Highlights of the Fort Smith Board of Directors Meeting 4/5/22
A Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting was held on 4-5-22, with Director Good absent and with Deputy Administrator Dingman serving in the duty usually done by Administrator Geffken. The first zoning issue on the agenda, one for 5300 Heather Ridge for the Treetops of Fort Smith residential development, was tabled at the request of the applicant (in part because a traffic study is being conducted). It will come back before the Board again at the 5-3-22 meeting.
The second zoning issue, one to allow for Next Step Homeless Services to build a facility including tiny-house style housing at 815 South 6th, was also tabled. Gaylen Hunter representing Next Step said that the plan for the location was essentially the same as the project that had been discussed extensively recently for the South U Street location (that was hotly contested and ultimately Next Step ultimately withdrew their zoning request for that location). Planning Director Maggie Rice clarified for Director Dawson that in the new South 6th location, the facility would be like the final plan was for South U in that it also would not be incorporating a Day Room or emergency congregate shelter and be focused instead on just the non-congregate tiny-house housing.
Director Morton motioned to table the issue and add it first to a study session. He expressed his feeling that the comments he heard from business owners in the area of the proposed location at the Planning Commission meeting needed heard at a public Board meeting and also they needed to hear from a representative of Hope Campus and the Police Department. He said the new location needed the “same level of scrutiny we gave on U Street”. Director Dawson disagreed pointing out that Next Step had been through the Planning Commission twice now and the “lengthy amount of time hearing issues through U Street”. She said that she felt Next Step had “jumped through every hoop” at Planning and that all of the Planning Commissioners except one this time had voted to approve the new location. She expressed her opinion that Next Step had “done everything the Board has requested and more” and that the Board “owe them a decision”. She expressed her feeling that there is “not going to be a place inside city limits where there’s not going to be some type of resistance”. Director Morton agreed that Next Step had done everything the Board had asked as well as having responded at the Planning Commission meeting to every single business’s concerns. Director Rego voiced his agreement with Dawson. Director Martin suggested that it might be best to have a study session about homelessness in general, not tied to this particular zoning issue. Director Morton added that there were 6 or 7 businesses at the Planning meeting with different concerns and that they all need more safety. He said that the Next Step proposal would not add any issues to the concerns already down there, but that the business people need to know the Board is trying to respond to their concerns. Director Dawson agreed on the need for a meeting about homelessness and that business concerns are valid but Next Step’s plan would not compound the problem and the concerns about homelessness in general should not be “lumped in tonight with the NS proposal” as they are a “whole ‘nother issue”. Director Rego expressed his feeling that it would be best to not delay Next Step’s plan “if we don’t believe that they are going to be additive to the problem”. The Board voted to table the issue with Rego and Dawson voting against tabling and all others voting to table it.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a zoning change for 5912 and 5915 Remington Circle to allow for mini-storage expansion adjacent to the existing Convenient Mini-Storage facility. Director Morton mentioned that he’d recently had discussion of mini-storage facilities added to an upcoming study session agenda because he had some concerns about mini-storages in commercial thoroughfare areas, but that this particular location was “perfectly appropriate” for a mini-storage and “well-suited for this particular use”.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a zoning change for 2219 South Waldron Road, the vacant lot that had previously been the site of the Seasons Inn before it was demolished, to allow for the building of Life Storage, a 3 story indoor mini-storage facility. Director Settle asked for clarification and assurance that the company really intended to build the mini-storage as described in the plan not any of the other varied uses listed in the Planned Zoning District application. Matt Sandlin, a representative for Life Storage, assured that the PZD is written broadly for flexibility in the future, but they absolutely only actually plan on building the storage facility saying that they are a storage facility developer and that they already have 50 similar facilities in operation. Director Rego supported property owners using the broadness potential of the PZD to “take the maximum flexibility we offer them legislatively” and called that “smart”. Dawson told Sandlin she was “very impressed with what you’re wanting to build” and praised the 10-11 million dollar facility that will be going where an “eye sore for our community” had been that had been off the tax rolls for a long time and that the “class and quality of the building” will bring surrounding property values up. She said she was “very excited”. Director Morton called the planned facility “attractive” and asked how many employees it would have. Sandlin answered typically 2 or 3. Morton expressed that was his problem with mini-storages on commercial thoroughfares, that surrounding businesses are more dense and a mini-storage takes a big piece of commercial property ideal for other commercial development, saying that mini-storages “work just as well off of major thoroughfares as on thoroughfares”.
The next issue was to set the prices for columbarium niches at Oak Cemetery. The newly built third columbarium has a different configuration than the other two so the ordinance setting the prices needed reworded to reflect the difference in arrangement. But as in the older columbariums the price would still be $600 for niches at eye level and $400 for other niches. Director Rego expressed opposition to the pricing (for city cemetery facilities and services in general) saying that he felt the city should “help out people more in time of real struggle and real grief” and that the city sometimes “does things to help where we know we’re eating the cost” and that cemetery prices should be like that. Parks Director Doug Reinert pointed out that the all of the fees at Oak Cemetery are set to cover the costs, not to make any profit whatsoever. Director Settle asked about people pre-buying niches for interments in the future. Reinert confirmed that that is being done, especially with the first two columbariums being already filled up. The Board voted with all but Rego and Catsavis voting to approve the prices. However, since the vote did not get the required minimum of 5 yeses required to pass on the first reading, the issue will be back for a second reading and final vote at the next regular meeting.
