City Administrator misses due date on Convention Center report (Updated)

At a Jan. 10 study retreat of the Fort Smith Board of Directors, the board requested the city administrator provide recommendations about the future funding and management of the Fort Smith Convention Center. The recommendation, according to notes from the retreat facilitator was due no later than April 15.

No such report has been made.

Future funding shortfalls at the center are one of the bigger problems facing the city. Fort Smith’s portion of the state’s tourism turnback funds are set to expire in 2010. Between 2001 and 2007, the city collected $13.23 million in turnback funds, with $4.36 million of that used to help pay down the 1997 sales and use tax bond debt. Proceeds from turnback funds between 2008 and 2010 are estimated at $4.47 million.

Convention center expenses are considerably higher than convention center revenue. Convention center expenses in 2006 ($1.46 million) and 2007 ($1.87 million) were 58.6 percent higher and 66.7 percent higher, respectfully, than revenue in those years.

Another issue is tourism management. In most cities in Arkansas and around the country, tourism and convention efforts are placed under one organizational umbrella. Except for Fort Smith, where the Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Fort Smith Convention Center — both in the business of recruiting and taking care of tourists and visitors — operate under separate budgets with separate directors.

On Thursday (May 21), The City Wire asked — via e-mail no later than 2 p.m. — all seven Fort Smith directors, Mayor Ray Baker and City Administrator Dennis Kelly if the report had been issued. As of 10 a.m. Friday (May 22), the following responses were received.

• Dennis Kelly
“I retrieved the file with the facilitators outline (from the Jan. 10 board retreat); you are right. The 4/15 date is there, however, not in the priority list on the last page under paragraph 4. It was the priority list that was approved by consensus of the Board. All the details above that were a comprehensive listing of all the various wishes of individual Board members. That date could have been just one Board members desire. The priority list was developed by all the Board members placing their little dot stick-ums on the flip charts taped to the wall. This is not to say we are ignoring the comprehensive ‘wish list,’ because we’re not, but our focus is on the priorities listed under para. 4 and I believe we’re moving on those as expeditiously as possible. Thanks for your inquiry.”

• Mayor Ray Baker
“The answer is no.”

• Director Bill Maddox:
“I do not recall that date being mentioned but the administrator is working on this and he was in attendance at the convention center meeting yesterday to offer input. It is a difficult problem.”

• Director Steven Tyler
“I only recall what I  read this a.m. in the paper. I asked at the UDO study session, can’t remember date, but I was told that nothing had been done at that point.”

• Director Gary Campbell
“Nothing more than, ‘I assume we’ll have to pass a tax.’”

• Director Cole Goodman
“No.”

• Director Kevin Settle
“I have not received this report either verbal or written.”