Agenda Highlights 5/5/26
At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting to be held 5-5-26, the Board will vote on whether to approve the recommendations from the Community Development Advisory Committee for the allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)vand HOME grant funds for 2026. The total available for the grants is $772,874 for CDBG and $367,054.07 for HOME.
Recommendations for the CDBG funds include
$81,500 for the Salvation Army for rehabilitation of apartments to be used for transitional housing for the homeless
$68,066 to replace the plumbing in 16 units at Nelson Hall Homes
$19,500 for an HVAC unit for Hope Campus
$10,000 for Antioch for Youth and Family to purchase food
$10,000 for Community Rescue Mission for case management
$15,021 for Crawford Sebastian Community Development Council (CSCDC) for dental clinic services
$12,510 for Boys & Girls Club for a workforce development program at the teen center
$12,510 for Girls Inc. for their membership program, transportation, and outreach
$15,020.10 for Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy for case management
$12,510 for Next Step Homeless Services for case management
$10,000 for Sebastian Retired Citizens association for food for Meals on Wheels
$10,000 for the Salvation Army rental assistance program
$5,850 for Arc for the River Valley for a sensory patio
$253,980,06 for the Fort Smith Housing Authority housing rehab assistance program
$60,000 for Fort Smith Housing Authority administration
$154,574.80 for administration
Recommendations for HOME funds include $55,058 to CSCDC for property acquisition, rehab, and resale, $275,291.07 to CSCDC for their home buyer down payment assistance program, and $36,705 for administration.
The Board will vote on whether to pause the mosquito fogging program that was reinstated at the 3-17-26 meeting to allow the Board more time to study the matter further and to hear more citizen feedback.
The Board will vote on whether to set in motion the process to apply for a FEMA BRIC grant to be used for the floodwater mitigation ponds to be built at the former Acme Brick site. The total cost for the project would be $11,504,554. The federal grant would be for $8,628,415.50, leaving the City’s responsibility for a 25% local contribution a total of $2,876,138.50.
The Board will vote on whether to install honorary street name signs near Northside High School honoring Fort Smith natives and Northside High School graduates that played on the 2025 NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. One sign at North B and 23rd would bear the name “Jaylin Williams Court” and one sign at North B and 25th would bear the name “Isaiah Joe Court.”
The Board will vote on contracting with Langford Roofing to reroof the Massard Water Treatment Plant. The roofs are needed due to damage from a 2024 storm. The total cost would be $342,000 and will be fully reimbursed by insurance.
The Board will vote on whether to contract with MARS Company for software, calibration, and certification for the City’s water meter test bench for water meters 2 inches and smaller. The total for all 5 years of the contract, paid in annual installments, would be $402,142.