The next issue was about compensating Department Communications Liaisons $50 per bi-weekly pay check for taking on the extra communications duties they will be doing for their department via the new city website and communications platform. Director Martin opposed the compensation saying that it “doesn’t make any sense to me” and that a “new assignment is part of my normal salary” and that he doesn’t “see need for incentive pay for this”. He asked how many people would qualify for this pay. Human Resources Director Rick Lolley answered that it would be 21 people for a total cost of $27,300 per year. Director Settle said that most companies would say “it’s your job” and give pay bumps after the fact to employees that are evaluated to be performing well at additional tasks. Lolley said that new skills would be required for the new task and that he felt the money would be an incentive to learn that new skill set. Settle countered that the employees would be incentivized to learn the new skill by opportunity to move up the ladder or get raises. Deputy Administrator Dingman expressed that a lot of money is being invested in building the new website and training the employees to use it to communicate better and that some of that is deliberately in lieu of hiring additional dedicated communication staff. Director Rego shared that having worked in a city in Colorado previously that used the Granicus system we’re getting that he felt that the “best practice is to have a department” of communication staff and that his former city had 5 communication staff members. However,he expressed understanding that that is “not where the Board is at the moment” and that the “in between approach is more cost effective”. Director Morton agreed with Rego and added that he felt the city is “not doing a good job communicating with the citizens” and that if the city is going to be relying on the experts in each individual department to “market to the public what good they're doing for the public in exchange for their tax dollars” the additional $50 per check is less expensive than hiring communications employees and a worthwhile expense. The pay increase for Department Communications Liaisons passed with Martin and Settle voting No and all others voting in favor of it.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the contract with ACS Playground Adventures for $548,853 for a new inclusive playground at Creekmore Park. Director Catsavis, noticing that ACS had received multiple contracts recently, inquired about their bid. Reinert clarified that they were the low bidder on multiple occasions and that in addition to being less expensive they are good quality and specialize in inclusivity. Director Settle asked about the surface where the wood chips had been in the old playground and Reinert clarified that they new surface is more like astroturf. Settle also inquired about what happens to the old equipment, wondering if another city might be able to use it. Reinert answered that old equipment that is non-compliant with current playground standards and that can’t be repaired (like the equipment removed from Creekmore) can’t be put in another location, but even if it could, it is set in concrete so in removal it gets too damaged to be reused. So it is destroyed and the metal is scrapped and recycled.
The Board unanimously approved the purchase of 3 garbage trucks from River City Hydraulics to replace old ones, a front loader for $452,298.15, a side loader for $414,078.96, and a rear loader for $341,355.21, all CNG fueled. Morton inquired if there was any grant money being used to buy the trucks because they are CNG. Deputy Dingman responded that some grant money has been obtained for CNG trucks, but that these three in particular are not grant funded. Terry Rankin from the Solid Waste Department said that the trucks should be arriving towards the end of the year. Director Settle praised the Solid Waste Department for their transition to CNG.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the purchase of an additional new transit bus to replace the current downtown shuttle. The bus would cost $575,284, but with the majority of that cost being covered by federal grant funds, the cost out of City of Fort Smith funds would be $86,500. Director Settle spoke up to praise the Transit Department for their excellent work and said he “can’t wait till the new buses are here”.
The Board voted unanimously to approve spending for $117,373 with JA Riggs for dozer repair at the landfill.
The Board voted unanimously to approve an additional $271,302.69 expense added to the existing $100,000 contract with Aqualaw for their assistance on legal matters related to the consent decree. Fort Smith resident Kristen Kitchens questioned the bills from Aqualaw that she’d seen via FOIA request saying that they “don’t add up”. Mayor McGill expressed his feeling that Utilities Director McAvoy had been “very transparent in that regard”. Director Morton pointed out that in February Aqualaw had been involved in preparing the appeal and that he felt trial preparation and argument is much more intense and expensive than sending letters or having a conference and that he is “not surprised cost went up during this very intense process”.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a 3 year contract for Western Arkansas Tennis Association to continue to operate the tennis center at Creekmore Park. WATA will pay a nominal $10 per year lease and pay the City 10% of all paid tennis lessons with the money going to parks improvements. WATA will be responsible for routine janitorial duties and tools and equipment while the City will be responsible for maintaining the court facilities and utilities.
The Board voted unanimously to approve a contract for 2022 with options to continue for 2023-2025 with Cheese Junkies to operate the putt putt golf course and concession stand at Creekmore Park. The course and concession stand will operate a minimum of 30 hours per week and be open at minimum from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Cheese Junkies will pay the City $1 from each golf game played. They will keep all income from the concession stand. The concession stand plans to serve drink and snack bar food including grilled cheese sandwiches, loaded french fries, hot dogs, walking tacos, and boba tea smoothies.
The Board voted unanimously to approve purchasing 27 four yard dumpsters and 54 eight yard dumpsters for a total of $117,913.98 from Wastequip Inc.
The Board voted unanimously to approve purchasing 10 new bus stop shelters from Brasco International. The $76,950 cost of the shelters will be covered entirely by private donations and grants, most of that secured through the donation and fund raising efforts of local artist Sarah Ridgley.
During the Official’s Forum section of the meeting Director Morton reminded that applications are still being accepted for the new Sales Tax Review Committee. City Clerk Sherri Gard added that so far not enough applications had been received to fill the committee. Director Morton also reminded that the Directors are giving informative presentations on the sales tax renewals up for a vote 5-24-22 and invited anyone who would like to have the presentation given at their civic group meeting to contact the City.
Director Settle mentioned that at 12:36 on April 8,2024, for three or four minutes there will be a solar eclipse with 98-100% totality in Fort Smith. He spoke on this rare event being a big opportunity for tourism. He said people are already booking trips now even though it’s still two years in advance. He wants to bring Arkansas tourism expert Kim Williams to speak in June or July to local stakeholders like business leaders including hotel and restaurant owners. Mayor McGill said he would notify the Advertising and Promotions Commission and get them involved. Director Morton added that big open green spaces like at Ben Geren Park would be ideal for eclipse viewing.
