Agenda Highlights 7/7/26
At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting to be held 7-7-26, the Board will vote on whether to place a change in the form of City government from City Administrator to Mayor-Council on the November 2026 election ballot for voters to vote on. This issue was discussed at the 5-12-26 meeting, and voted down at the 5-19-26 meeting, but after the City received confirmation from the State Attorney General regarding some details of the elections process, the issue is returning for another vote.
The Board will vote on zoning changes for 705 Xavier to facilitate construction of 2 duplexes on the vacant lot.
The Board will vote on zoning changes for 606 South 22nd to allow for a single story office building for Sexton-Masri Law Firm to be constructed on the vacant lot.
The Board will vote on zoning changes for 5300 South Zero and 5991 Grand Slam Loop creating a Planned Zoning district for Grand Slam Business Park comprised of one area made up of the northernmost 6 lots that would allow for heavier commercial uses and another area made of the southernmost 10 lots that would be used for less intense commercial uses.
The Board will vote on a zoning change that would allow for 1725 North 7th to be used by El Rincon Latino for 12 spaces of overflow parking for the existing restaurant.
The Board will vote on whether to approve the five year Consolidated Plan for 2026-2030 that is required by the federal government for participation in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME grant programs.
Five year goals included in the plan include…
Rehabilitation of 60 owner-occupied homes
Assisting 41 households with homeownership
Creating or preserving 5 affordable housing units
Benefiting 3,190 residents through facilities and infrastructure improvements
Assisting 1250 persons experiencing homelessness
Assisting 6000 residents through public service programs
This issue was discussed at the 6-23-26 study session meeting.
The Board will vote on whether to allow Shanny’s Pour House to apply for a private club liquor permit for 301 Garrison.
The Board will vote on whether to contract with Goodwin & Goodwin for $286,760 for improvements to the walking trail and pedestrian bridge at Riley Farm Park.
The Board will vote on whether to contract with Forsgren for $147,587.75 for resurfacing the parking lot at Tilles Park.
The Board will vote on whether to renew the non-residential solid waste permits for Raggio Roll Off, GFL (previously LRS South), and MSG. The permits would be good for 2 years and would include a 5% franchise fee.
The Board will vote on whether to purchase a Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System (CAD/RMS) from CentralSquare to replace the CAD/RMS system from ProPhoenix. In February of 2026, there was a breach by ProPhoenix that violated the terms of the contract and of FBI security policy. ProPhoenix is no longer trusted and has been informed that when their contract is up for renewal in September of 2026 that it will not be renewed. The River Valley Communications Center and Fort Smith Fire and Police departments have selected CentralSquare, the provider that scored equal to ProPhoenix in the 2022 evaluation process, to replace ProPhoenix. The new system will cost $379,272.46 to implement. Funds for that implementation will come from the RVCC 911 fund balance and those funds will be replenished with money recovered from ProPhoenix through a settlement or litigation.
This issue was discussed at the 6-23-26 study session meeting.
