Members sought for Fort Smith Comp Plan ‘implementation’ committee

John Cooley and Rocky Walker are glad the Fort Smith Board of Directors and city staff are moving to appoint a committee to provide oversight of implementation of a Comprehensive Plan.

The Comprehensive Plan approved by the Fort Smith Board on Dec. 16, 2014, includes detailed thoughts and goals in areas that include future land use, economic development, housing and neighborhoods, community and character design, transportation and infrastructure, public facilities and services, and natural and cultural resources.

Work on the plan cost the city $340,000 and took 18 months to complete. More than 20 city residents worked with city staffers and consultants to create the 181-page plan. (Link here for the 181-page PDF of the Board-approved Comprehensive Plan.)

The city on Wednesday (March 18) sent out a press release seeking applications for the nine at-large members of the new committee. According to the city, primary duties of the committee members include “periodic progress meetings with city staff, reviewing regular reports on the progress of the #FutureFortSmith comprehensive plan, to provide feedback on reports before they are finalized, and assist with the preparation of a scorecard to show how the plan is being implemented.” The city also said committee members may work with groups in the city during implementation of plan goals.

At-large members must be residents of the city and must also be registered to vote.

“The update of the comprehensive plan was more than a year and a half in the making. The process included a great deal of citizen input. Implementing the plan will require even more citizen participation. Members of this committee will play an important role in achieving the objectives set forth in this plan,” Mayor Sandy Sanders noted in the press release calling for applications.

The deadline for applications is April 13, with the Board expected to make appointments on April 21.

Cooley, who was the co-chair of the citizen committee appointed to help develop the plan, has applied to be on the implementation committee. Cooley, an executive with Fort Smith-based Propak Logistics, said keeping citizens involved during implementation is necessary for the plan to be carried forward.

“If there is not some level of follow up, then this thing ends up being put on a shelf. It becomes just another book that collects dust,” Cooley said. “It (implementation committee) keeps a heartbeat on the thing, especially with the city. We can’t have spent that money and collected all that input for nothing then to be done with it.”

Key points of the plan Cooley said are important are efforts to “draw more people” to Fort Smith. Funding and completing the city’s trails and greenways plan is a big part of providing amenities that recruit people. That plan, developed by a citizen committee, would add 35 miles to the city’s trail system and would almost create a trail loop around the city. Cost estimates for the work range from $17.4 million to $9.6 million. The Fort Smith Board has approved redirecting 5% of the city’s street tax revenue to the trail system. The redirection is part of a May 12 ballot on renewal of the 1% sales tax that funds the street and drainage budget.

“If we can get that done, that’s a big step in the right direction,” Cooley said of the trail system.

Walker, a homebuilder and owner of Cobblestone Homes, has applied to be on the implementation committee. He also served on the planning committee with Cooley.

“I think the kind of person that needs to be on it (implementation committee) is somebody that cares about Fort Smith, is passionate about the future of Fort Smith and the direction that it is going,” Walker said.

He also said committee members should not seek membership to push their pet project. He said it is “very important” for all members of the committee to have a “broad” view of all the elements needed to make a city successful for future growth.

Joel Culberson served on the planning committee and likes the idea of an implementation committee. But he is not sure how effective it will be.

“I think it will be another group rubber stamping what the city is doing and doubt they will do much holding the city's feet to the fire,” Culberson told The City Wire.

Culberson also is concerned that the city’s requirement to spend up to $480 million in the next 12 years as part of an agreement with the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency. He fears the “grand ideas” in the plan will go unfunded because of the city’s requirement to spend up to $480 million in the next 12 years as part of an agreement with the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency. The order requires extensive investments in new sewer system infrastructure and ongoing maintenance activities to bring the city in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.

Cooley hopes the the sewer system work will not hamstring ideas in the Comprehensive plan.

“I certainly hope not,” Cooley said when asked if he thought the $480 million order would delay or kill some of the projects in the plan.

For information about the application process, contact Wendy Mathis at 784-2201, or [email protected]