FORT SMITH -- City directors unanimously approved several items regarding dilapidated buildings, expanding businesses, providing new software technology and sewer projects during a meeting Tuesday.
The directors authorized the city administrator to demolish two dilapidated structures.
In a memo from Jimmie Deer, director of building services, to City Administrator Carl Geffken, Deer said the structures at 723 S. 18th St. and 1922 Pryor St. has been damaged and/or deteriorated for several years. He said the Building Safety Division has declared the structures unsafe, unsightly, unsanitary and detrimental to the public welfare, as well as in violation of city ordinances.
The memo states property owners have been notified and have taken no action, so Deer asked the directors to order the structures demolished if not repaired within 30 days.
The directors also endorsed Owens Corning Non-Woven Technology to participate in the tax back program.
A memo from Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman to Geffken explains the city was requested to participate in the tax back program by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Owens Corning. He said it's a state and local program allowing new or expanding businesses to request refunds of sales taxes paid on building material, new equipment and other eligible expenses incurred due to construction and/or expansion.
Dingman said Owens Corning plans to spend $24.5 million on building improvements and machinery and equipment to support its new coating line technology at its facility at 5520 Planters Road. He said the expansion will add 50 jobs with an average wage of $32 per hour.
The directors approved two items regarding city software and support services: an ordinance amending the 2022 budget and authorizing spending money from the available general fund balance, and a $769,310 software license and services agreement with N. Harris Computer Corp.
A memo to Geffken from the Planning and Zoning, Building Safety, Neighborhood Services, City Clerk and Parks Department heads explained they plan to use the firm's software called CityView for planning and zoning, business and professional licensing, building safety, neighborhood services and cemetery management.
The memo says customer service will be improved by allowing full functionality online, and it will allow city staff to provide real time information, reports and photos while making on-site visits and inspections. It said CityView cost an additional annual fee of of $134,236, and will be implemented over two years starting in January with Licensing and Planning and Zoning, followed by Building Safety and Neighborhood Services and, finally, the City Clerk.
Maggie Rice, Planning and Zoning director, said the timeline was requested by staff because they don't have the man power to implement it all at once while handling a regular work load.
"But as far as being a solution, I do believe, as we all do, that it will meet the needs, make staff as efficient as possible while also providing that customer service support that we want to be able to provide and the experience a citizen and customer want to have," Rice said.
"We maintain all of the records for Oak Cemetery. Presently through Oak Cemetery, everything is still done by hand, and this will accommodate a website for our cemetery. This will also allow individuals to purchase online, which they cannot do now, so it will be an asset to the city," City Clerk Sherri Gard added.
Finally, the directors approved a second change order for Goodwin & Goodwin to install a dry pit submersible pump at Pump Station No. 6. The change order is for 248 additional days of construction and a nearly $449,000 increase in cost.
A memo to Geffken from Utility Director Lance McAvoy explained the directors approved the pump project in August 2021, and the department approached the board to purchase new pumps rather than repair the old, outdated ones. The first change order was approved in November 2021 for an additional 84 days to contract and deliver the material.
The memo said the Utility Department had been bypassing the pumping since the station was damaged by the May 2019 flood, and the wear on the department's pumps was making failure and overflows more likely. It said the second change order is intended to reimburse the contractor for unforeseen pumping costs, as well as the additional cleanup needed for the pump well; the movement and back-flow preventer for the water line; and the anticipated upgrades needed to improve water accessibility.
McAvoy told the directors the Utility Department is experiencing material delays for several projects.
"And this is not due to any of the contractors. This is due to the fact that meter boxes are 36 weeks out, as just an example. We used to place and order, and we would have those brought in within two to three weeks. They are now 36 to 42 weeks out," McAvoy said.
At-large Director Kevin Settle asked McAvoy if the city would be doing this work had it not been for the 2019 flood.
McAvoy said it shortened the time frame to start the project, but the same amount of work would've been done. He said the capacity expansion is required to be done at some date, and the Utility Department is trying to save some money by doing it now.
McAvoy said the project is related to the city's sewer consent decree because the decree calls for more capacity.
The city entered into the decree in January 2015 with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality. Under the decree, Fort Smith agreed to repair and upgrade its sewer system after decades of sewage runoff into waterways, including the Arkansas River.
The city agreed to spend more than $200 million over the next 12 years to upgrade its sewer collection and treatment.
The original decree deadline was Jan. 2, 2027, but the city said it couldn't afford to do all of the work by that date and was granted a five-year extension.