Fort Smith 911 Governing Board Regular Meeting – June 25, 2026

The Fort Smith 911 Governing Board met on June 25, 2026, to address the termination of a vendor contract for CAD/RMS software, approve a new vendor, review consolidation progress, consider additional expenses, and discuss proposed bylaws. The board took several votes and tabled the bylaws for further revision.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the previous meeting were approved by a voice vote (motion by Congress, second by Dington).
• Financial Report: The board approved the financial report (motion by Herm, second by Clark). The report showed the budget was 7.1% under the projected balance for this time. The second-quarter state reimbursement had been received but not yet reflected. Encumbrances were primarily related to consolidation expenses.

Discussion Items

• Termination of ProPhoenix Contract and New Vendor Selection: The executive director reported that on February 26, 2026, a breach by vendor ProPhoenix was discovered, violating terms and FBIC security policy. Vendor access was revoked, and the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) recommended steps allowing ProPhoenix to continue only with additional compliance. The board was notified of a material breach in late April and the contract is being terminated. The city is seeking a full refund of the $1.2 million paid. A new proposal from Central Square for a unified CAD, mobile RMS, and jail management system was presented. The implementation cost is $379,272.46 (amended from an earlier incorrect figure), covering training, installation, and the first-year subscription. The request is for a 2026 budget amendment funded from the $2.3 million 911 fund, with reimbursement expected from any ProPhoenix settlement. Central Square scored equally with ProPhoenix in prior evaluations and offers a lower service fee ($198,000 with 2% annual increases vs. ProPhoenix's 5% increases). Implementation is expected in 6–18 months; current operations are unsupported and at risk (e.g., a recent fire station alerting failure). The board discussed legacy data migration, fire RMS compatibility, and support location. Central Square support is U.S.-based and familiar to the agency.
• Consolidation Update: The executive director reported progress on consolidating the River Valley Communications Center (RVCC), including testing rural fire paging next week and tornado siren activation. Additional expenses were presented: Fortinet network hardware ($30,834.52), Microsoft Office software tenant/licenses ($10,219.05), NICE inform system updates ($1,632), and AT&T non-emergency line implementation ($1,500 one-time, $433.40/month). These expenses are reimbursable from the state's $400,000 consolidation grant. After previous approved expenses ($303,790.45) and today's requested expenses ($44,185.57 including the AT&T one-time cost), a remaining balance of about $52,023 is expected.
• Bylaws Discussion and Tabling: Proposed bylaws for board governance were presented but the packet lacked final revisions (e.g., section 3.6 on the secretary role). An amendment requiring 30 business days' written notice for bylaw changes was noted. The board decided to table approval until the September meeting (motion by Baker, second by Hearn) to allow for finalized revisions.

Key Outcomes

• Budget Amendment Approved: Motion to increase the 2026 budget by $379,272.46 for Central Square implementation passed unanimously (8-0 with Judge Holtz absent).
• Central Square Contract Approved: Motion to recommend that the state board of directors approve the contract with Central Square passed unanimously (8-0).
• Consolidation Expenses Approved: Motion to approve the additional consolidation expenses totaling $44,185.57 (including $1,500 for AT&T lines) passed unanimously (8-0).
• Bylaws Tabled: Motion to table approval of bylaws to the September meeting passed unanimously.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM (location to be determined).