Agenda Highlights 6/17/25

At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 6-17-25, the Board will vote on making maximum base charges for ambulance services within Fort Smith mirror the State’s Act 867 that sets the fees at a maximum of 325% of the Medicare ambulance schedule. This would eliminate the need to continue adjusting specific dollar amounts in the future.

The Board will vote on one of two options for a new agreement to continue to provide sewer services to Arkoma. Option A would result in a total charge to Arkoma of $3.48 per CCF ($3.06 for the cost of wastewater treatment, the 3.5% rate increase being charged to Fort Smith residents since 6-1-25, and a 10% Return on Investment as allowed by State law). Option A would recover the basic cost of wastewater treatment. Option B would result in a total charge of $5.68 per CCF ($3.06 for the cost of wastewater treatment, the 3.5% rate increase being charged to Fort Smith residents since 6-1-25, and a 10% Return on Investment as allowed by State law, plus an inflow and infiltration peaking surcharge of $1.93). During negotiation discussions between Fort Smith and Arkoma no consensus was able to be reached.

If the Board does not vote in favor of Option A or Option B, a rate of $8.75 per CCF (matching the rate charged to Fort Smith customers) would go into effect 6-22-25.

The Board will vote on whether to give the Board of Directors responsibility and authority over hiring, firing, and discipline of City department heads. That authority/responsibility is currently the authority/responsibility of the City Administrator (except for the Director of Internal Audit that serves directly under the Board of Directors). The City Administrator has held that responsibility since 2013, before which it was the responsibility of the Board.

7 of the 8 cities in Arkansas that have a City Administrator/City Manager form of government (the exception being Barling), all have the City Administrator in authority/responsibility over the hiring, firing, and discipline of department heads (like Fort Smith currently does) .

The Board will vote on adding an additional $235,067.75 to the existing contract with Forsgren for consent decree sewer work to include repair of additional line segments and manholes that have been discovered to be in need of repair.

The Board will vote on whether to apply for two different federal grants for the police department. One is a Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program grant that would be used to hire 5 full-time officers for a Community Violence Intervention Team. The grant would be for a total of $1,166,992.20 with Fort Smith being responsible for a local contribution of $291,748.05

The other is a Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act grant that would be used for two years of an officer wellness initiative including peer support training, clinical partnerships, chaplain training, gym access, office space for the volunteer psychiatrist, and a wellness app. The grant total would be $181,160 and would not require any local contribution.

The Board will vote on whether to contract with Denali Water Solutions for $334,248 for the removal and disposal of sludge from the Lee Creek water treatment plant’s Southeast lagoon. The bid from Denali was the only bid received.

The Board will vote on whether to purchase 2 replacement and 1 additional transit vans for the Transit’s demand response service. The total cost would be $313,221, but 80% of that cost will be reimbursed by the federal government.