Highlights of the Fort Smith Board of Directors Meeting 5/5/26
The 5/5/26 meeting was the first Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting with the new format where the Citizens Forum section in which residents may address the Board for up to 5 minutes on any topic now is held at the beginning of each regular meeting.
Nancy Raney spoke against mosquito fogging. She mentioned the spray killing pollinator insects and mosquito predators, public health risks, and risks to cat safety. She suggested a public information campaign about reducing mosquitos instead.
Carol Lee Jarvis spoke about protecting nature. She mentioned native plant species including big blue stem, swift grass, bullrush, willow, poplar, birch, white clover, and sunflowers that clean toxins including heavy metals, contaminants, pesticides, and radiation out of water and soil.
Krystal Cadelli spoke and voiced concerns about water transmission lines. She suggested the City pursue ANRC funding for water programs. She also suggested beefing up the engineering department and hiring in-house counsel to reduce dependency on outside firms.
Dan Williams spoke and praised the Business Expo held recently. He also voiced concerns about the need for better protection at the airport against drone attacks. He applauded water leaks being down from several hundred to only 15. He requested an update on the Arkoma water/sewer situation.
Amanda Lankart spoke against mosquito fogging. She mentioned cardiovascular health, cancer, hormonal disruption, and pregnancy risks. She mentioned butterflies and fireflies being killed. She mentioned that Jonesboro uses surveillance and only fogs in response to a certain threshold of disease risk rather than on a scheduled calendar and that Fayetteville does not fog. She suggested expansion of the larvicide program and a “surveillance based ecosystem first” mosquito program.
Chris Ridgeway spoke against mosquito fogging. He expressed concerns about toxic runoff harming fish, aquatic life, and bees. He mentioned that Disney World does not use spraying. He suggested bat houses, larvicide, and a surveillance based spray program.
Eric Weidman spoke and suggested that no construction be done on the stormwater mitigation ponds at the former Acme site until a “complete site assessment” has been done to test the soil for heavy metals and contaminants.
Shane McKinney spoke about the petition being circulated to change the City’s form of government from City Administrator to Mayor-Council. He suggested that the Board vote to put the form change on the ballot so that the petition would not need to collect signatures and legal battles would be avoided.
Amy Williams spoke and praised the red and white water tower on Old Greenwood having been washed by drones.
Chris Cadelli spoke and requested an update on the Arkoma water/sewer billing situation. He also voiced his support for the Board putting the change of form of government on the ballot.
Glen Forte spoke and asked Acting City Administrator Dingman, Police Chief Baker, and Director Rego to resign. He accused police officers of being “on the take.” He praised Director Kemp, City Clerk Gard, and Deputy City Administrator Rice.
The Board voted unanimously 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.
Allocations 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
Allocations 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.
Director Martin asked for an update on Next Step Homeless Services’ move to a new tiny-house style transitional housing facility. Community Development Director Gabucci answered that they should be breaking ground on the new facility within the next month.
The Board voted to pause the mosquito fogging program that was reinstated at the 3-17-26 meeting.
Carol Lee Jarvis spoke against fogging and suggested bat houses, dragonflies, garlic, education in water bills about how to reduce mosquitos, and larvicide instead.
Krystal Cadelli spoke against fogging and mentioned the lack of mosquito-borne illness cases. She suggested mitigating drainage issues that cause standing water and offering free repellent.
Amanda Lankart spoke against fogging. She suggested saving the chemicals currently on-hand for use when a documented disease risk threshold is reached instead of using it for scheduled spraying.
Chris Cadelli spoke against fogging.
Jo Elsken spoke against fogging. She mentioned her husband losing the bees in his hives from spraying. She suggested public education and larvicide.
Director George Catsavis said that the feedback he has heard on the mosquito issue is about 50/50 for and against. He voiced his desire to put the spraying on the November ballot for the voters to decide.
Director Kemp mentioned that employees at a business on 28th near Mill Creek are “inundated” with mosquitos and asked if there is a way to treat those sorts of areas with larvicide. Public Works Director Meeker said that while the creek itself is moving water and cannot be treated, the large areas of standing water can be treated with larvicide. He said that is an action that the City “have done for many years.” Director Kemp asked if that action is effective. Meeker said that it is. Director Kemp suggested that Keep Fort Smith Beautiful could take on the planting of plants that repel mosquitos. He also wondered out loud if dragonflies are something that can be purchased and released. He asked if the City still has bat houses in place. Parks Director Deuster confirmed that it does.
