Fort Smith grants writer focused on public safety, infrastructure, other key projects

Chris Hoover has had a lead role in helping the City of Fort Smith receive grants for the city’s fire department, climate and pollution control, and infrastructure needed for the F-35 pilot training mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

Hoover started with the city in a newly created position in October 2023. Before that, the city never had a grants manager. While there was a grants administrator who handled reporting on the back end, there was no one on the front end actively seeking funding opportunities or assisting with the application process, Hoover said.

“One of my initial goals was simply to understand how the city operated and analyze our historical approach to grants. Nearly a year later, there are still many things I am learning because of the many moving parts involved,” he said.

Every state, county, and city in the nation is in a unique situation due to the availability of a significant amount of federal funding through grants, Hoover said. Legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have all contributed to this increase in funds. These measures were enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to stimulate and recover the economy.

“You can think of these current pieces of legislation and grant programs like what occurred after the Great Depression, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal was introduced. Some of the programs created under the New Deal, like the Public Works Administration, provided billions of dollars to build airports, bridges, roads, hospitals, and more. Similarly, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has enabled a once-in-a-generation investment in American infrastructure, providing $350 billion for infrastructure and transportation projects from FY2022 to FY2026,” Hoover said.

While there is no guarantee that any of the programs will be reauthorized, Hoover believes some will be continued since they existed before the BIL

“Given this context, our current focus has been on pursuing programs supported under the BIL to secure these funds while they are still available,” he said.

GRANT AWARENESS
Hoover starts his day with a check of various grant websites for newly announced programs. If he finds a program that seems like a potential fit, he reviews the associated Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which serves as a guidebook for each grant, providing essential details such as the purpose of the grant, eligible costs, submission requirements, and more.

“The first section I review in the NOFO is the eligibility information, which outlines who can apply for the grant, whether it be a state, city, non-profit, or state applying on behalf of a municipality or county, as well as any geographical and population size restrictions. Once eligibility is confirmed, I read the NOFO in its entirety, and share it with the relevant department head to see if they have a project that might be a good fit, as they are the subject matter experts,” Hoover said. “From there, we discuss submission deadlines, requirements, and other key details.”

Each grant is unique and differs in structure, often requiring weeks or even months to prepare an application, followed by a long waiting period to find out if the city has been awarded the grant, he said. One of Hoover’s focuses since he started in his position has been raising awareness among departments about grants and what they entail.

“Earlier this year, we collaborated with the Arkansas Municipal League to conduct an eight-week grants course, with a representative from each department attending. The course covered everything from finding grants to budgeting, data collection, and audits. This training has been tremendously helpful for everyone, and I hope to offer it quarterly as a refresher,” he said.

FIREFIGHTER, EBBING SUPPORT
In the past year, the city has received several grants, including the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Grant, and the Mission Installation Resilience Grant, Hoover said. The Fort Smith Fire Department will use the $140,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant to create a wellness program for firefighters. With a 10% match from the city, the funding will establish an occupational medical program for FSFD, fully compliant with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 standards.

The grant will cover essential startup costs, including baseline physicals, immunizations, and cancer screenings. This program aims to standardize and improve the level of healthcare provided to firefighters, focusing on early detection of critical health issues like cardiac events and cancer – two of the leading causes of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters, a news release from the city said.

“We are dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of our firefighters, who put their lives on the line for our community every day,” said Fort Smith Fire Chief Boyd Waters. “This grant from FEMA will allow us to establish a robust health program that supports their well-being and operational readiness.”

Funds from the Mission Installation Resilience Grant will be used to review city infrastructure that supports Ebbing, including electricity, water, sewer, and natural gas.

“We will be hiring a program manager to oversee this project. We plan to apply for additional MIR components in the future to build on what this current grant provides. Once these components are complete, the city will then be eligible to apply for funding to support necessary infrastructure upgrades,” Hoover said.

OTHER GRANTS
The city received $14.5 million as part of a $99 million application submitted to the EPA in partnership with Little Rock-based Metroplan and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. The funds will be used for alleyway rehabilitation, an e-bike rebate program, EV charging infrastructure, a public housing solar project, and workforce development.

