Fort Smith residents provide input on comp plan update

Citizens got their first chance to take part in the future direction of the city of Fort Smith at two public meetings held today (July 29).

The first meeting, at 11:30 Monday morning (July 29), took place at the Creekmore Community Center where about 20 citizens showed up to voice their opinion about the city's direction.

Silvia Vargas of Wallace, Roberts and Todd, the city's comprehensive plan consultants, said the city's plan needs to be updated in order to keep up with changes in the city since it was implemented in 2002.

"Comprehensive plans are not static," she said. "You have to go back and make changes. Policies that were good in 2002 may not still be valid. It's really important for us to get your ideas for the future of Fort Smith for the next 20 years."

Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders equated what would result from this visioning process today as resulting in a "guidebook" for the city.

"It's basically a guidebook to give us the marching orders for the next 15 to 20 years. We want your thoughts, you suggestions," he told about 40 participants at the 5:30 p.m. meeting in the community room at the Fort Smith Public Library's main branch on Rogers Avenue.

Fort Smith resident Tyrone Bell said he was excited about the visioning process, equating the process to Biblical terms.

"In the Bible, it says where there is no vision, the people perish," he said. "It's going to take more than a few people in a board room to move this city forward."

Bell said the city's citizens must want more than the status quo in the future.

"I hope we can be transparent with each other moving forward and accomplish something. I hope we can see ourselves in a different place. We need to be in a different place than where we are now."

Teresa Brunk, who has lived in Fort Smith for the last 29 years, echoed those sentiments as she discussed the challenges she sees for the city moving forward.

"We need a stronger police department. We have people rolling in here delivering drugs," she said. "It's the government running the police departments."

She specifically highlighted what she said is a lack of police protection during the evening and overnight hours and a focus on traffic violations during daytime hours.

According to Brunk, the situation has gotten so bad that her son has expressed a desire to leave the city. She said it could have been an option for her and her husband, too, if circumstances weren't what they are currently.

"I can't leave, not with my husband having stage four cancer. But my son wants to leave. Fort Smith needs to open their eyes. They've changed what used to make it great."

City of Fort Smith Communications Manager Tracy Winchell said the comments of Bell and Brunk represent the varied reactions and feedback the city has received through the comprehensive plan update. And it is what the city is looking for.

"It's really neat to hear people talk about our community in a friendly and honest setting. It's a safe setting to talk about potentially hot topics,” Winchell said.

She said while formal meetings, such as the ones held today, are part of the visioning process, other informal meetings are also taking place, including a recent one at the Rotary Club.

"Their list of strengths was a lot stronger than their list of weaknesses. That's a realization that things may be better than we realize."

The final Future Fort Smith Community Forum will take place tomorrow (July 30) at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Smith Senior Activity Center, located at 2700 Cavanaugh Road.