Highlights of the Fort Smith Board of Directors Meeting 5/27/25

The Fort Smith Board of Directors study session meeting held 5-27-25 with Director Martin and Director Christina Catsavis absent began with the review of the Police Department’s annual report for 2024.

In 2024, there was a 14.07% decrease in Group 1 crime. There were zero homicides in 2024. Crime was at its lowest in two decades. The Police completed 12,475 offense reports, 5417 arrest reports, 39,114 incident reports, 3,691 accident reports, 4931 traffic citations, and 16,756 traffic warnings.

• The Community Relations Unit attended 398 community events and their Food Patrol distributed 6,160 meals.

• The SHIELD our Youth program was fully implemented.

• There was a 78% increase in the number of security checks conducted by the Patrol Unit.

• The Crisis Intervention Unit responded to 3,483 calls. They diverted 251 people from criminal charges and referred 1,263 people for mental health treatment.

• The Bicycle Unit responded to 1,356 calls mostly downtown and also at Chaffee Crossing.

• The Traffic Unit responded to 135 collisions, made 4,070 traffic stops, and assisted with 24 serious/fatal accidents.

• The Criminal Investigations Unit took on 4,771 cases and had a clearance rate of 93.27%.

• The Crimes Against Persons Unit that deals with violent crime took on 2,166 cases and had a clearance rate of 95.98%.

• The Crimes Against Property Unit took on 1,038 cases and had a clearance rate of 78.61%.

• The Special Investigations Unit that deals with crimes against children, cybercrimes, and crime scene investigations took on 1,567 cases and had a clearance rate of 99.23%.

• The Narcotics Unit made the largest meth seizure to date for this area when they seized 70 lbs of meth at a local hotel. They also made 103 controlled buys, opened 94 drug related cases, and executed 18 search warrants. The top two drugs seized were marijuana and meth.

• An armed suspect was arrested who was planning to “shoot up the mall” and also turned out to be in possession of child pornography.

• 74,000 KWH of electricity were saved as a result of switching to LED lights at the Police Headquarters.

• The K-9 Unit assisted in 80 felony drug arrests.

• The Animal Services Unit received 8,695 calls, an increase of 11%. They brought 1,326 animals to the shelter, an increase of 13%. They reunited an additional 200 animals with their owners. They issued 263 citations/arrests, an increase of 23%.

• 911 Dispatch received 156,086 calls including 64,932 emergency calls, 57,412 police patrol calls, 15,993 fire calls, and 8,695 animal services calls.

Director Kemp asked Police Chief Baker about the need for more 911 staff or technology to help reduce the risk of burnout for dispatchers. Chief Baker said that his department has been “taking very deliberate steps to invest in our people” and mentioned emotional wellness programs including having hired a full-time emotional wellness staff member, including dispatchers in information about outcomes on traumatic calls, a “robust chaplaincy”, and currently working on implementing peer support within the department. Director Kemp asked how the department is doing on their recruitment and retention goals. Chief Baker said that “exit has reduced to a trickle” and credited pay raises in part for the better retention. He also credited the way Fort Smith markets its police department to potential recruits with a focus on community involvement for the success in recruiting. He said that that style of recruiting attracts “folks that are truly committed to wanting to make their community better.”

Director Settle praised the departments efforts to keep the public informed on police situations.

Mayor McGill asked about youth crime rates. Chief Baker answered that youth crime “continues to rise even with the decline in overall crime.” He expressed hopes that SHIELD Our Youth will help reduce it and that public campaigns against leaving guns inside cars will result in young criminals having less access to firearms. He said that youth crime rates are a problem across the country right now, not just in Fort Smith. Mayor McGill praised the positive impression the motorcycle police escorts give when foreign dignitaries visit the city.

The Board reviewed the Fire Department’s annual report for 2024.

Firefighters Presley and Baker rescued people and saved lives at a structure fire and Captain Josh Edwards saved the life of a person experiencing a severe anaphylactic reaction.

The Fire Department received 15,880 calls with 70.96% of those being rescue/EMS calls, 385 being fires for a total of 2.42% of their calls, 1,421 being service calls for a total of 8.95% of their calls, and 791 false alarms for a total of 4.98% of their calls.

At fires that the department responded to, 91.52% of the total property value involved was saved with a total of $48,664,531 in property value being saved.

Station #7 was the busiest with 13.06% of all calls, Station #1 was second busiest with 12.51% of all calls, Station #2 was third busiest with 11.71% of all calls. Station #11 was the least busy with 3.08% of all calls.

Commercial extractors were installed in most of the stations for washing firefighting gear to reduce the firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens.