There are also several grant programs the city has applied for but have not yet been awarded, Hoover said. The city is working on submitting four federal grant applications: the Noise Mitigation Program, the EPA Community Change Grants Program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant through the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program through FEMA. Dollar amounts for the four grants are still to be determined, Hoover said.

The EPA Community Change Grants Program would support solar initiatives, complete street work on downtown Rogers Avenue, the planting of new trees and the completion of a section of May Branch Phase II. If awarded, it would be at zero percent cost share to the city. The Noise Mitigation Program through the Department of Defense would fund measures to reduce noise impact in public facilities due to the FMS mission, within predetermined noise contour levels set by the DOD.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant through U.S. Department of Justice will help the Police Department replace equipment. If awarded, the BRIC, which is a FEMA program, would provide funds to be used to build retention ponds for flood control at the Acme Brick Property. The state must apply to FEMA on the city’s behalf, Hoover said.

“While there are other grants we have considered, we decided not to pursue them at this time due to factors like timing and current project components. However, we plan to pursue some of these opportunities next year,” Hoover said.

GRANTS PENDING
The city also has  submitted several grant applications on which they await award announcements. Following are some of the applications.

• Airport Terminal and Tower Project Program
Funds will be used for terminal complex upgrades, including a $2.22 million solar farm, $250,000 for LED lighting in the parking lot, $260,000 to replace a generator, $5.4 million to replace all three jet bridges, and $110,000 for design work. Fort Smith is the only commercial service airport in Arkansas that has not received this grant.

“We hope our application will be viewed favorably due to this,” Hoover said.

• Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (Application No. 1)
If awarded, funds would support multimodal corridor plans and partial design work for Grand Avenue, which the city could use for construction.

• Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (Application No. 2)
Submitted by Sebastian County with support from Fort Smith, this planning grant would study the feasibility of a multiphase trail network between Fort Chaffee and Southern Sebastian County through the City of Greenwood and other small municipalities.

• Hopey’s Heart Foundation
If awarded, funds would be used to buy two to four automated external defibrillator kits to be placed in various locations throughout the city.

• Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Grant Program
This grant would support further implementation of the FSPD wellness unit by funding trained peer counselors and developing a smartphone app to identify areas for improvement.

• Leary Firefighters Foundation Grant Program
If awarded, funds will be used to purchase an electric spreader to assist FSFD personnel in vehicle extrication scenarios, along with two batteries and a charger.

• Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program
Funds would be used for supplemental planning activities related to the Safe Fort Smith Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, focusing on Grand Avenue and Park Avenue. The project includes using quick-build strategies, such as delineators for cycle tracks and crosswalk striping enhancements, and pilot programs testing new safety technologies like rectangular rapid flashing beacons and speed feedback signs.

• State Farm Good Neighbors Grant
If awarded, funds would be used to purchase a wearable “Pawfficer Fuzz” suit for the Police Department.

• Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Office of Outdoor Recreation Matching Grant Program
If funded, this grant would help expand facilities at John Bell Jr. Park by installing pickleball courts and a water fountain. This is a dollar-for-dollar matching grant.

• Arkansas Department of Transportation Alternative Program/Recreational Trails Program
If awarded, funds will be used to complete May Branch Greenway Phase 1B, connecting the level portion of the Greg Smith River Trail to North P Street and Phase 1A.

• Arkansas Department of Public Safety DPS Public Safety Equipment Grant Program
If awarded, funds would be used to purchase 12 rifle-rated ballistic shields for patrol cars and two BRINC Lemur 2 unmanned aircraft drones to replace existing DJI products.

• U.S. Department of Transportation Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program
If awarded, this grant would fund the installation of 12 electric vehicle charging stations in Van Buren, Fort Smith, and Greenwood, resulting in 76 charging ports and a 393% increase in EV charging capacity in the area. The total project cost is $11.174 million with 80% or $8.9 million, covered by federal funding and a 20% local match. The cities of Fort Smith, Greenwood, and Van Buren will not contribute to the match, because partner, Francis Energy, will cover the 20% local cost share.