FORT SMITH -- City directors voted Tuesday to spend more than $1.2 million this year to hire 28 additional employees for the Utilities Department as part of the implementation of a consent decree with the federal government to fix the city's sewer system.
City directors also passed a resolution approving a plan to hire 47 more staff members in 2016 and 2017 to provide the leadership and manpower needed to implement the decree by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The decree gives Fort Smith 12 years to eliminate violations of the federal Clean Water Act from its sewer system.
"The consent decree requires a significant enhancement of the city's current resources in operations, maintenance and management support in addition to the construction of system improvements," utilities Director Steve Parke wrote in a memorandum to city directors.
The city agreed to the consent decree that was filed in federal court in January to eliminate sewage overflows, repair and upgrade parts of the system and develop and implement an extensive program concerning capacity, management, operations and maintenance.
City officials have estimated the capital costs of the decree at $375 million, with maintenance and operations costing $104 million.
City Director Kevin Settle voted against the hiring measure, saying the city didn't need to hire so many additional employees but should focus spending, instead, on the capital needs.
"I don't have confidence, Steve, this is where we should be going," he said.
The department now has 95 employees. Of the 28 positions set to be filled this year, three are listed as deputy directors and eight as managers.
Metro on 05/22/2015