FORT SMITH -- The Fort Smith Board of Directors took a step meant to ensure all city residents are accurately counted in the upcoming 2020 United States Census.
The board approved a resolution endorsing the creation of a Local Complete Count Committee during its regular meeting Tuesday. In a memo to Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken, Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman said the committee is a tool used by many communities to engage all segments of the community to make sure they are counted in the census, including people and communities that are considered "hard to count."
Among communities considered hard to count, Dingman wrote, can be small children, senior citizens, university students, those who are homeless or transient, ethnic and religious groups, non-English speaking people or others who are reluctant to participate in the census. The census will be important in determining the allocation of federal monies to state and local programs for the next 10 years, making an accurate count of all Fort Smith residents key.
After the meeting, Dingman said the committee will be made up of about 20 to 25 people who represent a "good cross section" of the community, specifically the hard to count communities who can help these groups feel comfortable participating in the census. Identifying and inviting specific individuals to join the committee will take place soon.
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill is currently serving as the chairman of the Arkansas Complete Count Committee, which was established by Gov. Asa Hutchinson via executive order Aug. 28 to promote statewide participation in the 2020 census, according to a news release from Hutchinson's office the same day.
The Board of Directors was also given the opportunity to provide its input regarding the appointment of a new police chief for the city during an executive session at the meeting. The three finalists for the position, which include Fort Smith Interim Police Chief Danny Baker, Little Rock Assistant Police Chief Alice Fulk and Palestine, Texas, Police Chief Andy Harvey, participated in a candidate-Board of Directors luncheon that was open to the public on Monday, according to a Tuesday post on the City of Fort Smith Facebook page.
Geffken estimated an appointment to the position would take place within a week.
"There's some more information that I'd like to get from our panels for police chief and have those conversations with them so they can give me their full input, like I just received from the Board of Directors," Geffken said.
State Desk on 09/19/2019