Fire Chief Waters said the new fire equipment maintenance facility has had an impact that “cannot be measured” and that it makes other fire departments “envious” and also saves the department money.

Director Kemp praised the Fire Department’s participation in touch-a-truck events and also praised the high amount of property successfully saved in fires. He mentioned his neighbor’s house recently having been saved during a fire. He asked about the Tahoe SUVs that had been mentioned at one point as possibly being purchased to respond to some medical emergency calls to reduce the demand on the expensive fire trucks. Chief Waters said that while they were included in the new needs budget requests, in light of directives to cut budgets, they were eliminated from the list and will not be requested this year.

Director Good praised the Fire Department’s community outreach efforts including visiting parks in the summer heat and spraying cool water.

Mayor McGill reminded that the Fire Department earning the highest possible insurance rating saves Fort Smith homeowners “1000s of dollars per year.”

Director George Catsavis suggested that the Fire Department request pay raises in next year’s budget. He said that Fort Smith fire pay rates are “way behind” in comparison with other cities including Fayetteville. Chief Waters agreed and said that a few firefighters have left to make more money elsewhere. He acknowledged that the department is currently 4 firefighters short but said “We’re in really good shape right now.”

In reference to the Police and Fire annual reports, Director Good encouraged the Board to “remember these reports” during the next budget talks.

The Board discussed potentially requiring requests for Planned Zoning District (PZD) zonings to include a development plan in their submission. The Board of Directors currently has the authority to add stipulations to any zoning approval including requiring a development plan to be submitted before a building permit is issued. Since PZD zoning was made an option in 2013, Planning has processed 131 PZD zoning requests with 118 of those ultimately being approved. The City staff does not recommend that the Board require a development plan to be included for PZDs because they favor the flexibility offered by the PZD and a part of the intent of PZDs is to allow developers a way to gain financial commitment without the risk of the expense of having to have a development plan crafted. Planning Director Rice said that development plans are “very costly” and requiring them “would be counterintuitive to the purpose of a PZD.” In response to Director Rego, Rice clarified that a development plan is a “full set of construction drawings.” Rice mentioned The Hub as one recent example of a PZD development but said that all of the recent mixed use type developments have been PZDs. She mentioned that PZDs are required to exceed zoning codes.

Director Settle expressed frustration at developers who present PZDs that are “trying to shotgun. I might want this. I might want that.” He said that he is “not asking for a full development plan” but at least a “back of the napkin development plan” to help the public get the idea of what is being planned. He said that there are about 4 controversial PZDs a year and that the controversies arising from confusion and lack of information that could be cleared up with a development plan put the Board “in a bad light.”

Director Kemp expressed frustration with PZDs that are controversial and then “all for nothing” He said it is “very disheartening” when residents get upset about a zoning change for a potential development and then it “never happens.” He mentioned the redevelopment at the former Fianna Hills Country Club site where a PZD was controversial and was approved but funding was never secured so all of the upset was "all a moot point” as one such incident. He said the PZD development plan issue is a “tension to manage” more than “a problem to solve.”

Rice recommended that instead of requiring all PZDs to include a development plan, if the Board is not satisfied with what is included in the booklet for the PZD application that they could either remand the application back to the Planning Commission until it includes the desired information or the Board could demand that the applicant submit a development plan before a business license would be issued.

Director Rego expressed support for the PZD’s potential in “trying to be development friendly.” He also expressed his desire for a policy and practices with “uniformity” so that there is not unfairness where PZDs will face strong scrutiny and more requirements in some neighborhoods and then not in other neighborhoods where residents “don’t have ways to gin up controversy.”

Director Kemp agreed with Director Rego about the need for uniformity. He expressed his desire for not necessarily a full development plan, but for applicants to “show us something as much as you can.” He said that if it is too hard to come up with that perhaps the developer is “putting the cart before the horse.”

Director Kemp requested that Planning provide the Board with the PZD policies in 5 or 6 other communities in our region for comparison. Rice agreed and added that the current Fort Smith policy was copied based on one from another Northwest Arkansas city.

The Board discussed the situation regarding Fort Smith providing water and sewer services to Arkoma. The Mayor of Arkoma Joshua Johnson and Arkoma Vice Mayor Bobby Weatherford participated in this discussion.

Johnson expressed his desire to “come to a resolution” and said “We are your neighbors.” He said that Arkoma has been “tied to your city” “from day one” with having been developed as a bedroom community for Fort Smith. He expressed a desire to agree upon rates that are “something resembling a reasonable rate.” He said that it would be “untenable” to pay at the rates proposed by Fort Smith and that Arkoma would have no way to meet that obligation. Johnson said that Arkoma residents are already paying about 30% more for sewer than Fort Smith residents are paying.

