Sanders begins mayoral duties; ‘new’ city board set to convene

The “new” Fort Smith Board of Directors will consider a relatively short and simple agenda Tuesday (Jan. 4) during its first official voting session.

New on the board will be Incoming City Directors Philip Merry Jr., and Pam Weber. Also new will be Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders, who will preside over his first board meeting as mayor. Merry and Weber join City Director George Catsavis who was seated on the board Nov. 16 after being elected to fill out the remaining two years of a four-year term following the retirement of former City Director Bill Maddox.

Returning to the board in 2011 are City Directors Andre Good, Don Hutchings, Kevin Settle and Steve Tyler.

Sanders was at the city offices by 7:45 on Monday morning (Jan. 3), ready to begin the process of moving into the mayoral offices in the city’s downtown space. His morning included “some prep time” with City Clerk Sherri Gard about the details of managing a city board meeting, and also included a 90-minute tour of the various city offices at the downtown location. The tour was conducted by Acting City Administrator Ray Gosack.

“It was very pleasant and very interesting. We have a lot of good people working at the city,” Sanders said of the tour.

However, Sanders’ first official duty — aside from the Jan. 1 swearing-in ceremony — was Sunday.

“Yesterday (Jan. 2), I had the privilege of presenting two Eagle Scouts with awards,” Sanders explained.

The Tuesday board meeting agenda has five items of business, with four rezoning issues and one ordinance changing the time of the Feb. 1 voting meeting. The meeting change is being sought so board members and city staff may attend a Little Rock legislative gala sponsored by several chambers of commerce in western Arkansas. The 88th Arkansas General Assembly convenes Jan. 10 in Little Rock.

The most notable action may be in appointing new members to the Advertising & Promotion Commission, Sebastian County Regional Solid Waste Management District and voting on a vice mayor. The board is expected to vote on a replacement of former Mayor Ray Baker’s position on the A&P Commission and Solid Waste board.

Every two years, the city board elects a vice mayor. Former City Director Gary Campbell served in the role since 1999.

“The vice mayor presides at board meetings in the mayor’s absence and may assist the mayor with ceremonial duties. Any director is eligible to be elected vice mayor,” explained a note from Gosack to the board.

Sanders joked that he has been “encouraged” to keep the meeting short.

“I’m getting some suggestions, that since there is some kind of ball game tomorrow night, that the meeting shouldn’t last long,” Sanders said, referring to the Tuesday night Sugar Bowl game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ohio State Buckeyes. “I just respond that we will take the time to do the business of the city.”