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On Thursday, May 16, at 1:30 pm the Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Department along with the Hardscrabble Garden Club will be dedicating the new street clock on Garrison Avenue in front of Cisterna Park.
The dedication of this timeless classic the Howard Replica has been purchased with a generous donation from the Hardscrabble Garden Club and funds from the Parks Department budget. The Hardscrabble Garden Club supports improvements to downtown including donating funds for the streetscape landscaping along Garrison Avenue as well as the new landscaping improvements recently made at the parking lot of 201 Garrison Avenue.
The clock which is valued at $18,250 and is truly a master piece of quality was purchased from the Verdin Company. They are a family-owned business established in 1842. Their clocks have stood the test of time with over 50,000 installations worldwide and we are pleased to now have one located at Cisterna Park.
Partnering with groups such as the Hardscrabble Garden Club and other entities to fund improvements helps to create an excellent appearance at one of Fort Smith’s main gateways. The collaborative efforts between the City, civic groups, and businesses are paying off helping to make downtown Fort Smith a destination to live, work, and play. This is one gateway that continues to improve over time. We’re thankful for the dollars we’ve been able to invest in Cisterna park specifically and other downtown area parks.
The addition of this clock will serve as a focal point and gathering place for people meeting and shopping in the downtown area. It adds immediate charm to our community and to Cisterna Park. Don’t let time pass you by, make plans now to attend the dedication May 16. For more information regarding the dedication or other park projects please call 479-784-1006.
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The FutureFortSmith website is live and ready for you! Think of the site as an online conversation about making Fort Smith a better place to live, work and play. Add your ideas, share perspective, support good ideas and make a difference.
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It is now much easier for the City of Fort Smith to communicate information and events of interest to citizens through the Blackboard Connect - powered notification system, known in Fort Smith as iFortSmithConnect.
All City of Fort Smith homes or business with telephone number listed in the local phone book are automatically added to the system and are notified in emergency situations and various other general purposes (fire hydrant testing and schedule changes in sanitation pickup days).
However, an ever-increasing number of citizens across the nation – and in Fort Smith – rely solely on wireless telephones for communications. In order for this contact information to be part of the iFortSmithConnect database, citizens must register, either by visiting the link above directly, or simply through our City of Fort Smith Website.
Whether citizens are automatically in the database or choose to register mobile devices, all residents can choose how to receive their messages. If they prefer not to receive voice messages, they can choose email or text messages. Additionally, citizens now have a menu of choices from which to choose: Citizen Voices – Our Chance to Listen to YOU (public or town hall meeting info designed for mayor, board and staff members to listen to your concerns), Festivals/Community Events, Fort Smith Transit, Parks & Rec Activities, Street Closings (near your registered address), Utility Maintenance (near you), Weather-related Traffic Concerns, and What’s Up Downtown?
Communications Manager Tracy Winchell explains, “Blackboard Connect – at no additional cost – has improved the flexibility of its notification system. These new functions allow citizens to tell us exactly how they want to be notified about information and activities they care about. For several years, this notification system has been used almost exclusively as an alert system in case of emergencies. We’ve been reticent to use the system to call every single citizen when only a portion of the population might be impacted in a non-emergency situation. Then we had the capability to map a specific area of the city, which motivated staff to become a little bit more aggressive in notifying specific neighborhoods impacted – by a neighborhood ward meeting or sanitation pickup schedules or hydrant testing. Now that we have the ability to target specific information to citizens who tell us what they want, we plan to become much more aggressive in using the notification system to push information to subscribers to these specific groups. The early subscribers we recruited almost exclusively through social media are excited about the flexibility we now have.”
Additionally, iPhone (iOS) users and owners of Android-based smartphone devices can also download a FREE app allowing them to subscribe and select the portals they like.
Already, the system has been utilized to provide information about street conditions during a snow in early February, as well as the limited holiday schedules for the Transit Department.
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The City of Fort Smith is recruiting three new members to the board of directors for the Western Arkansas Planning & Development District (WAPDD). The organization serves local government in a six-county area in Western Arkansas (Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Polk, Scott, and Sebastian counties). The board is comprised of public officials and citizens from across this six-county region. Terms are indefinite. The WAPDD board meets quarterly, typically at lunch time in Fort Smith.
Applicants for these specific positions must be residents and registered voters in Fort Smith, with a strong desire to support development in the region and a vision for the area’s future.
Downloadable applications are available at this link. PLEASE WRITE IN THAT THIS APPLICATION IS FOR A WAPDD POSITION. Completed must be received by May 15, either by email at wbeshears@fortsmithar.gov or:
City of Fort Smith
P. O. Box 1908
Fort Smith, AR 72902
Attention: Wendy Beshears
For more information contact Wendy Beshears at 479.784.2201 or wbeshears@fortsmithar.gov.
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Mayor Sandy Sanders and the City of Fort Smith Board of Directors will conduct its second neighborhood meeting of 2013. These quarterly sessions – rotated among Fort Smith’s four wards – were launched last year with the intent of encouraging interactive dialogue with citizens in neighborhoods where they live. The April 11 meeting will feature staff reports about current or upcoming projects impacting citizens in Ward 2.
In addition to staff briefings, residents will have a forum to ask general questions of the board about policy-related topics. The third and final session is less formal. Citizens will be afforded an opportunity to visit in smaller groups with Mayor Sanders and board members. Topics often include new ideas, old concerns, and positive feedback in particular areas.
The April 11 meeting in Ward 2 is also an opportunity to welcome two new members to the board of directors – Ward 1 director Keith Lau and Ward 3 director Mike Lorenz.
The Citizens Academy Alumni Association acts as co-hosts of each forum, providing light refreshments and helping publicize each event. ALL RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THIS, AND ALL OTHER, WARD MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
A complete agenda will be published the week of the meeting.
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The 13th Citizens Academy session begins Thursday, March 7 and concludes with a commencement on May 23 at the Fort Smith Convention Center.
The 13 session (12 weeks) program is designed to provide citizens with a "back-of-house" tour of services and municipal government functions, such as water quality, water and wastewater infrastructure, police and fire services and operations, a tour of the sanitary landfill (a consistent class favorite), functions of the convention center, the impact of tourism on our economy, how we budget the services we provide and where income sources come from. We'll show you how our traffic signalization systems work - up close and personal - and we'll listen to YOUR ideas for how to improve on the services we provide.
A full schedule is posted here. We are accepting applications NOW. Download one HERE.
Slots are still available!
For questions, contact:
Tracy Winchell, Communications Manager
twinchell@fortsmithar.gov
479.784.1072
NOTE: Limited background checks will be conducted on ALL APPLICANTS by the Fort Smith Police Department. A number of sessions include sensitive information and demonstrations that have public safety implications.
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The Certificate for Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded for the 27th consecutive year to the City of Fort Smith by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “The award and recognition demonstrate the city government’s commitment to transparent financial reporting. The complete and accurate picture of the City of Fort Smith finances offers citizens assurance that the city’s financial condition is reported with full disclosure.”
