City board split on climate grant for green energy projects
Dr. Jeffrey Osborn, VP of Research ACHE
Dr. Jeffery Osborn, the vice president at the Arkansas College of Health Education, talks about the new research facility in Fort Smith.
After hearing from more than 20 members of the public, many new to attending Fort Smith City Board of Directors meetings, the board ratified and approved memorandums of agreements to get the city $14.5 million during the Nov. 19 meeting at the Blue Lion.
The money would be part of Fort Smith’s commitment to the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program, which has been earmarked for various improvements, including charging stations for e-cars, solar panels for Nelson Hall Homes, e-bikes and the city government adopting electric cars for its fleet.
Supporters talked about how the money would improve the quality of life in Fort Smith and the importance of investing in the north side of town.
Those who spoke in opposition feared that accepting the money would require the city to relinquish local control, impose undue burdens on the citizens and that the directors had no idea what they were getting involved with.
Directors Lavon Morton (Ward 3) and Jarred Rego (Ward 1) pointed out how the fears were unfounded without directly addressing anyone who spoke. Morton questioned Joshua Robertson, director of citizen and city services, and it was explained that the city was not obligated to use the money if it didn’t agree with the mandates.
Rego explained that the language in the document doesn’t mean everyone has to replace their gas-powered cars with EVs. He also outlined how the city’s directors had been involved in the process from the beginning.
“We got a lot of people concerned about the plan before we can implement it,” said Neal Martin (At-Large). “I don’t feel comfortable moving forward without having a plan approved.”
“We can send the money back if we don’t like the terms,” Morton said. “This will be a good thing for the people of Nelson Hall Homes. There’s no control over our cars. It’s hard for me to find a negative on this.”
Nelson Hall Homes is a 288-unit development that provides suitable and safe rental housing for eligible low-income elderly or disabled persons. Fort Smith took over the project from HUD so the city could manage it. Once in place, the solar panels would reduce the cost for residents of Nelson Hall to about $15 a month for electricity.
Currently, Fort Smith has no charging stations for EVs. There is one in Van Buren and one in Roland, Okla. The plan is to place stations at each of the branches of the Fort Smith public libraries.
The city already has received $440,000 from the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, which was used for the Alleyway Rehabilitation Project and workforce development. In February 2024, Fort Smith signed a letter of intent to join the Arkansas Tri-Region Coalition (including Van Buren and Sebastian County). By July, the city formalized its commitment through the Metroplan MOA, defining its role and responsibilities with Metroplan and the Northwest Arkansas Planning Commission for a joint coalition application. This collaboration secured an additional $14.5 million in CPRG funding.
The resolution passed 4-3, with Martin, Kevin Settle (At-Large), and George Catsavis (Ward 4) voting against it.
Other actions
The directors voted to table indefinitely the resolution authorizing the execution of a lease agreement and the agreement concerning the aquatics facility at Ben Geren Park between the City of Fort Smith and Sebastian County, relative to Parrot Island Waterpark.
The city and the county have been working to modify the current lease agreement for Parrot Island. Still, since it hasn’t been completed, Carl Geffken, city administrator, recommended that the resolution be tabled indefinitely. The resolution was table twice before.
The city will adopt a new tier water rate for the citizens of Fort Smith. The new ordinance removes the fourth residential water volume tier and sets the irrigation rate to the same as the third tier of $5.26 per CCF. Everything else remains the same.
Fort Smith is moving ahead to begin Phases 1 and 2 of CityView, a comprehensive software suite for building permits, code enforcement, licensing and other regulatory services. There were some customized items that the city wanted to use with software, like renewal for alcohol and contractor licenses, and develop a customized report to see which businesses are past due in filing their gross receipts for the month.
Phase 3 will incorporate the city clerk’s office and Oak Cemetery, putting the 152-year-old cemetery and National Historic Landmark on software for the first time.
The 2025 meeting schedule also was set.