No details released on city administrator job review

Fort Smith City Administrator Dennis Kelly’s job performance review by the city’s board of directors ended with the board not issuing a formal comment other than to say city administrator job reviews will be scheduled for each January.

City Director Bill Maddox had requested the review, which was conducted in private executive session Tuesday night (Sept. 1) at the end of the regular city board meeting. Maddox has recently expressed his displeasure with Kelly for suggesting a shift in the city’s policy on hiring and firing department heads. Kelly had requested pulling the authority under the city administrator position. Five of the seven city directors opposed the plan.

While the directors are not allowed to share specifics of their private conversations in the executive session, City Director Gary Campbell said the problems and issues discussed revolve around improving communication between the board and Kelly. Campbell also reiterated his opposition to having the review prior to Kelly having served a complete year. Kelly started the job in October 2008.

City Director Kevin Settle said the directors had a “good discussion on the job review” that he predicted would be “very healthy for the city.”

HOMELESSNESS STUDY TASK FORCE
The board also approved the creation of a homelessness task force to consider options for homeless assistance in downtown Fort Smith.

The primary factor behind the task force is that many of the agencies helping the homeless in the area are located in downtown Fort Smith and near the Belle Grove Historic District. This creates a conflict with the effort to commercially revitalize downtown Fort Smith and encourage historic investment in Belle Grove. About three years ago there was an attempt to get the social service agencies to collectively move to a new location. That effort failed. A recent plan by the Community Rescue Mission to build a 12-room dormitory in near 4th and F Streets in downtown Fort Smith restarted the conflict between social service agencies and the commercial and residential interests.

Appointed to the 12-person study (six members from social service agencies and six members of the community) were:
• Brian Hilts, executive director of the Community Rescue Mission
• Carlyle Gargis, captain, Salvation Army
• Linda Gabriel, associate director, Next Step Day Room
• Tom Minton, director, Fort Smith United Way
• Jeannie Carroll, homeless liaison, Fort Smith Public School District
• Elaine Burton, counselor, Fort Smith Housing Authority and president of the Old Fort Homeless Coalition
• David Kerr, resident of the Belle Grove Historic District
• Deborah Busby, Garrison Avenue business owner
• Ken Pevehouse, Ward 1 resident
• Carolyn Plank, Ward 2 resident
• Joyce Taylor, Ward 3 resident
• Marshall Sharpe, Ward, 4 resident