An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement has been presented to Kara Bushkuhl, Director of Finance.
Kara is quick to underscore the importance of a dedicated staff. “The Finance Department gathers the information from all departments, verifies accuracy, and compiles the report. Their commitment to accuracy, and the entire city staff’s commitment to transparent financial reporting is deeply embedded in the culture of our organization.”
The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals with offices in Chicago, IL, and Washington, D.C.
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Change in pen sizes depending upon the weight of the animal.
Running at large will be changed to state “freedom of any dog not confined on the premises of the owner within a secure enclosure, house or other building, or not restrained on the premises of the owner by a leash sufficiently strong to prevent the dog from escaping and restricting it to the premises, or not confined by a leash or confined within an automobile when away from the premises of the owner”.
A dangerous animal is now referred to as an “Aggressive Animal”. An animal may be deemed an aggressive animal if it commits any of the acts which would previously characterize it as a dangerous animal.
The owner of any impounded domestic animal which has not been vaccinated, upon satisfactory proof of ownership, may redeem his/her animal by paying a deposit and be allowed three (3) business days to get such animal vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian. If such owner fails to procure a vaccination certificate within such three (3) business days, the deposit shall be forfeited and the animal shall be impounded again. Upon presentation within such period of time of a certificate of vaccination the deposit shall be refunded.
Licensing of venomous reptiles- In order to keep any venomous reptile in the city limits, the owner must have a proper license, which will be free of charge. It must be kept up to date and contain: 1. A list of what species are owned, 2. How many of each species are owned, 3. Owner of harborer’s name and address, and 4. The address must be updated within ten (10) business days of any change of residency.
Vaccinations- Any person owning a dog or cat four (4) months of age or older must ensure the dog or cat has been vaccinated with a one (1) year or three (3) year vaccination against rabies by a licensed veterinarian.
Visiting dogs and cats- Every person visiting the City of Fort Smith for a period of thirty (30) days or less shall be deemed in compliance provided a current and valid certificate of anti-rabic vaccination is furnished; otherwise, the animal must receive an inoculation by a license veterinarian. Every animal within the city limits for more than thirty (30) days is considered relocated to the City of Fort Smith and its owners or harborers must comply with all animal care and control ordinances of the City of Fort Smith.
Coloring animals – It is unlawful for any person or pet shop or kennel to dye, color, or in any way artificially treat animals unless such animals are over six (6) weeks of age.
Sale to minors – it is unlawful to sell any animal to any person who is less than eighteen (18) years of age without proof of age with government issued picture identification.
Barking or howling dogs – It is unlawful to keep under his/her control any dog which by loud and frequent barking or howling shall disturb the peace and quiet of any two (2) or more non-related persons or businesses in separate dwellings or locations who may reside within reasonable proximity of a place where such dog is kept. When the keeper of such dog is convicted of violating these provisions, such dog shall be seized and impounded.
Kennels – any person owning, keeping, or harboring within the city limits seven (7) or more dogs five (5) months of age of older (regardless of the spaying or neutering of the dogs) shall be considered to be operating a kennel. Kennels may be operated only within the zones permitted by the zoning code of the City of Fort Smith. However, if the person owning, keeping, or harboring more than seven (7) dogs regardless of age, spayed or neutered, shall not be considered to be operating a kennel if it can be proven that the additional dogs are being temporarily maintained while a permanent home for the dogs is being sought (commonly referred to as “fostering”).
Identification – It shall be unlawful for any dog owner or harborer to possess a dog or cat without some form of identification. Identification by collar, tag, or microchip must provide: 1. The owner’s name, 2. The owner’s address, 3. The owner’s phone number, and 4. The dog or cat’s name. If the dog owner is cited for allowing a dog to run at large and the dog has no form of identification, a citation will be issued for lack of identification. If the owner receives a citation for running at large and lack of identification simultaneously, said dog shall be mandated to be micro-chipped. The charge of no identification may be dropped if the owner microchips the dog within fifteen (15) days. If a cat is received at the shelter and has no form of identification, a citation will be issued and the owner will be mandated to have the cat micro-chipped and spayed or neutered. The charge may be dropped if the owner provides proof of micro-chipping and spay/neutering within fifteen (15) days.
Animals riding in cars and trucks – the animal must be secured in a crate suitable to safely contain the animal to minimize harm in the event of an accident and prevent its escape when stopped or moving. The crate must be securely fastened within the vehicle to prevent its movement.
Animal Waste – It is unlawful for any person who owns, keeps, maintains, harbors, or walks an animal to cause or permit such animal to be on any property, public or private, not owned or possessed by such person unless such animal is accompanied by a person who has in his/her possession a device for the removal or excrement and a depository for the transmission or excrement or a receptacle located upon the property owned or possessed by such person. The owner must immediately remove excrement left by such animal on property not owned by such person. No person shall allow feces to accumulate in any yard, pen, or premises where any animal is confined or kept to the extent that the stench becomes offensive to those residing in the vicinity or results in a health hazard or nuisance.
Download PDF
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Planning Commission Members Sought
In the coming weeks and months, citizens interested in participating in the future visioning of Fort Smith will have ample opportunity to participate at various levels of long-, medium- and short-term commitments.
First, the Fort Smith Planning Commission will have three vacancies at the end of April. The Mayor and Board of Directors are scheduled to review applications during the second regular meeting in March.
The Planning Commission is a 9-member body that meets twice a month – once for a study session and another for an evening business, where votes are cast and decisions are made on behalf of the citizens and property owners.
Prospective commission members must live within the city and must be registered to vote. Mayor Sandy Sanders encourages interested applicants to be aware that, “Members must have a long-term vision for Fort Smith, with a mind for technical detail found in ordinances, and state and federal law. Often, decisions come down to what’s best for a neighborhood, or the city as a whole.”
Additional information is available here, including additional responsibilities, meeting times, current commission members, expiration dates, contact information for members and key city staff, along with a downloadable application. Deadline for receiving applications is the first week in March.
Comprehensive Plan Citizen Task Force to be Selected
Every citizen in Fort Smith who has a vision for what our city should look like, and what kind of future residents will want to live here for a lifetime, will have ample opportunities in the next 18 months to offer their opinions, ideas, and concerns. Citizens from diverse backgrounds, parts of town, various income levels, professional experiences, and lifestyle choices will be asked what the community is doing well and should do more of, what we’re doing too much of, and what policies impacting our future we shouldn’t be doing at all.
In mid-January, Mayor Sanders and the board of directors approved an agreement with Wallace Roberts and Todd, LLC (WRT) to update the city’s eleven year old comprehensive plan. The original document, adopted by the board of directors in 2002, was developed through conversations with a multitude of citizens’ voices, businesses, educational entities, and economic development professionals.
The current comprehensive plan has led to a number of initiatives in the past decade – placing importance on neighborhoods, landscaping as part of commercial and residential developments, and implementing minimum building design standards for multifamily, commercial, and industrial developments.
