Fort Smith board hears lobbying update from Watts Partners

Former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts and Steve Pruitt met with the Fort Smith Board of Directors on Friday (Jan. 28) to summarize the ins and outs of the new political realities in Washington D.C.

Watts was in Fort Smith to speak at the annual meeting of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. Pruitt, a lobbyist with Watts Partners, joined Watts on the trip to provide the governmental affairs update to the city board.

The City of Fort Smith first contracted with Watts Partners in October 2007 to improve the city’s lobbying effort in Washington. Watts Partners is paid $8,500 a month. City officials have said the lobbyists helped obtain more than $1.2 million from the federal government for May Branch flood control ($109,000), streetscape improvements along Garrison Avenue ($900,000) and extension of the downtown trolley ($237,000).

Watts said GOP leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has a “taller order” to cut spending and the size of government than did the majority GOP party between 1999 and 2002. Watts said the landscape has changed “because many members sent to Congress” were sent because of Tea Party votes. He said Tea Party members and other conservatives were “re-energized” by the stimulus bill and health care bill passed during the early months of the Obama Administration.

“They (Republicans) were elected because they were not Democrats,” Watts said. “The voters were not rewarding the GOP, they were punishing Democrats.”

But with a Republican charge to cut the size of government, Pruitt said, upcoming budget battles may likely change application and awarding rules for federal grants and other funding.

Pruitt told the city board and staff to prepare for grant applications that are “more cumbersome” in terms of more detail required. Also, it’s possible that legislation will give federal agencies the power to disperse funds, meaning some lobbying may shift from members of Congress to agency personnel. However, Pruitt said having members of Arkansas Congressional delegation signed on to a project sends a message to agency personnel.

“I think your (Congressional delegation) members may have to be more hands on” to get funding from agencies, Pruitt explained.

Watts said Fort Smith may have an advantage in this area because the city has a good track record of providing detailed applications and follow-up reports on many of the multi-year projects that have received federal funding.

The possible changes also mean top city staff may have to make more trips to D.C., Watts and Pruitt said. For example, Pruitt told the board he would recommend that City Administrator Ray Gosack be prepared to travel to D.C. the weeks of March 28, April 4 and April 11.

Major projects for which Fort Smith is seeking federal funds include:
• $1.5 million for a runway extension at the Fort Smith Regional Airport;
• $5 million for support of wet weather sanitary sewer improvements;
• $2 million to continue the Jenny Lind Road rehab project; and,
• $800,000 for the Fort Smith regional water supply protection project.

Watts, the former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma Congressman, is the founder and chairman of J.C. Watts Companies. The company has operations in Texas, Oklahoma, and South Korea. Under his parent company, Watts’ operations include CLS Group, a project management firm with construction and engineering operations; Oak Crest Capital, a private equity firm; and Watts Partners, a public affairs consulting company.

Clients of the various Watts’ companies include John Deere, Wells Fargo, NASCAR, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Clear Channel Communications and Little Rock-based Dillard’s Department Stores.