Economic, riverfront development are city’s top priorities

At the end of a Saturday (Jan. 9) board retreat that lasted more than seven hours, the Fort Smith board of directors listed economic development and riverfront development/Marshals Museum as their top priority for the upcoming year.

Tied for second were quality of place issues and funding necessary wastewater projects. (While mentioned numerous times during the day, “quality of place” remained a somewhat nebulous term never fully clarified by the board. However, the city directors did discuss the possibility of a two-year 1% sales tax to generate funds for parks, trails, a sports complex and other “quality of place” components.)

The issue of funding and management of the Fort Smith Convention Center placed third on the board’s priority list.

Tied for fourth was an idea to improve Fort Smith’s image/branding and the city’s support of the Fort Smith Classic — a PGA-sanctioned golf tournament held annually at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith.

There was no discussion or review of priorities the board established at its 2008 board retreat.