Agenda Highlights 9/16/25

At the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting to be held 9-16-25, the Board will vote on 2 different amendments to the agreement with Oakview Group (OVG) to manage the Fort Smith Convention Center.

One measure to be voted on would change the term of their contract from the original contract with a 5 year initial term followed by 5 one year terms to instead have an initial term of 8 years followed by one 2 year term. This amendment is requested by OVG to make it easier for them to attract and retain high quality staff. That measure would also amend their contract to allow to them to start charging for parking around the convention center during ticketed events at the facility (not during conventions or private events). If the amendment is approved, the convention center anticipates being able to generate $3000 per show in revenue by charging $10 each for 300 parking spaces.

The other measure to be voted on would allow OVG to offer off-site catering to any event. Currently, they are only allowed to cater off-site to events that are for a client that has an event booked at the convention center that same week.

These amendments were discussed at the 9-9-25 study session meeting. The Board will vote on the measures separately, so they could approve one or the other or both or neither of the measures.

Another amendment requested by OVG and discussed at the 9-9-25 study session would have created an Event Promotion Fund to give promotion of Broadway style shows its own separate budget line item instead of funds for that being included with the rest of the convention center operating budget, but that item will not be included on the 9-16-25 agenda. It is possible that that item could be up for a vote at a future meeting depending on the outcome of 2026 budget discussions.

The Board will vote to enter into a loaned personnel agreement with Burns & McDonnell to allow for Ben Marts to serve as the Interim Director of Engineering. There are currently no qualified applicants to fill the position. The agreement would be for up to 6 months of full-time work at a cost not to exceed $317,493.

The Board will vote on contracting with Nicosia Contracting International for a time fill upgrade to the existing compressed natural gas filling station at the Transit headquarters. The upgrade would allow the buses to be filled fully with CNG fuel overnight and would result in savings of personnel time and the cost savings for that labor dollars savings could be used instead for upgrades in passenger transportation services. The upgrade would cost $746,502 in total, but 90% of that cost would be reimbursed by the federal government. Nicosia was the only bidder for the contract.

The Board will vote on whether to purchase a 35 ft heavy duty blue transit bus from Gillig to replace a 2018 high mileage white cutaway style bus. The total cost for the bus would be $724,700, but the federal government would reimburse 85% of the cost resulting in the cost from City funds being only $108,700.