Director of Planning and Development, Wally Bailey, says the new effort will celebrate victories, re-prioritize what hasn’t been accomplished, and look at our community through the lens of 2013 toward 2023 and 2033. “The first comprehensive plan the board adopted in 2002 was extremely ambitious. It was our policy and planning ‘bible’ as city staff and the board of directors reviewed every policy decision. We’ve set minimum maintenance standards and have cleaned up some blighted areas. Through collaboration with the Fort Smith Police Department, the district courts system, and neighborhood coalitions, we’ve learned how to protect neighborhoods. We still have plenty of work to do in that area, but now it’s time to take a fresh look at what we’ve accomplished, and what we haven’t completed. We simply don’t have the resources to do everything all at once. The next 18 months will be about listening to our citizens and prioritizing the vision for our city – and some clearly-defined procedures for getting there – by working with citizens, businesses, public institutions, and through the direction of WRT.
Within a matter of weeks, Mayor Sanders and the board of directors will be assembling a panel of 20 to 30 Fort Smith residents who will serve as the eyes and ears of the community, host multiple public forums and undertake numerous methods of public outreach. This comprehensive plan steering committee will also work directly with WRT and city staff to ensure the final document is a reflection of citizen input and expected outcomes.
Anyone interested in serving in some capacity is asked to contact Wendy Beshears at 479.784.2201 or wbeshears@fortsmithar.gov.
Mayor Sanders encourages residents, “We need your voice. Our younger residents, especially, have a stake in what Fort Smith should look like in the decades to come. We want them to stay here because they love it and can’t imagine living anywhere else. In order to achieve that vision, it’s critical that right now we start planning for the amenities and the aesthetics and services they expect in a mid-21st century hometown.”
Tracy Winchell
Communications Manager
City of Fort Smith
479.784.1072
479.739.6990
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In an academic and performance-based study involving prestigious universities and specialists in e-governance, the City of Fort Smith ranked 10 among each 50 states largest and second largest cities.
Fort Smith ranked 10th overall, falling a fraction of a point behind Boston in the competition for ninth place. Cities performing ahead of Fort Smith included Seattle, Washington, St. Paul, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., Portland, Oregon, St. Louis, Missouri, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
In sharing news about the rankings internally City Administrator Ray Gosack congratulated Director of Information and Technology Services, Russell Gibson, and every member of the IT team involved in building the city’s www.fortsmithar.gov website from the ground up. Gosack wrote, “Congratulations to you and the ITS staff for this prestigious ranking. We are indeed among elite company when you look at the list of cities.”
Russell Gibson is quick to recognize the contributing members of his team who organized a vast amount of content, provided graphics representing the beauty of Fort Smith, and provided a customized database that allows content managers across all departments to keep information up to date and relevant to citizens. IT staff members principally involved in the overhaul of the city’s web page were Gibson and:
Kevin Brandenburg, Database Administrator/Lead Developer
Graham Henry, Sr. Network Administrator
Ben Pense, Network Administrator
Jeff Fears, Sr. GIS Analyst
Gibson explains, “All departments have had some hand in the success of the City's eGovernance efforts. It’s not only the main website but also the online mapping, citizen-engagement portals, attention to security, the ongoing commitment to facilitate online payment options for various services, and the policy decisions from our board of directors. City leadership continues to emphasize providing information access to citizens 24/7 and an open, transparent philosophy for conducting the people’s business. Technology is a crucial component of fulfilling these objectives.”
The U.S. Municipalities E-Governance Survey, conducted by Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration and its National Center for Public Performance, places Fort Smith at 10th overall, but second in the “content” category (behind the City of Boston), 3rd in “overall results of cities in the South), 5th in the category of “results in services,” 10th in the category of Privacy/Security, and 22nd in terms of citizen participation. Considering social media platforms have only been emphasized for the past 10 to 12 months, staff is encouraged that citizen participation will improve prior to the next Rutgers survey.
In the national news release from Rutgers announcing the results of its current survey, the organization explains, “The E-governance Performance Index used for the survey is a set of benchmarks that spotlight high levels of performance and foster high expectations for improved web-based municipal service delivery…The e-governance study highlights municipalities’ focus on usability and content and the need for further attention in the areas of privacy, services and citizen participation.”
City administrator Ray Gosack underscores the importance of this achievement to providing and enhancing access to information that is relevant to our citizens. “The results of this survey – and the recent “B” grade from the Sunshine Organization – serve as proof that we have a strong foundation for building increased awareness in activities related to our city’s future. We have an earnest desire to reach out to all citizens as we seek input about critical priorities for the decades to come. We’re excited about our communications plans for 2013 that are focused on making more citizens aware of these award-winning platforms designed to provide access to public information in the context of what’s important to our citizens’ needs. These efforts at listening to constructive comments, desires, and ideas for improvement will help us plan for a much healthier community experience and a vibrant future for our citizens.”
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Fort Smith Dog Park to Receive $2,000 for Park Enhancement
NASHVILLE, Tenn., November 30, 2012 – The Nutro Company, a leading manufacturer of natural* pet food products, announced today that the Fort Smith Dog Park (Louisville St. and Massard Rd.) has been selected to receive a $2,000 grant on behalf of the ROOM TO RUN™ Dog Appreciation Project.
ROOM TO RUN™ is a community program designed to support public, non-profit dog parks and off-leash areas. The grant provided to the Fort Smith Dog Park will be used to help make improvements that will provide local dogs and their owners with an enhanced interaction space.
Aaron Lee, of the Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Department, submitted the winning application.
“Our dog park is used on a daily basis by people that would not otherwise have a place to let their dog run free and get exercise,” said Lee. “With this grant, we hope to make this park a more enjoyable place for the dogs and their owners, and we have a lot of volunteers that are always working with us to make this happen.”
Since ROOM TO RUN™ began in 2010, more than 3,000 hours have been committed to enhancing 60 dog parks across the U.S. and Canada. This year, 30 dog parks nationwide will receive grants from the program.
“Having clean and safe outdoor areas for dogs to exercise and play is essential to their health and happiness, and that is something we at The Nutro Company believe in strongly,” said Kent Cunningham, vice president of marketing for The Nutro Company. “The improvements that will be made with these grants will help give dogs and their owners an enhanced natural space to play and bond.”
The grant program is now closed, but to learn more about the ROOM TO RUN™ Dog Park Appreciation Project, visit The Nutro Company’s Community Initiatives page at www.nutro.com/about-us/community-initiatives.aspx or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutroProducts (and click the ROOM TO RUN™ tab).
About The Nutro Company
The Nutro Company is a leading manufacturer of natural* pet food products sold exclusively at pet specialty stores. The company has been making "The World's Best Pet Food" for more than 80 years and is dedicated to quality, excellence and innovation in dog and cat nutrition offering healthful formulas for every pet's life stage, activity level and size. The Nutro Company's family of brands includes NUTRO® MAX®, NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® and NUTRO® ULTRA™ pet food brands in addition to the GREENIES® brands which include the #1 vet recommended pet specialty dental chews1, PILL POCKETS® treats, JointCare treats and SMARTBITES™ treats. For more information, please visit www.nutro.com and www.greenies.com.
