neighbors in opposition to the tower.

The Board will discuss 4 houses on the 3400 block of Edinburgh Drive that flooded during the July 14, 2023 flood. When contacted about the City’s flood buyout program that buys properties when it is cheaper to buy the property than to fix the public drainage problem that would fix the flooding, one homeowner was interested in a buy out and the other 3 are undecided. City Attorney Canfield has clarified that the City is immune from financial liability for these houses because tort liability does not apply because flooding is not a result of negligence.

The Board will discuss an issue rescheduled from the agenda for the January 24, 2023 meeting that was prompted by the Greenwood School District recently purchasing land inside the Fort Smith city limits to build a public elementary school. The Board will discuss the locations of new schools within the city limits.

The Board will discuss planned streets projects to be done using the Streets, Bridges, and Drainage sales tax. Because of staffing shortages hampering projects, $8.8 million more in the account at the beginning of 2023 than anticipated, $1 million more in projected revenue for the year than anticipated, and $2.2 million in grants being able to be used for the Excelsior Road project, there is more than originally planned for in the department’s 2023 Capital Improvements Plan. So there will be discussion of advancing with more projects instead of waiting. One project is a 2000 ft expansion of Spradling Avenue connecting John Bell Jr. Park with North 23rd at a cost of $5 million. Another project is a $1.5 million repair of South 91st between Rogers Avenue and Dallas Street. Another project is a $16 million 7200 ft expansion of Planters Road past Gerdau Steel providing a direct route from Highway 45 to Massard Road.

The Board will hear updates on the Parks department’s Capital Improvement Plans. Increased revenue from the sales tax for Parks and funding for the Creekmore bath house out of the excess sales tax collection have resulted in the ability to move some projects forward sooner than planned.

At Creekmore Park, a train themed toddler playground and swings are set to be installed after the New Year. The preliminary drawings are finished for the Creekmore pool bath house. The basketball court is set to be completed by mid-November and train improvements are set to be completed by April 2024.

Lots of improvements have been completed this year at Carol Ann Cross park including resurfacing the parking lot, replacement of the pedestrian bridge, and adding another fishing pier. Two aerators for algae and goose control will be operational by September 2023. A new playground will be installed by Spring 2024.

The new restroom at Martin Luther King Park has been installed and should be operational by September. Fencing near the splash pad and covered seating near the newly poured basketball courts are planned. A public meeting will be held to discuss what other additional amenities and improvements are to be done at MLK Park.

The Maybranch Trail construction is being delayed while awaiting paperwork required for the grant funding. Chaffee Crossing Trail segment 2 is set to be open in April 2024.

John Bell Junior Park should have its pavilion completed by Spring 2024. 14 pickleball courts and 8 basketball courts are coming by September 2024. City Administration and State Representative Jay Richardson are in discussion currently with professional minor league soccer teams to determine what is still needed for the soccer fields at John Bell Junior Park to become their home field.

The planned Chaffee Crossing dog park has been put on hold due to flooding at the original chosen site and it is likely that an alternate location will be chosen instead. The Old Greenwood dog park needs a fence and security gate installed around the water infrastructure on the site. The park is expected to be open to the public in early 2024.

Tilles Park will be receiving walking trail and basketball court improvements by April of 2024. The new restroom at Wood Lawn park will be delivered in November and is set to be open by Spring of 2024.

The Board will hear an update on the Police Department’s Capital Improvement Plan. In 2023, their portion of the sales tax was used to fund 23.87% raises for the Police Department staff. They also purchased 12 patrol vehicles, an animal services truck, and 4 unmarked investigations vehicles. They made improvements at the firing range at the landfill and pouring concrete for significant improvements there will begin soon. A tankless water heater and new cooling tower will be installed at the police station and will come in at $200,000 less than the price originally budgeted for those items.

The Board will hear updates on the Fire Department Capital Improvements Plan. The Fire Department has been struggling in 2023 with rising costs and inflation and supply chain issues on equipment and apparatus. It has been more costly to replace things than hoped. In the original 2023 CIP, the department hoped to build a much needed maintenance facility, but costs to build a new shop greatly exceed the budget available. The department is now hoping instead to find an existing building to purchase for less that could meet the needs.

The Board will hear updates on the water and sewer Capital Improvement Plans.

The Board will hear updates on the Sidewalks projects. The Streets department was on track to complete all of the 2.72 miles of new sidewalks and .95 miles of repairs planned for 2023 by the end of the year, but they were set back 7 weeks while assisting in the storm debris cleanup.

The Board will hear Capital Improvement Plan updates from the Solid Waste department. A bulldozer, land fill compactor, and compost grinder were all purchased in 2023. The department will have 3 residential collection trucks, a commercial collection truck, and one large service truck delivered on 12-1-23. A roll off truck will arrive 7-1-24. A new drive-through wash bay will be completed by February 2024.

The Board will hear updates on the Transit Asset Management Plan. 2023 saw the arrival of 7 big heavy duty low floor buses, a new awning at the downtown transfer station, multiple new bus stop shelters, and a natural gas powered emergency generator at the headquarters. Construction design plans are being made for an access road to the headquarters building.