Agenda Highlights 1/27/26

At the Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting scheduled for 1-27-26, the Board will discuss renewing the services agreement with Main Street Fort Smith for downtown development services for $12,500 per month (the same amount as 2025). This issue was tabled at the 1-20-26 meeting. The Arkansas Main Street statewide grant program requires that the City must contract with an independent non-profit to participate in the program.

Amanda Hager with Main Street Fort Smith will present the organization’s 2025 annual report. Activities in the report include the 7th Street Corridor, the 50/50 matching mini-grant program for businesses, research and partnership development for a Pop Up Business Program for vacant spaces set to launch this spring, the Levitt Amp free concert series, Invest Fort Smith economic development summit, updated downtown guides, and conducting a community survey.

The Board will review the Request for Qualifications for program management services for the consent decree.

The Board will discuss the Agreed Upon Procedures engagement to be performed by a third-party CPA firm on the 2025 operations of Parrot Island Water Park. The firm will look into the cash balances, cash receipts, cash disbursements, financial analytics, invoices received but not paid by year end, cash transfers, and timeliness of reporting for the park and the compensation for the management of the park. This issue was discussed at the 1-13-26 meeting.

The Board will discuss the procedures for the City to request the Arkansas Attorney General investigate representations about the cost to install the additional water slides at Parrot Island. In July of 2024, American Resort Management, the firm contracted to manage the water park, told the City via email that the slides would cost $4,250,000 total for the purchase and installation but current actual costs will be an estimated total $6,234,238. This issue was discussed at the 1-20-26 meeting.