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As a $14 million project to improve traffic flow in the vicinity of Highway 45, Phoenix Avenue, and the I-540 interchange nears completion, Mayor Sandy Sanders and City Administrator Ray Gosack visited the Arkansas Highway Commission meeting on October 24 to deliver a check for approximately $6.9 million and to thank the commission members for partnering with Fort Smith on the much needed improvements to Highway 45 between Phoenix Avenue and Zero Street. The project included construction of a new, five lane, bridge above I-540 and should greatly improve traffic flow, especially during the upcoming holiday season.
Mayor Sanders and City Administrator Gosack thought it was critical to do more than simply send a payment. Mayor Sanders explains, “We desperately needed the work at the interchange and the project had been on the Highway Department’s schedule for some time. Our citizens expect to see us alleviate bottlenecks with the one cent sales tax allocated strictly for street, bridge and drainage improvements. So we thought this was an excellent project to share with the state and we wanted to personally thank the commissioners for moving up this project several years.”
Gosack added, “On Tuesday, J. C. Watts and his team at the Watts lobbying firm in Washington, D. C. told us a new transportation bill makes it absolutely essential that we work closely with our state’s transportation agency. One of the city’s long-term priorities is the completion of Interstate 49 through Fort Smith from the Canadian border and through Louisiana. That north/south corridor, along with increasing the channel depth of the Arkansas River, will position our region as a transportation and logistics hub and promises to transform our communities, bringing commerce and jobs. Public “thank you’s” like this are small steps along the way toward a big vision for Fort Smith.”
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Approximately 50 fourth graders at Orr Elementary will converge on city offices Thursday, October 25th at approximately 9:30 a.m. as part of a month-long series of civics curricula teaching students about the 3 branches of federal government, the right to vote, and local government officials, public servants, their responsibilities, and their impact on the lives of all citizens.
Fourth grade teacher Brandy Delude says it’s important to her colleagues that the civics lesson plans come alive toward the end of the section, by talking with city leaders and visiting locations that have an impact on their families lives every day. As a result, the fourth graders will first visit Mayor Sandy Sanders and City Administrator Ray Gosack. The class, as expected, is extraordinarily interested in new aquatic center at Ben Geren Park, and Parks Director Mike Alsup will show the group renderings, give them an update on progress, and answer their questions.
From city offices, the students will visit Fort Smith Fire Department’s Station #1 for an hour-long tour of the fire house, and small-group visits with firefighters who will show them equipment and give them safety tips.
The classes will have lunch downtown and then will tour the P Street Wastewater Treatment Facility.
City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “We’re delighted to accommodate teachers who are willing to expose their students to the inner-workings of local governments. It appears one of our greatest social challenges in our community is engaging all citizens in the process of governance. There’s no better way to encourage that than by starting early. We’re eager to hear these students’ impressions of Fort Smith, to answer their questions, and to welcome them in two departments that have a direct impact on their lives now and in the next 20 years.”
Brandy Delude says the class is excited and prepared for Thursday morning’s visit. “We’ve gone through our government curriculum, with an emphasis on citizens’ responsibilities in a free society. We are confident the lessons learned in class and through reading materials will come alive this coming Thursday. As teachers, this is the outcome we strive for – making the learning come alive so that it lasts a lifetime.”
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A non-profit advocacy group that monitors government transparency across the United States, recently evaluated a number of municipal and county websites across the nation, including Arkansas.
The online Sunshine Review rated five Arkansas cities and the City of Fort Smith is one of two cities receiving the highest marks in the state, with a B.
City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “Sharing a ‘B’ Grade with our neighbors in Fayetteville as having the most transparent online websites in Arkansas cities is something our staff and our citizens should be pleased about. The website is developed and maintained completely in-house, using our own employees. Most definitely, our team got this right in designing and planning the relaunch of the site in 2010.
Our budgets and financial audits are readily available online, as are agenda and staff documentation for every board meeting. It’s easy to contact our elected officials and our senior staff, and citizens have easy access to zoning and permits information, as well as our tax rates. Finally, the Sunshine Review looks at how easy it is for a citizen to request additional information not online through the Freedom of Information Act. All of that is readily available on our website.
We’re constantly asking ourselves what documents and data are important for citizens and what they want to access. Simply cluttering our website with out-of-context data can become confusing. Our goal is for our citizens to find what they’re looking for – in a context that matters to them – in no more than three clicks from the main site.”
Visit the City of Fort Smith’s website at www.fortsmithar.gov or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FTSmithAR for daily information about what’s happening in Fort Smith city government.
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New Features and Information about the City of Fort Smith's Website.
Progress as Promised
In our continuing efforts to provide Fort Smith citizens with timely online information about a number of topics, the “Progress as Promised” report card is updated with each board item approved toward completion of the projects promised during the bond/sales tax election campaign last March.
With a link on the home page – the last link under the government section on the left hand side of the page – the report lists activity on each project impacted by board action between June and the most recent board meeting on September 18.
The board of directors has approved final architectural planning of Fort Smith Fire Station 11 at Chaffee Crossing, approved the purchase of 3 new pumper trucks and 3 new aerial trucks, and has approved the architectural work for the redesign and repair of FSFD’s 10 existing fire stations.
Five new utilities projects have been approved, with details available on the website. It’s easy to see which projects have been updated, simply by looking to the far right column. If “Packet Information” is listed, you can follow the link to the exact board action taken on each particular item.
Additionally, zoning and annexation processes have been approved, which paves the way for the joint construction of the aquatic center at Ben Geren Park, and the contract for design has also been approved. The target date for opening the aquatic center is Memorial Day 2014. Preliminary planning has also begun on the ball fields at Ben Geren and at Chaffee Crossing.
Speakers Bureau
As civic and professional organizations begin planning their programs for 2013, the City of Fort Smith Speakers Bureau may be a useful page in scheduling speakers. The city boasts a number of professionals who are experts in their fields and the Speakers Bureau page has been recently updated to reflect additional programs the public may be interested in learning more about – including the projects underway at our parks and our fire department. The link is on the website’s front page, the final link under “business” on the far left hand side of the front page.
Board meeting info
As a reminder, earlier this year the City of Fort Smith began preparing paperless packets for Mayor Sanders and members of the board. These packets are prepared the Friday prior to a board meeting or study session and, with the new paperless system, citizens have access to the information as quickly each Friday afternoon as do the mayor and board. The agendas and supporting documentation from staff are available on the City Board Meetings page, as is a summary of the results of the meeting a few days following, and an unedited video streaming of the meeting.
