Waterpark lease, $4.2 million for slides on Fort Smith Board agenda

The Fort Smith Board of Directors will not only once again take up the subject of new slides at Parrot Island Waterpark, but is expected to consider a lease proposal with Sebastian County for its half of the joint venture.

On the agenda for Tuesday’s (Aug. 6) regular meeting are two items relating to Parrot Island Waterpark. First is a resolution authorizing a lease agreement with Sebastian County for the county’s half ownership interest and responsibility of the waterpark, creating a situation where the city becomes solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of the park, Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken noted in a memo.

The lease agreement, which has not yet come before the Sebastian County Quorum Court, would have the city leasing the waterpark from the county for $1. Geffken said the agreement is “still being reviewed by the County.”

The second waterpark item on Tuesday’s agenda is an ordinance that would allow the city to initiate the purchase of the $4.2 million water slide complex through American Resort Management (ARM), including making a down payment of 30% of the purchase price in the amount of $1.26 million. ARM is contracted by the city and county to manage the park.

The down payment will secure the slides for the park and initiate shipping the slides to Fort Smith, which will also be at the city’s expense. If the purchase is approved, another 30% of the purchase price is due upon delivery, and the remaining 40% of the purchase price is due upon the completion of the slide complex installation.

The Fort Smith Board 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.

Sebastian County Judge Steve Hotz emailed Geffken July 29 suggesting the county let the city take over the waterpark at Ben Geren Park, a county-owned park.

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.

Fort Smith Directors André Good, Lavon Morton, and Kevin Settle have spoken in favor of the slides in the past month. 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. Director Neal Martin has voiced 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.

Director George Catsavis is against the lease proposal.

“All this does is allow the city to justify spending $4.2 million on new slides without county participation, which I am totally against. I voted against the first proposal by the city for $2.1 million, which would come from the city’s general (fund), which funds police, fire and parks departments. These funds would be better spent supporting these departments,” Catsavis 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.

Geffken has advocated for expansion of the waterpark.

“This will continue to bring people back to our area and is why Parrot Island has experienced days with over 2,500 guests during the day and over 2,000 guests at night for ‘Dark Waters’ – select evenings when the water park is open from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm,” Geffken told Talk Business & Politics. “Additionally, Parrot Island benefits our community by employing four, year-round, full-time employees to manage, maintain, and operate the park and employing 250 to 300 seasonal employees, 150 of which are lifeguards.”