Highlights of the Fort Smith Board of Directors Meeting 11/28/23
The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting held 11-28-23 with Director Christina Catsavis absent included items originally set to be discussed at the 10-30-23 study session meeting that was canceled. It included discussion of the IT Department’s 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan. The plan for 2024 includes improvements at the 801 Carnall building (replacing flooring, bathroom improvements, water intrusion remediation), running new underground fiber lines from the scale house to the landfill for the Solid Waste Department, and replacing 2 vehicles that were totaled during a hailstorm.
Director Morton asked if the IT Department has what they need for cybersecurity protection. IT Director Gentry answered that “We are in an OK place at this time.” but said that there is a plan to request to hire a cybersecurity employee in the near future.
Director Settle requested that the Board at some point in 2024 discuss the long term plans for the location of the IT department. With the Carnall Building (formerly the public library) aging and likely being in need of more repairs in the future, he wants the Board to consider potentially moving the department.
The Board discussed the Solid Waste Department 10 year Capital Improvement Plan. Plans for 2024 include replacements for a knuckle boom, a motor grader, a windrow turner, a skid steer with brush hog, a medium dozer, a wheel loader, and a compactor. They also include 3 new CNG fueled rear loader residential collection garbage trucks for the return of every week recycling and yard waste pick up planned for 2024. Solid Waste Director Riley said that recycling and yard waste pick up are set to return to weekly pickup January 1, 2024 even though the new equipment and employees needed won’t have arrived yet because winter is the slow season for yard waste.
Director Morton inquired about changes to regulations regarding methane monitoring mentioned in the plan. Riley clarified that new laws require more methane monitoring starting in March that will include monitoring old wells that currently are not monitored and that will cost extra for the monitoring and the site maintenance in that old part of the landfill. Director Morton expressed frustration at the low percentage of the sales of the methane that the City receives per the old contract with the third party that handles the methane collection and sales that gives the City 10% of the methane sales. Methane sales last year totaled $1.5 million dollars, of which the City only got 10%. Director Martin asked if the contract could be re-negotiated. Riley said there is “not a lot we can do”, that attorneys have looked at it and “it’s solid”. She said that very few cities in similar situations have been able to get out of similar old contracts.
Director Martin asked if there are plans to ask for solid waste billing rate increases. Riley said that next week the Board is going to be asked to approve a study that includes a rate study. And then when the study is done, based on the results, there may be a recommendation for a rate increase, but that will be “quite a long process.” Administrator Geffken mentioned the last similar solid waste study was conducted 7 years ago.
Director Morton asked about the economics of recycling. Riley answered that the City pays $165 per ton to take the recycling to the recycler. The City receives around $80 per ton for cardboard and “everything else is either very low or at a cost for us.” The new contract being negotiated with the recycler will include a zero dollar floor, so the recycler will absorb any loss on the lower value materials. Riley said the plastic recycling market has bounced back since its low a few years ago.
The Board discussed the Police Department’s 5 year Capital Improvement and Personnel Plans. Plans for 2024 include the new precinct and training facility, replacement for 3 or 4 patrol vehicles and 4 unmarked investigation vehicles and purchase of a Downtown Ambassador vehicle and printers for e-citations for all vehicles.
Director George Catsavis asked when the Flock license plate reader system would be in place. Police Chief Baker answered that 2 of the units should be installed this week.
Director Martin asked if the training facility would be going in the building at the new precinct on Burrow Road. Baker responded that options for it are still being explored and that it probably won’t fit in the existing Burrow Road building, but could possibly be an addition or built separately on that same lot, and also with some things moving to the new second precinct it might be possible to put it at the existing downtown station. Morton asked if the $1 million included in the CIP would be enough for the new precinct and training facility. Baker answered “likely no”, that even though the training facility is still in the CIP, the main priority is getting the second precinct up and running.
Director Good mentioned that citizens have noticed and expressed concern about unlit alleys and asked if there was anything to be done to address that. Baker responded that he didn’t know but “wheels are turning in my head” and that there might be a way to find grant funding for alley lights through the Police Department addressing it as a crime reduction measure. Administrator Geffken and Deputy Administrator Dingman mentioned that the city pays OG&E over a million dollars per year for the street lights but the City does not pay for maintenance or lighting of the alleyways. Lights seen in alleyways are typically the result of homeowners requesting and paying for security lights.