Other helpful links
Many citizens without land line telephones may not be aware that the city maintains a notification system designed to launch calls to residents in an emergency or with temporary changes in services, such as the holiday residential sanitation pick-up schedule, and notifications of public meetings. If citizens whose only means of communications are cellular telephone or internet, they can choose to subscribe to this program and direct how they want their messages delivered – via text, email, or telephone. The City of Fort Smith strongly urges all citizens to review their listing on the Blackboard Connect website so that they will be notified – especially in the case of an emergency.
Some citizens may not know they can pay their water bills online. It’s easy to sign up here.
Citizens planning to vote for a city director in their ward during the November general election can review the new ward boundary lines on this site maintained by the City of Fort Smith GIS Department.
Staff is making a concerted effort to help make the city calendar accessible from the front page of the website more dynamic. A citizen can now, in most instances, make note of a meeting date and, when the agenda for that meeting is available, can simply click on the link for that meeting and see what is planned for discussion.
Finally, citizens who miss receiving the FOCUS newsletter in their mailboxes each quarter now have access to a monthly Fast Focus electronic newsletter mailed to subscribers each month. Past issues and a subscription page are easily accessible.
And much more
Much more information is available 24/7 on the city’s website with email addresses for key staffers, making it easy for a resident to review documents and email a question any time of day. Most responses will be delayed until the following business day so, for emergency services, we urge citizens to utilize the following telephone numbers 24/7:
Police or fire emergency 911
Police non-emergency 479.709.5100
Water or wastewater issue 479.784.2342
Street department 479.784.2360
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As the world counts medals among Olympic competitors and the nations they represent, the City of Fort Smith’s Department of Finance has won its twenty-fourth consecutive Distinguished Budget Presentation Award – signified by a prominent gold seal of approval.
The award, presented on behalf of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), represents a significant achievement by departmental staffers and Finance Director Kara Bushkuhl, as well as the city’s board if directors, in meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
In order to receive the budget award, the City of Fort Smith had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the city’s budget serves as:
- A policy document
- financial plan
- An operations guide
- A communications device
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. In the case of the City of Fort Smith, the certificate was presented to the Finance Department. The newest award will hang alongside 23 other awards bearing the likeness of the newest award. City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “Receiving one of these awards is quite an honor, but whenever we bring citizens on city hall tours, we make sure they see all of these certificates lined up along the wall. That makes a strong statement that, not only did our most recent budget pass muster among public finance peers, we’ve been consistent for nearly a quarter century in preparing a document that serves as much more than a set of numbers and projections. Each year, our budgets are our annual financial plan, representing policy decisions, guiding decisions we make about operations, and communicating the policies and decisions for that particular year. We’re proud of Kara and her staff and all senior staffers for their contributions to the budget. Of course, the 2011 budget was a particular challenge, and our mayor and board of directors made some important and difficult decisions. Earning designations like this year after year takes collaboration and a lot of give and take. We’re extremely proud of this Olympian record of consistency and achievement.”
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With the Fort Smith Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, July 17, the mayor, board and staff will be fulfilling a portion of one of its 2012 budget goals, which is to, “continue the green initiative by developing strategies to reduce energy consumption and other costs in city facilities.”
Tuesday night’s meeting will be the first “paperless” regular board of directors meeting. For the past several weeks, the City Clerk’s office, led by City Clerk Sherri Gard, and the ITS Department, led by Director Russell Gibson, have transitioned to an all-paperless board packet system, while also continuing the traditional method of assembling and delivering paper packets.
Last Tuesday’s study session, on July 10th, was paperless, but this coming Tuesday will be the first full-fledged board meeting, during which official city business is conducted and votes are taken, that board members, administration, and several staff members will use iPads to keep track of resolutions and ordinances being discussed and decided.
Eleven iPads were purchased – without data plans – for 8 elected officials, three city administrative staffers and the city clerk; 12 tablets at a cost of $499 each, totaling $5,988.
According to City Clerk Sherri Gard the one of the biggest savings of transitioning to paperless board packets will be labor. “Each week for many years, departments have been responsible for preparing their official resolutions or ordinances, preparing memos and providing supplementing documentation for each agenda item, and then making copies to accommodate citizens requesting packets, senior staff, administration, and, of course elected officials. During the election season, we also provide packets each week to certified candidates, so we’re routinely printing and assembling a minimum of 20 packets per meeting. We then have been scaning those paper documents so they can be uploaded for public viewing online.”
According to a memo from the city clerk, as part of the May 8, 2012 study session, the city clerk’s office prepared 57 board packets in 2011, which contained approximately 5,755 pages, averaging 101 pages per board packet. The Finance department assumes the paper and copying charges at 25 cents per piece, hard copies to elected officials, staff, and for the media are calculated at $13,125 for 2011.
These paper packets to elected officials have, for many years, been hand-delivered by Fort Smith Police Department cadets or light-duty officers every Friday afternoon. Those costs are estimated at $1,431 each year.
The total cost of assembling hard copies and distributing as has done in the past is in excess of $14,500 annually. This figure does not account for Friday afternoon packet assembly or the amount of staff time each department consumes by making hard copies.
Additionally, another 25 extra hard copies of the agenda are made available for the public at each meeting of the board, at an annual estimated cost at $650. Those hard copies will continue to be made available so that the agenda is accessible to all members of the public. The City Clerk’s Office now provides all board meeting agendas to the Fort Smith Public Library and Senior Activity Centers for public postings at all their locations.
ITS Director Russell Gibson explains that the process of going paperless took about six months of research, working closely with the City Clerk’s office, regular updates to administration, and public progress reports to elected officials.
Gibson says, ““The challenge for ITS was to find a solution that was relatively familiar to everyone and required a minimum training period. The goal for ITS was to identify a device which was easy to use, reduce repetitive tasks throughout each department and provide quick, easy access to relevant material. At the time, each department was tasked with providing to the City Clerk their respective information in paper form to the City Clerk. In final form, this paper-based packet could potentially be hundreds of pages in size. We were in effect going in reverse, or digital-to-paper. With the new digital packet, departments simply convert their already-digital information into Adobe’s PDF format. That individual, or “departmental,” PDF is then sent to the City Clerk and it is added to a master PDF which represents the Board’s digital packet. Revisions, additions, or any modification to the Board packet can now be made with greater ease and efficiency. Once the digital Board packet is complete, the City Clerk simply posts a link to the file on the City’s website for access to virtually anyone from anywhere. And we are finding that the Board packets have been available much earlier in the day.”
Additionally, elected officials and staff will be able to search for key words within a file, without having to fumble through hundreds of pieces of paper.
Also, video replays of board meetings are being formatted for easy viewing on a mobile device. Labeled, “mobile” beside most meeting dates, the smaller file size loads faster and is easy to watch on a mobile device.
A QR code is posted at each board meeting, allowing citizens with iPads or other electronic devices to scan the code and quickly be directed to the link for the packet corresponding with that particular meeting and they, too, will be able to follow along with board discussions and to read staff-prepared background on each particular item on the agenda.
All the information is accessible at www.fortsmithar.gov, under the government drop down menu and on the city board meetings tab.
Direct link is here.
