Fort Smith Board of Directors Regular Meeting – April 21, 2026

The Fort Smith Board of Directors held its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The board approved a key ordinance changing public comment procedures, approved several engineering and consent decree resolutions, and made appointments to city boards. All votes were unanimous (7-0) except where noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved consent agenda items (7A–7D) unanimously (7-0). 7A: Resolution designating a portion of Midland Boulevard as Rainbow Girls Boulevard to honor the African American women's auxiliary that supported the Twin City Colored Hospital in the 1940s. 7B: Partial payment to Forsgrin Incorporated for the Highway 45 Utility Relocation Project. 7C: Authorization to purchase a large heavy-duty transit bus from Gillig LLC for $783,000 (budgeted in the transit asset management plan). 7D: Memorandum of understanding with Sebastian County for the 2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Ordinance (Item 1): Ken Fodge expressed support for moving citizen comment to the beginning of meetings but urged a return to the five-minute limit, stating three minutes is insufficient for complex issues and that citizens should also be able to speak at study sessions. Jo Elskin supported the ordinance as proposed, noting three minutes is adequate if disciplined, and praised the board for extending speaking time through questions. Chris Cadelli argued for five minutes, emphasizing that speakers are already outside their comfort zone and need adequate time. Crystal Cadelli asked the board to keep the five-minute limit and added that study session comments should also be allowed. Gary Podgerski requested two amendments: that citizens be allowed to comment after board amendments are made, and after items are added to the agenda. He also protested having been called a "malcontent" for signing up to comment on every agenda item. Joey McCutcheon supported the move to the beginning of meetings and the five-minute limit, and encouraged active listening.
• On ACME Brick Stormwater Mitigation (Item 2): Shane McKinney expressed support for flood control but criticized the practice of presenting stripped-down projects that require later additions, saying it leads to cost overruns. Ken Fodge agreed, but supported the project. Crystal Cadelli expressed concerns about the design cost doubling and called for stronger oversight of third-party engineering firms; she praised Todd Mickey for pursuing grants. Kristen Kitchens questioned the spending on engineering when the May Branch flood zone has not been addressed since the 2008 Corps of Engineers report, and suggested residents should have been bought out. Carl Nevin thanked the board and staff, noted the possibility of generating revenue from shale on the property, and supported the resolution. Joey McCutcheon praised Todd Mickey's professionalism and transparency, and stressed that flood control should be completed before considering park amenities.
• On Consent Agenda 7A: Nichelle Christian spoke in favor of the Rainbow Girls Boulevard designation, sharing the history of the auxiliary and her grandmother's role as president. Joey McCutcheon supported the designation, calling the women heroes of the segregation era.
• On Consent Agenda 7C: Gary Podgerski asked about bus occupancy rates and fleet size, and questioned the cost increase from $540,000 for previous buses to $783,000, noting the need for police cars as a competing priority.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Section 2-44B (Public Comment Time): The ordinance was introduced to create a citizen forum at the beginning of each regular board meeting with no restrictions on topics. A motion to amend the time from three to five minutes passed 4-3 (Directors Vigo, Kemp, George Kit Savis, and Christina Kit Savis in favor; Directors Settle, Martin, and Rego opposed). After discussion about history and intent, the amended ordinance (five-minute citizen forum at the start of regular meetings) passed 7-0. An emergency clause was also adopted 7-0, making the change effective immediately for the May 5, 2026 regular meeting.
• Item 2: ACME Brick Stormwater Mitigation Ponds Engineering Amendment: Director Todd Mickey presented the $464,860 budgeted engineering project, with the amendment adding $291,585 for expanded design work and $173,275 for consent decree sewer design. Director George Kit Savis noted the total engineering cost has grown to $931,190 and that construction could be $8 million to $10 million, funded from streets and drainage sales tax. He sought and received confirmation that no park amenities are included in the current scope. Director Christina Kit Savis asked about the feasibility of in-house design; Mickey responded the project is too large for in-house staff. The resolution passed 7-0.
• Item 3: Partial Payment to Kraft Reynolds Construction (Consent Decree Project): Routine payment of $1.2 million for pipe bursting work. Passed 7-0.
• Item 4: Property Acquisition for Easement (Consent Decree): Purchase of a vacant lot on Savannah Drive for $235 at the owner's request. Passed 7-0 after clarification that the owners are represented by counsel and desired to sell.
• Item 5: Resolution Amending Address on Easement: Corrected an address for a consent decree property. Passed 7-0.
• Item 6: Resolution Amending Easement for Property Transfer: Updated record after property changed hands. Passed 7-0.
• Officials Forum: Director Kemp raised the issue of residents requesting a pause on mosquito adulticide spraying; a motion to place it on a future regular meeting agenda for consideration passed. Director Kemp also noted the city administrator search posting is scheduled for May 8, 2026, with interviews planned for July 31, 2026. Director George Kit Savis clarified that no additional funds beyond the $2.6 million appropriated for the water slide project will be requested. Director Martin confirmed that Parrot Island and convention center financial statements will be provided to internal audit as suggested by the audit committee. Acting Administrator Dingman reported that the RFP for a consent decree program manager will be published April 26, 2026, with a two-week response period.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance repealing and replacing Section 2-44B (public comment) adopted 7-0, with an emergency clause, creating a five-minute citizen forum at the beginning of each regular board meeting effective May 5, 2026.
• Amendment to ACME Brick stormwater mitigation engineering contract approved 7-0, increasing engineering costs to $931,190 total.
• All other resolutions (Items 3–6 and consent agenda) approved 7-0.
• Appointments made to Property Owner Appeal Board (Randy Hall), Housing Assistance Board (Omar Portillo), and Planning Commission (Rod Coleman, Jackson Mendenhall, Kelly Wilson).
• Mosquito spraying pause will be placed on a future regular meeting agenda for discussion.