Director Good said that citizens “have expectations” and “want us to do something.” He said that Keep Fort Smith Beautiful should not be asked “to carry the load.” He suggested use of larvicide, bat houses, and plants.
Director Rego said that the mosquito issue is a top issue he has heard feedback on. He said that the feedback he has received has been a “55/45 split at most.” He expressed concerns about the “yo-yo back and forth” of changing decisions so soon. He mentioned that the WHO has permethrin on its list of essential medicines, that US soldiers’ uniforms are treated with it for deployment, and that it has EPA and FDA regulations and approvals. He voiced his support for sticking with the Board’s previous recent decision to reinstate the spraying program.
Director Martin said “I would like to look at what other options are available to us.”
Director Settle asked if it would be difficult to keep the equipment used for the spraying working if the program were to be paused. Meeker assured that it would not. Director Settle suggested asking legal counsel at a study session if it would be legal to put the issue on the ballot for a public vote.
Director Christina Catsavis asked if it would be legal to put the issue on the ballot. City Attorney Rowe said that he wasn’t sure, that voters usually have the power to submit an initiative or a referendum via petition, but wasn’t sure that the Board could submit this type of issue for a vote. He said he would look into it but said “I don’t think it could.”
Director Christina Catsavis expressed her concerns that if the spraying is stopped that the people who want it and can afford it will hire a private company like Mosquito Joe but that people who want it but cannot afford private spraying will have to do without. She expressed her preference to pause the spraying and that the citizens who want it could get it reinstated through getting it on the ballot through a petition and the public voting for reinstatement.
Director Kemp asked if the spray can only be applied by fogging the air or if it could be sprayed on the ground. Meeker said that the system is set up for fogging. Kemp voiced his desire for “taking positive action.”
Director Rego motioned for amendments to the pause to add language supporting public information about the larvicide program and directing City Administration to present an alternative mosquito action proposal to the Board no later than June 16th. The Board voted in favor of those amendments with all voting in favor except for Director George Catsavis who abstained from voting.
Director Christina Catsavis asked if the spray used by the City is the same chemicals as Mosquito Joe uses. Meeker said that he assumes it is the same or similar, that most use permethrin. Director Christina Catsavis clarified that suspending the City fogging program would only affect the City program, that spraying by all other companies and individuals would not be banned. She asked how many residents have opted in since the new opt-in-only version of the spraying program has been reinstated. Meeker said “a bunch” so far and that it is over a hundred.
The Board voted to pause the mosquito spraying with only Director Rego voting against pausing and with Director George Catsavis abstaining from voting. Director George Catsavis’s motion to add putting the issue on the ballot to a future study session agenda died without a second.
The Board voted unanimously 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.
Eric Weidman spoke and expressed his desire for an environmental test of the sediment and soil at the site to be conducted by an outside entity. Tracee McKenna with WAPDD said that not including a full assessment in Phase 1 of the project is typical. She said that WAPDD is using their EPA brownfields grant to help with the assessment. They brought in Terracon and their initial recommendation was that more testing is needed. The testing will be done by Terracon as a part of Phase 2 at no cost to the City because WAPDD is using their brownfield grant for it.
Jo Elsken spoke and praised Grants Manager Hoover for his work on the grant and she praised the City’s collaboration with WAPDD.
The Board voted unanimously 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 will bear the name “Jaylin Williams Court” and one sign at North B and 25th will bear the name “Isaiah Joe Court.”
Director Settle called the street naming a “fabulous idea” and a “great thing.”
Mayor McGill said that public celebration events would be coordinated around the naming.
The Board voted unanimously to contract with Langford Roofing to reroof the Massard Water Treatment Plant. The roofs are needed due to damage from a 2024 storm. The total cost will be $342,000 and will be fully reimbursed by insurance.
The Board voted unanimously 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, will be $402,142.
During the Officials Forum section of the meeting, Director Martin requested an update on the sulphuric acid chemical spill on Hwy 271 on Saturday. Water Resources Director McAvoy assured that there was no intrusion into the drinking water and that the drinking water is safe. He said that the spill did find its way into the sewer and that a massive PH drop was noticed at the treatment plant. He expressed concerns about sewer pipes and pumps being damaged. He said that the PH in the stream in Oklahoma near the spill is still “very acidic.” He said the Department of Environmental Quality has taken care and that other agencies including Sebastian County Emergency Management, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Choctaw Nation, and EPA are also involved. Public Works Director Meeker expressed concerns about damages to the concrete channel near the spill that could cause the concrete to degrade faster over time. Director Settle suggested flushing the pipes and pumps with water. McAvoy said that the Department of Environmental quality asked them not to do that.