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The City of Fort Smith Water Department wants to inform you that we are changing the payment processor for our online banking effective August 1, 2012. Due to the change, you will not be able to schedule a payment past July 31st until after the transition. When you log on in August, you will need to enter your banking information again because your stored data cannot be carried over. Please note that the payment process will have a different flow to it than before, due to the new way we have to interact with the processor. We apologize for this inconvenience, but once the change is made everything will be back to normal in August.
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In the days since Fort Smith voters overwhelmingly approved all the projects listed in the March 13 bond and sales tax election, Mayor Sanders, board members, and staff have been asked regularly when a particular project will be completed. Naturally, the aquatic center and Fire Station 11 are among the most high-profile capital projects.
We think it’s absolutely essentially that we communicate that progress on a regular basis and decided the best way to provide 24/7 and almost real-time access to that information would be to build an online “report card” showing exactly how we’re progressing as promised with each project.
We called on Kevin Brandenburg in our IT department and one of the key designers of our Fort Smith website to build a page that’s easy to access and understand. Here’s a direct link from the front page, last link under the Government section on the far left hand side.
Kevin says, “We know some people want to click on the page and find out exactly when the aquatic center will open. Where is it in the planning stages? How much money’s been spent so far? Others may want to see if the progress with purchasing the fire equipment matches up with what staff promised. Are we paying more or less than we originally estimated? The site we built makes it easy for citizens to very easily access all that information very quickly. We’ve integrated existing online data – board packet items related to each project – via links corresponding to each item. That allows citizens interested in digging a little deeper to verify that the action being taken matches the record of past board actions.”
The City of Fort Smith’s mayor, board of directors, and administration is appreciative of the confidence voters placed in our ability to accomplish the ambitious capital plan established in advance of the March 13 sales tax election. We’re determined to use every means possible to maintain and improve that confidence and trust between citizens and every representative of our municipal government.
We welcome questions and comments at town hall meetings during the first Tuesday of each month following board of directors meetings. Dates, times and locations are available here, along with video accounts and agendas of previous and upcoming meetings.
We invite you to plug in to electronic communications platforms. Follow us on Twitter. Our handle is @FtSmithARK. We have a number of departmental Facebook pages. The main account is FTSmithAR. You can sign up for our monthly Fast Focus electronic newsletter here.
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(Fort Smith, AR.) Fort Smith Fire Chief Mike Richards recently promoted two members of the Fort Smith Fire Department during a badge pinning ceremony held at Fire Station 1.
Firefighter Les Pyeatt was promoted to the rank of Driver. Pyeatt, a 9-year veteran firefighter with the City of Fort Smith, joined the Fort Smith Fire Department in April 2003. He also serves as a member of the Fort Smith Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team.
Driver James Howell was promoted to the rank of Captain. Howell, a 15-year veteran firefighter with the City of Fort Smith, joined the Fort Smith Fire Department in July 1996. He was promoted to Driver in January 2000.
These members of the Fort Smith Fire Department were joined by their families and friends along with Local 33 Vice President Captain Mark Hess, Fort Smith Firefighters Association President Captain Evan Gallant and members of the Command Staff. “Your knowledge and expertise will help move this Department forward," said Fire Chief Mike Richards. "You are key to the future of the Fort Smith Fire Department.”
There are six different levels to the organizational chart of the Fort Smith Fire Department. All Fort Smith firefighters begin as Firefighters, and then have the opportunity to promote in order to Driver, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, or the Fire Chief. Fire Department personnel assigned to the Suppression and Rescue Division are on duty for 24 hours at a time on one of three different shifts, A, B, and C Shift. A minimum of 37 firefighters are on duty each day.
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Fort Smith, AR. June 18, 2012: Fort Smith Fire Department is pleased to announce two new Bomb Technicians have joined the Fire Department Bomb Squad. Gabe Flanagan and Jesse Chandler recently earned the certification as Bomb Technicians. This is a certification earned through rigorous training in a program conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Army.
June 1, 2012, Flanagan and Chandler graduated from the Hazardous Device School (HDS) in Huntsville Alabama at the Redstone Arsenal.
Flanagan and Chandler spent six weeks at the Hazardous Device School earning the certification of Bomb Technician. The certification, awarded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Army, enables them to perform the duties of any Bomb Squad member in the United States of America.
Adding Flanagan and Chandler has increased the Fort Smith Fire Department Bomb Squad’s roster to six. This enables the Fort Smith Fire Department to mitigate explosive related emergencies more efficiently, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. All Fort Smith Fie Department Bomb Technicians are assigned to Engine or Ladder Companies and respond to bomb calls when they occur.
The Fort Smith Fire Department Bomb Squad primarily covers six counties in western Arkansas but will respond through mutual aid agreements anywhere in the state when requested by state or federal authorities. In the past seven (7) years, the bomb squad has responded to many incidents throughout Arkansas.
Most of the equipment used by the Bomb Squad was purchased with funding acquired through federal grants.
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By a large margin, City of Fort Smith voters voted in favor of all six ballot items in the Tuesday, March 13 sales tax election. Beginning late last year and continuing up to Election Day, Mayor Sandy Sanders, city administrator Ray Gosack, Fire Chief Mike Richards, parks & recreation director Mike Alsup, and utilities director Steve Parke conducted meetings with more than a dozen civic groups, participated in public forums, answered questions one-on-one and conducted numerous media interviews explaining the relevance of the ballot items in the lives of Fort Smith area citizens.
Mayor Sandy Sanders observed, “Every one of these items on the ballot makes a difference in the lives of Fort Smith residents. Health and safety, parks and recreation, our ability to recruit new jobs to Fort Smith, and our ability to attract and retain a younger generation were all part of the package. The improvements we’ll be able to make can all be done with an existing one cent percent sales tax. The board of directors and I are anxious to see these projects move forward.”
City Administrator Ray Gosack says work will begin immediately on each of the approved initiatives. “The board of directors chose a diverse mix of projects for this ballot, and they based their decisions on the strategic priorities they set for Fort Smith last May, and from feedback from the public. Voters said, ‘Yes!’ to the projects that we were able to clearly communicate as a long-range plan for our region. The key now is to move quickly on the capital projects and our staff will be detailing those plans in the coming weeks.”
Briefly, next steps for each item include:
Bond refunding – staff immediately begins work on bond issuance process. Should be completed in June.
Wet weather sewer infrastructure – Mill Creek basin continues without interruption. Bonds will be issued in June to continue the work.
Water transmission and storage infrastructure – Design work is underway. Construction is expected to occur between 2013 and 2014.
Fire service improvements – design work for Station 11 and renovation of the older stations will begin this summer. Construction for Station 11 is expected in 2013 for completion later that year or in early 2014. Fire suppression vehicles are to be spec’d and bid during 2012. Delivery of the vehicles is expected to occur in mid- to late- 2013.
Aquatic center – The city and county will select an architect. Design is set to occur during 2012, with public input. Construction should begin in 2013, with the aquatic center open for the 2014 swimming season.
