Special Meeting & Study Session: November 10, 2025

A special meeting and subsequent study session were convened by the Fort Smith Board of Directors on November 10, 2025, to address urgent public safety infrastructure needs, wastewater project bids, and capital improvement plans for 2026-2030. The session featured extensive debate regarding the funding models, locations, and scope of the River Valley Communications Center consolidation and the 911 call system upgrade, alongside discussions on the significantly escalated costs of SSD remediation projects. The meeting concluded with a Citizens Forum where local residents raised concerns about public safety callouts, municipal contractor performance, and ethics regarding City Council members' involvement in specific development projects.

Consent Calendar

• No items were approved via Consent Calendar during this special session; all agenda items were tabled for further study following board discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Crystal Cadelli: Expressed strong concern regarding the ethics of Director Rego's involvement in the proposed sports complex and a previous A&P commission vote, asking for recusal and disclosure. She alleged a conflict of interest due to his brother-in-law's role as a developer and requested an investigation into how the project was handled.
• Joey McCutcheon: Expressed deep distrust in the city's management of the Consent Decree projects. He argued that the six-million-dollar increase in bids indicates a lack of financial oversight and requested an independent external expert to manage the construction.
• Lavon Morton: Argued that the current bid amounts for sewer projects are unsustainable and could derail the city's 11-year bond plan. He advocated for splitting large contracts into smaller parcels to increase local competition and prevent out-of-state contractors from inflating prices.
• Glenn Forte: Detailed grievances regarding erratic emergency response calls to a neighbor, alleged organized crime by a local towing company, and poor oversight by Patriot Utilities regarding street repairs and debris. He also complained about lack of street sweeping in the North End Street neighborhood.
• Carl Nevin: Echoed concerns regarding the six-million-dollar increase in the SSA remedial project estimate and reiterated the need to break the contract into smaller sections to save money.
• Eric Wideman: Asked for updates on the City of Osceola's non-payment of water bills and sought clarification on the status of mediation.
• Chris Cadelli: Questioned the City's potential gains from the Towson Avenue state highway transfer and inquired about flood mitigation plans associated with the project.
• Anonymous Citizen: Criticized Vice Mayor Kemp for allegedly leaving a meeting early after a citizen's question and expressed disappointment regarding the treatment of citizens.

Discussion Items

• River Valley Communications Center (RVCC) & 911 Radio Infrastructure (Item 1):

  • Dr. Wes Mylon (Director of Public Safety Communications) presented a proposal for a $5.3 million contract with Motorola Solutions for radio infrastructure and a separate $5.5 million project for a hardened facility at 4501 Burrow Road. He stated the consolidation is required by state law to reduce PSAPs from two to one in Sebastian County and that the current 20-year-old consoles must be replaced.
  • Director Christina Kitzavis argued the proposal exceeds statutory requirements, criticizing the financing model for placing 100% of long-term debt on city taxpayers while the county receives 30% of service with no capital liability. She expressed concern that the city is absorbing operational costs previously borne by the county and questioned the necessity of a new hardened facility and turn-key lease.
  • Director Kemp raised concerns about the budget increase from $2.05 million to $4.3 million for operations, the lack of a total financial picture for the board, and the potential for the project to negatively impact the general fund.
  • Director Settle suggested consolidating at the Carnell Building (old library) or the existing police department to avoid the high capital costs of the new Burrow Road facility, questioning why the county is not a party to the lease.
  • Director George Kitzavis noted that the item was unexpectedly placed on the consent calendar previously and criticized the lack of alternatives presented initially.
  • Dr. Mylon clarified that the $5.3 million is a turn-key contract (tower, concrete, radios) and that the city is responsible for the $1.8 million/year state turn-back fund deficit.

• SSA Remedial Measures Project (Item 2):

  • Jimmie John (Deputy Director of Engineering) and Larry Yancey (Hawkins Engineering) discussed the 2016 SSA remedial project, which saw bids of $17.74 million against an engineer's estimate of $11 million.
  • Larry Yancey explained that no local or in-state contractors bid on these specific projects, likely due to capacity issues and the large scope (30,000 linear feet).
  • Directors Kemp, Settle, and Martin discussed splitting the 30,000-foot project into smaller contracts (East/West halves) and rebidding them in consecutive cycles to attract local bidders and lower costs. They noted that bundling nine projects at once may have stifled competition.

• Capital Improvement Plans (Items 2A-2E):

  • Water Systems (2A): Jimmy Johnson presented a 10-year CIP showing a projected $240 million in needs with no identified funding after 2028. The discussion highlighted a potential gap between the $1.8 million/year state turn-back revenue and the operational costs, with Directors Kemp and Kemp urging a clear prioritization of critical projects (e.g., the I-540 crossing) and in-house testing capabilities.
  • Wastewater Systems (2B & 2C): Director Good asked if non-consent decree projects should be bundled to prevent future violations. Director Martin suggested utilizing program management services to potentially reduce the $600 million projected cost of the Consent Decree through better scope management.
  • Police & Fire Departments (2D & 2E): Chief Baker and Chief Clark presented their 5-year CIPs. Chief Baker noted the inability to proceed with vehicle leasing due to insurance issues and requested funding for patrol vehicles, body armor, and environmental control updates at headquarters. Chief Clark discussed rising costs and lead times for fire apparatus and the need to maintain fleet capacity.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1 (RVCC/Motorola): The Board voted to table the resolution to adopt the Motorola contract and authorize the agreement. The motion passed 6-0 to allow for further study on alternative locations (e.g., Carnell Building), financing models, and a comprehensive financial picture before taking action.
• Items 2-5 (SSA & CIPs): The Board voted to tab items two through five (SSA remedial measures and all CIPs) until the first regular study session in January. The motion passed 6-0 to allow staff time to restructure the SSA projects into smaller bids and to provide the Board with detailed funding scenarios for the Water, Wastewater, Police, and Fire departments.
• Meeting Adjournment: The special meeting and study session were adjourned without further action.
• Next Steps: Staff was directed to prepare revised cost estimates, alternative funding options, and rebid strategies for the SSA projects to present in January. The Board requested a comprehensive financial forecast for the consolidated 911 center covering the next 10 years.