Director Good also mentioned that residents on the North side have told him that the numbers of stray dogs and vicious dogs roaming free are down and thanked Baker and his department for their efforts on that.
The Board discussed the 10 year Capital Improvement Plans for water and sewer. Geffken and Utility Director McAvoy mentioned that the plans prioritize meeting the city’s needs for water to address growth including that at Chaffee Crossing. The Lake Fort Smith transmission line project that will fix concerns about being able to provide proper water to Chaffee has been moved up to be completed in the next 3 years. McAvoy said the plans are made to be economical and “setting up Fort Smith to be able to get more done with less.” Director George Catsavis asked if the water system is stressed. McAvoy answered “in certain areas, yes” and mentioned Chaffee Crossing. He said that during the hottest part of the summer this summer the City did reach the 50 million gallons per day maximum threshold it can provide and had to use stored water to make up the shortfall. Geffken said that “Push has come to shove.” Mayor McGill said “We are where we are.” and “No one expected us to grow as rapidly as we are.” Director Rego called the water challenge “a challenge that is the by-product of prosperity” and urged the administration to keep the Board and the citizens well informed about the short and medium term solutions until the permanent solution is finished. Until the Lake Fort Smith Transmission line project is completed, some stop gap measures could be enacted including the Board mandating developers at Chaffee to run hydraulic models first regarding how their development would impact water usage and measures that don’t hamper development including conservation during the heat of the summer like watering lawns only every other day. Director Morton suggested exploring tanks as a stop-gap measure. McAvoy said that a tank takes 3 years to build. Director Settle said that a tank costs $15 million.
Director George Catsavis asked if the volume and pressure in Chaffee Crossing is adequate for fighting fires. McAvoy assured that it is currently adequate.
McAvoy said that the plans for the major projects at the Massard treatment plan have been pushed back and pushed back for years due to budgeting but that they are prioritized this CIP because the issues there absolutely must be addressed now.
Director Rego said it is “good that we’re having honest and frank conversations about what we need to do.”
The Board discussed the 12 year Capital Improvement Plan for consent decree required sewer work (rather than 10 year plans like for water and other sewer work) because that 12 year timeline lines up with when the federal government requires the consent decree work to be finished. Though the City is requesting to be allowed through 2042 to finish the work, the CIP presented would have the work done within the time allotted with accounting for the additional 5 years that the City has already been granted plus an additional 3 year extension they have been seeking and feel they are likely to be granted. Director Morton said “we want to do everything we can as expeditiously as we can” to demonstrate to the federal government that the City is working diligently to meet the consent decree requirements.
Instead of hearing the quarterly update that was on the agenda regarding water leaks, the Board opted instead of discussing it at this meeting or tabling it for a future meeting to just have the update included where they and the public could see it in next week’s agenda packet.
During the Citizens Forum section of the meeting, Mel Winker spoke regarding feral cats in her neighborhood. She said that because Animal Control and the animal shelter don’t deal with feral cats she and her neighbors have spent three weeks doing their own Trap Neuter Release program, trapping cats themselves and bringing them to be spayed and neutered at their own expense. They “don’t think it’s appropriate” to and don’t have the funds to continue doing that themselves. She asked the Board for any funds, solution, or direction on the issue. Geffken said that she can give Dingman her neighborhood address and he will look into what can be done.
Richard Morris spoke about blight and about alley lighting. He urged the City to prioritize and act on eradicating blight. He especially urged them “Don’t forget about the North side.” and mentioned that failure to address blight on the North side could result in “red-lining the North side without knowing it”. Morris encouraged the City to put pressure on owners of blighted properties to clean up or sell with fines and “incessant” citations. Director Martin mentioned that there are 13 properties in the process towards demolition that should be coming to the Board for votes in the next couple of months. Geffken said that the City is currently working on a process to purchase properties when they come to County auction for tax liens so that they can rehab and sell them or demolish them and sell the property. Mayor McGill acknowledged the role that getting blighted properties back to being good housing, especially in established neighborhoods including the North side, will play in the growth coming soon, saying that “infill development is going to become very important.” Morris also spoke in support of alleyway lighting. He mentioned its role in preventing crime and reducing blight. He mentioned that a security light only costs $8 per month.
The Board scheduled upcoming budget discussion meetings for about 2 hours each evening starting at 6 pm on 12-6-23, 12-7-23, 12-11-23, 12-13-23, and 12-14-23 and then a vote on the 2024 Budget to be held at the 12-19-23 regular meeting.