0.25 percent sales tax
- The Fort Smith Fire Department will begin hiring aerial truck staff in late 2012. Design and construction of a training facility will occur in 2012 and through part of 2013. Station 11 operations are set to commence in late 2013 or early 2014.
- The Fort Smith Parks & Recreation Department will begin design work on 2 softball fields at Ben Geren Park late this year. Construction is tentatively scheduled for 2013. In late 2012, the Parks & Recreation Department will also solicit proposals for a ball tournament complex at Chaffee Crossing, with construction set to begin in 2013. The parks commission and city board will meet later this year to discuss neighborhood park and trail projects for construction starting in 2014. Staff expects part of the process for selecting and prioritizing projects will include a series of meetings with various stakeholders in the community - to include the trails and greenways committee, as well as volunteer groups, and neighborhoods.
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The City of Fort Smith achieved a significant milestone in its effort to correct wet weather sanitary sewer issues on Tuesday, February 21 with the removal of two man-made sewer overflow relief pipes from the collection system
In the late 1970’s, the City installed overflow relief pipes on 21 sewer manholes throughout the City in order to alleviate the issue of sewers backing up into homes and businesses during heavy rainfalls and causing significant property damage. Instead of allowing the water to back up into homes and businesses, these overflow pipes allowed water to escape the collection system untreated and make its way to the storm drainage system and waterways, which is a violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
In 2006, the City of Fort Smith was directed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Justice to remove these overflow relief pipes from the sanitary sewer system and find alternative means to handle the increased volumes during heavy rains so as to prevent property damage. As part of a systemic plan of correction over the last five-plus years, the City has corrected these situations through wet weather sanitary sewer improvement projects facilitated by funding from a dedicated sales and use tax.
The corrections were addressed according to difficulty and likely impact on structures, private property, and likeliness of public exposure to direct contact. As of the summer of 2011, all but two had been corrected. Those final two were corrected this week as part of the Zero Street Relief Sewer project.
With this work accomplished, the City has improved the level of property protection from backups into structures that these overflow pipes afforded, and the removal of the overflow pipes does not increase the level of risk to private property owners. The elimination of the overflow pipes reduces the occurrence of pollution of the waterways caused by the City’s collection system.
“This milestone is a result of the commitment by citizens to alleviate the wet weather sanitary sewer problems,” said Ray Gosack, City Administrator. “The investment made by the community has resulted in meaningful accomplishments that protect citizens and the environment.”
While this milestone is significant in terms of the City’s status with the EPA and the US Department of Justice, there are still naturally occurring wet weather overflows in the sanitary sewer system that must be addressed. The City must continue to be diligent in its plan to correct all points of overflow in order to be environmentally responsible and lessen the likelihood of the issuance of a Consent Decree, which could be used by the EPA and/or USDOJ to mandate a specific correction schedule.
While Tuesday’s accomplishment is a milestone in the City’s wet weather sanitary sewer improvement efforts, another milestone date is March 13, where the voters of Fort Smith will consider approval of the issuance of sales tax bonds to provide continued funding for similar wet weather sanitary sewer improvements.
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During the past three (3) weeks, City of Fort Smith Street and Traffic Control Department staffers have been conducting night-time field inspections of street lights, to ensure that each lamp is working properly.
Most citizens may not realize that OG&E and Arkansas Valley Electric maintain the fixtures that illuminate Fort Smith streets and that the City of Fort Smith pays an average of $175 per year for each of the 6,200 lights in Fort Smith, for a total budget of $1,085,000.
Garry Cathcart, administrative supervisor in the Street Department has spent approximately 20 hours during five (5) nights driving through neighborhoods and along main thoroughfares. So far, the street and traffic control department has reported 96 lights not working, 38 missing globes, and the need for repair on five fixtures. Cathcart says, “Most people don’t know where to report a non-working light, missing globe or the need for a fixture repair. Even though the City of Fort Smith doesn’t maintain the lights, we do appreciate it when citizens call us and tell us of a problem. We report the information to OG&E or Arkansas Valley Electric and they’re quick to make the repairs.”
Meanwhile, the field inspections will continue until every lamp in the city limits has been visually observed by street and traffic control department employees.
Cathcart explains, “We hope we can get the word out to citizens to let us know when a lamp goes out, a globe is missing or some other maintenance is needed. Taxpayers are paying for these street lights whether they’re working or not. We think it’s important that they remain in good working order to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
To report a non-working street lamp, traffic signal, or a downed traffic sign in the city limits, call the Street and Traffic Control dispatch at 479.784.2360. The line is answered 24/7/365.
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2011 has been a productive year for the City of Fort Smith. Click here to view.
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More than 200 Fort Smith residences and fourteen commercial structures currently required to maintain flood insurance may no longer be required to do so after March 2, 2012.
At the request of the City of Fort Smith’s Engineering Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently restudied approximately 12 stream miles of floodplains, including the use of updated hydrologic and hydraulic methodologies.
Subsequently, FEMA is updating several floodplain areas identified in the Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Study for the City. The revised floodplains were remapped using the City of Fort Smith’s 2-foot contour maps, and are being reissued with an effective date of March 2, 2012.
These updates are known as physical map revisions (PMRs) and will affect the following FEMA regulatory floodplains.
Mill Creek – from U.S. Highway 271 to Cavanaugh Road
Base flood elevations lowered, benefitting 179 residential structures and 5 commercial structures
Massard Creek – from Rogers Avenue to south of Zero
Base flood elevations lowered, benefitting 17 residential structures and 1 commercial structure
Spivey Creek – from Massard Creek to Geren Road
Floodplain zone was redefined, benefitting 1 commercial structure and impacting 5 commercial structures
No Name Creek – from west of 66th Street to south of Gordon Lane
Base flood elevations were remapped, impacting 10 apartment structures & 3 self-storage rental structures. South of Free Ferry Road, the base elevations were lowered, benefitting 2 residential structures and 3 commercial structures
No Name Creek Tributary – from No Name Creek to west of South 46th Street
Base flood elevations lowered, benefitting 13 residential structures, 4 apartment structures, and 4 commercial structures. The floodplain was extended westerly, impacting 1 residential structure
On December 6, 2012, the City of Fort Smith Board of Directors approved an ordinance adopting the updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Study, effective March 2, 2012.
According to Stan Snodgrass, Director of Engineering for the City of Fort Smith, “Since FEMA initially notified property owners and mortgage holders that they would be required to purchase flood insurance, we’ve asked the regulatory agency to contact these property owners again to let them know about the corrections. However, we can’t guarantee that will happen. Our recommendation is that property owners in these locations contact their mortgage holder, take a look at the online maps, or give us a call in the Engineering Department at 479.784.2225. It will also be important to coordinate the information with mortgage lenders and insurance agents. We’ll do our best to help our citizens understand how their property may be affected by the remapping.”
Revisions for these floodplains can be found on FEMA’s website
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ATTENTION ANYONE WHO DOES WORK AT A RESIDENCE!
