City agenda full with broadcast, Marshals money, tax extension

On the last night of televised board meetings, the Fort Smith Board of Directors will formally vote Tuesday (Jan. 17) to change the city ordinance that provides for live coverage of the meetings.

The twice-a-month televised meetings — on the air for about two years — were cut as part of deep budget cuts to find $777,000 for operations of the Fort Smith Convention Center. A 1% prepared food tax to support the marketing and operations of the center was rejected by voters on Nov. 8.

Cutting the televised meetings removed a $7,400 expense from the General Fund budget. Other budget cuts needed to support convention center operations include $317,900 from the Fort Smith Police Department, $121,000 from the Parks Department and $78,290 from elimination of certain merit pay increases.

To allow for a two-week rebroadcast of the Jan. 17 meeting, the Government Access channel policies will not be effective until Feb. 1.

The Board is also expected Tuesday to vote on a $50,000 annual payment to the U.S. Marshals Museum. The funds are designed to help maintain “the national fundraising campaign” for an estimated $50 million museum located in downtown Fort Smith along the Arkansas River.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. To date, museum officials have raised a little more than $9.1 million toward the construction of the 50,000-square-foot museum. A U.S. Marshals Commemorative Coin was recently approved by Congress. Up to $5 million in proceeds from sale of the coin will help fund the museum’s artifact and document preservation and presentation.

Although on the Board’s consent agenda, other major votes scheduled for Tuesday include:
• Consideration of a plan by the city to collaborate with Sebastian County on building an operating ballfields and an aquatics center at Ben Geren Regional Park; and,
• Voting on a resolution endorsing a 1% sales tax extension to fund water/sewer system improvements and the Ben Geren work.

Fort Smith Directors previously agreed to a plan to build two softball complexes totaling approximately $2.8 million, and supporting 50% of an about $8 million aquatics park at Ben Geren. City and county officials estimate operation of the aquatics facility will project a total loss of $125,000 each year, to be divided equally by the two entities. The city’s participation is contingent upon voter approval of the 1% sales tax extension.

The tax extension — with the vote scheduled for March 13 —will present voters with six options:
• Approval of refinancing current sales tax bonds ($55.3 million total). This issue must be passed in order for the second issue to pass.
• Approval of changing the current 1% sales tax to a three-quarter-cent sales tax for fire station improvements, wet weather sanitary sewer improvements, water transmission system improvements and the aquatic center at Ben Geren Regional Park. Voters will decide on whether to use bonds for each of these three areas separately.
• Approval of a quarter-cent sales tax to provide operating costs for the fire department and new projects for the Parks and Recreation Department. This tax has a 10-year sunset provision.