Sebastian County Judge proposes Fort Smith lease the Parrot Island Waterpark

Sebastian County has suggested they lease Parrot Island Waterpark to the City of Fort Smith for $1 a year. The facility is now jointly owned by the two governments, with the cost of improvements split evenly.

Sebastian County Judge Steve Hotz emailed Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken Monday (July 29) suggesting the county let the city take over the waterpark at Ben Geren Park, a county-owned park. American Resort Management is contracted by the city and county to manage the park.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on July 9 approved spending $2.1 million for its part of a park expansion with the hope that Sebastian County would do the same. The $4.2 million expansion would add five slides – a connected slide complex that includes two tube slides, two mat racers and one body slide. The Sebastian County Quorum Court voted against the expenditure at its regular board meeting July 16 and again at a special meeting July 25.

“Whereas Sebastian County does not have the revenue sources to keep pace with the City of Fort Smith with regard to upgrades of Parrot Island Waterpark, the County agrees to make the real estate and all improvements owned by the County available to the City on a lease basis, thereby allowing the City to move forward with improvements of the park at their desired pace.  The goal of both parties is to provide the best of a highly desired amenity to the citizens of the City of Fort Smith and of Sebastian County,” Hotz said in the email.

The agreement proposed by Hotz would be that the city would lease all the county property at the waterpark for $1 a year to include real estate, improvements, buildings and equipment, and parking lots owned by Sebastian County within the water park circle, which would need to be defined, and that the city would then agree to maintain the property in like or better condition as received on the date of the agreement.

The city would assume complete responsibility for all costs associated with operations, maintenance and improvements within this circle.

Because the county will be leasing the property at a discounted rate, the employees of Sebastian County will be allowed the same discounts and promotional deals the City offers to its employees.

Should the property cease to be operated aa a water park, the lease agreement would end, and the city and the county would equally share the cost of cleanup, demolition and removal unless other written agreements are approved by the Fort Smith Board of Directors and Sebastian County Quorum Court.

‘THEY CAN HAVE THE NUISANCE’
Hotz told Talk Business & Politics that the county loves the water park but does not have the financial ability to move as fast as the city on improvements or expansion.

“The county simply doesn’t have the financial resources the city does. And so, they’re (moving) at a quicker pace than we can generate revenue for improvements and such,” Hotz said.

He said the county has to balance its budget between existing priorities and having enough money set aside in an emergency fund.

“We could cough it ($2.1 million) up, scrape it up, but why does this get to jump over all other projects we’re working on and become a priority. And why do we want to put ourselves in a tight budget situation. … I’m a conservative financial person, and I want to have money for a rainy day,” he said.

Members of the Quorum Court on July 25 stated that while they were not against parks or even the waterpark, they were against spending the money on it. They said money should go toward staff pay raises and a jail before it goes to non-necessary projects.

“If Fort Smith is so happy with this waterpark, give it to them. … Lease it to them for a buck a year. … They can have the nuisance,” said Justice of the Peace Jackie Davis. “I will not support a sales tax in the county (for a jail) if we are spending money on a waterpark.”

Geffken forwarded the email to the Fort Smith mayor and members of the board of directors Monday noting that Hotz sent the email.

“There are details that need to be worked out and neither one of us has spoken with our respective Legislative bodies,” Geffken said in the email.

SLIDE SURPRISE
Fort Smith Director Lavon Morton said there would be a benefit to the city in the agreement. He said with the lease, the city would be free to make improvements as it sees fit without having to convince the county that they are needed or will be helpful.

“The slide (vote) was a surprise to me. I didn’t expect them not to approve the expenditure,” Morton said. “I didn’t expect them to not want to expand a park that has been doing very well over the past two years.”

If the city were to lease the waterpark from the county, the city would have sole decision-making abilities regarding a slide or other amenity or expanding the park, which has been at capacity most days this season, Morton said. He said the goal of the park is not to make a huge profit but to provide an affordable amenity for children and their parents and grandparents in Fort Smith and the region.

Fort Smith Director Neal Martin said he has concerns about the proposed lease. He said without the county’s assistance, the burden of expanding the park is solely the responsibility of the city.

“This makes it pretty difficult for us to be able to do the things that we need to do in order to expand and grow,” Martin said.

Opened in 2015, Parrot Island Waterpark features the area’s only two-lane FlowRider and wave pool. It also has four twisting and turning water slides, a relaxing lazy river, activity pool and themed children’s aquatic play area, the park’s website states.