Act 1208 of 2011 requires almost anyone doing work at a residence, when the project is $2.000.00 or more, labor and material, to have a license from the Contractors Licensing Board.
The effective date of this requirement is January 1, 2012.
There will be a “Grandfathering” period from July 27, 2011 until December 31, 2011. During the “grandfathering” period no test will be required to obtain a license.
Starting January 1, 2012 a license will be required. The penalty for performing work at a residence without a license can be up to $400 PER DAY.
Act 1208 applies to almost all construction trades. It applies to everyone from a full remodel of a home, to additions, to repairs. If you do work at a house, it probably applies to you!
For information on how to get a license and on who has to have a license, contact:
Contractors Licensing Board
4100 Richards Road
North Little Rock, Arkansas
(501) 372-4661
www.arkansas.gov/clb
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NOTICE is hereby given that reapportionment of city ward boundaries will be considered by the City of Fort Smith Board of Directors at their December 6, 2011 regular meeting, 6:00 p.m. at the Fort Smith Public Schools Service Center, Building "B", 3205 Jenny Lind Road.
A copy of the proposed reapportionment of city ward boundaries is available for public inspection, review and comment in the Fort Smith City Clerk's Office during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, in Room 303 of the Stephens Building, 623 Garrison Avenue.
All interested parties are invited to review and comment. Written comments may be mailed to the City Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 1908, Fort Smith, AR 72902 or emailed to cityclerk@fortsmithar.gov, and should be submitted no later than Wednesday, November 23, 2011.
Associated Documents for viewing:
Ward Reapportionment Staff Report
Public Notice - Ward Reapportionment
Redistricting Map
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FOR SALE – Vacant Property, 1.29 acres, loc at 3751 Park Avenue, Fort Smith, AR. Bid Date: December 13, 2011 @ 10:00am – Engineering Dept. 784-2225
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The city board of directors recently approved an efficiency study for our water and sewer utility. The purpose of the study is to help us find more efficient and effective ways of serving customers. HDR Engineers of Kansas City, Mo. will perform the study. They’ll look heavily at operations, but will also examine planning and financial practices.
Customer input will be an important part of the study. The board has created an 11-person committee who will provide guidance and review the work of the consultants. The committee is scheduled to meet 4 times.
The appointments will be made by the board of directors. Below is the link to the application for appointment to a committee. The completed application can be e-mailed to Wendy Beshears at wbeshears@fortsmithar.gov. Download Application
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The City of Fort Smith Streets and Traffic Control Department is in the process of upgrading all signalized intersections with LED technology. The new LED signals use between 80 and 90% less electricity, require less maintenance, and are easier for motorists to see.
Of the 149 signalized intersections maintained by the City of Fort Smith, 85 have already been converted to LED technology during the past 5 years. During the transition, the monthly electric costs have been reduced from approximately $15,000 per month to $8,500 per month. Once the remaining 64 intersections have been converted from incandescent lighting, it is estimated that the monthly electricity cost will fall to approximately $5,000 or less.
Superintendent Steve Kelton says, “The energy efficiency is very important. However, the LED signals require much less maintenance than the old bulbs. In the past year, we’ve changed 670 incandescent lamps – on the 64 intersections that are being converted to LED right now. But in the same period, we only had to replace 38 LED fixtures at the other 85 intersections. The more hidden savings will come from spending less time on replacing bulbs, and our ability to spend more time on preventative maintenance at each of our 149 intersections. Plus – and this is no small benefit – the less time our crews are in a bucket high above an intersection changing a bulb, the less chance we have of getting a crew member injured.” The reduced maintenance also means less disruption to motorists.
The total cost for finishing the conversion is $158,000, made available to the City of Fort Smith through federal stimulus grant dollars passed through the U.S. Department of Energy. Crews responsible for installing the new fixtures complete an average of five intersections per day. The conversion is expected to be completed either the last week in July or the first week in August.
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For the first time since 1993 (18 years), the city’s sanitation fund is free of long-term debt obligations. The 2002 solid waste bonds were redeemed June 1, 2011. As a result, the sanitation fund has no long-term debt outstanding. Solid waste bonds were issued to finance the first two phases of the city’s landfill, beginning in the early 1990s. In 2000, the city made a decision to begin financing solid waste capital projects with cash rather than continuing to issue debt. The result of this long-term strategic decision is realized today, with the sanitation fund being free of long-term debt obligations. The sanitation fund is an enterprise fund, which operates using only revenues derived from service rates to residential and commercial customers, and fees paid to the sanitary landfill. Additionally, promissory notes issued in 2006 were paid in full on June 1, 2011. These general fund promissory notes were issued to provide funding for a phone system, the Elm Grove Community Center at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, and downtown improvements, including streetscape and the downtown entry greenspace at Grand Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets.
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The City of Fort Smith will be accepting applications to join a temporary task force to address issues concerning dogs and cats in our area. Click Here for more details.
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched the Emergency Homeowner's Loan Program (EHLP) to assist homeowners who are at least 90 days late on their mortgage, and unemployed or working fewer hours because of the economy or a medical condition with monthly mortgage payments up to $50,000. Download a the PDF in English or Spanish.
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The Mayor and Board of Directors will, in coming weeks, be considering options for ensuring the safety of life and property for all areas of Fort Smith. Plans include a new fire station and additional equipment. This document provides a brief summary of the issue of fire service and for more information you can click here for a comprehensive analysis and here to view a slide show presentation.
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The City of Fort Smith will maintain its ISO Class 2 fire rating for at least another 3 years, proving Fort Smith citizens receive excellent fire services. The rating also means property insurance premiums will remain lower than Class 3 and lower cities.
Following an extensive review by the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), the final report issued to the city on Monday, May 2 indicates that, among other factors, the city scored well in the fire department’s structure fire suppression system and that the utility department provides an excellent water delivery system for firefighting, and the Fort Smith Fire Department’s ability to receive and handle fire alarms.
City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “Even with fiscal stresses to our general fund budget and in the utility department the past few years, our employees in the fire department and in the utility department continue to provide excellent services to our citizens every day. Fort Smith was the first city in Arkansas to receive an ISO 2 rating, back in 1999. Still, we have a lot of work ahead of us to maintain this rating for our citizens and businesses depending on us for excellent fire protection.”
While it has been 10 years since ISO visited Fort Smith, the next recertification is scheduled for 3 years from now.
Chief Mike Richards says, “Our average response time is 3 minutes and 11 seconds. We’re proud of that. However, our response times are slower to some parts of the city because the city’s geographic growth has outstripped our department’s ability to respond to those growth areas. In order to maintain our ISO rating in 2014, we must make a commitment – to build Station 11 at Chaffee Crossing so that we can continue to protect life and property, and ensure lower insurance premium costs for all Fort Smith property owners.” While Fort Smith was the first city in Arkansas to achieve an ISO 2 rating, 14 Arkansas cities now have the distinction.
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