Director Kemp acknowledged that the issue is a “challenging issue on both sides.” He mentioned that Fort Smith has made a good faith effort to continue to provide services to Arkoma even after the 2013 agreement to do so expired. Johnson acknowledged that there is no contract currently in force. He said that it was his understanding that Fort Smith was going to update other water contracts with other areas first and that Arkoma’s agreement was a “lesser priority.” However, he said it is “on me for not formalizing that in writing.” Johnson said that Arkoma is “paddling as hard as we can” even without the sewer increase set to take effect June 1.

Director Kemp asked why the payment plan for the delinquent bill was not followed up on. Johnson said that Arkoma’s City Attorney drafted a payment plan and reached out to Fort Smith’s City Attorney more than once in regards to it without receiving response back, but did not realize that they should have been reaching out to Fort Smith’s billing department instead. Johnson said that following up on the payment plan was not given a more thorough effort because without Arkoma enacting another water rate increase Arkoma “would lack funds to meet that payment plan anyway.”

Director Kemp said that the rates that Arkoma would be paying with the upcoming increase “seem like fairly high rates” but also said “I don’t know if I have an answer.”

Director Rego asked if Oklahoma state government has been involved in assistance for small communities for water and sewer and mentioned that in recent years in Arkansas the State has “taken interest” in small community water systems. Johnson said that the federal USDA has been “instrumental in providing funding” but that there has been “no significant dialog” with the State. Weatherford said “We’re getting as much help as we can as quickly as we can.”

Director Rego said the two municipalities “at minimum need to get back into operating under a current agreement.”

Director George Catsavis mentioned that the Board was unaware of the delinquent sewer bill until recently. Johnson said that Arkoma had met with former City Administrator Geffken and Utilities Director McAvoy about the issue. Director George Catsavis expressed his desire to reach an “amicable solution.”

Mayor McGill asked Arkoma’s population. Johnson answered that there are 1900 individuals and 613 households. Mayor McGill asked about an upcoming development being planned. Johnson said that it has not been approved yet but that there is one being proposed for the South end of Arkoma. At the invitation of Mayor McGill, Dalton Person spoke as a representative of the developer for that development, Fianna Properties LLC. He said the development would be 175 residential tracts and a park. He said that it is planned to accommodate the growth from the Foreign Military Sales project that is creating a demand for “newer lower cost homes.” He said that project is “looking to get started quickly” but cannot move forward without a new contract for water and sewer rates in place so they know what rates will be and do not have to worry about lack of services or not being allowed to install any new taps. He asked Fort Smith to reach a new contract “with all due haste.’ The developer is willing to pay Fort Smith for the entire delinquent Arkoma balance (up to $120,000) themselves. Johnson mentioned that the new development would be all newly constructed lines so it would have very little water loss and very little sewer inflow from rain. Director Kemp asked if Arkoma’s current rates would be sustainable with the new development. Johnson said that he hasn’t been able to fully access the impact yet, but that Arkoma is prepared to reassess their rates.

Director Kemp mentioned that based on the data it appears that the 2019 flood may have been a major factor in causing the past due balance. Johnson agreed that the flood overwhelming the system was a “tipping point for the past due balance.”

Director Kemp voiced his desire to find a “middle ground proposal.”

Director Settle mentioned that Fort Smith does not offer a wholesale sewer rate for anywhere (neither inside nor outside the City limits). He said “Everybody pays their fair share”. He expressed concerns that a lower rate for Arkoma would result in citizens and commercial accounts also requesting the lower rate. He said “If we discount for one, we’ve gotta discount for all.” He said that it is Arkoma’s responsibility to resolve sewer inflows on their side.

Director Good said of Fort Smith “We didn’t get to where we are right now overnight.” Of the previous study session meeting where Johnson was in attendance but not included in the discussion, Director Good said that showed a “lack of grace and empathy to hear them out.” He said that Arkoma cannot “squeeze blood out of a turnip” and that “heavy handed” measures including turning off water to the town are “not the answer.” He said “We’re not gonna pay their way” but also said Fort Smith is “not gonna let Arkoma fail.”

Director Kemp said that a “clear next step” is needed.

Director Rego said “The status quo is not what it should stay at for a variety of reasons” and expressed support for negotiations.

An item will be added to the agenda for next week’s meeting to vote on a 21 day delay for Arkoma for the rate increases that were to go into effect on June 1st while a new agreement for water and sewer services is negotiated.