by - April 7, 2026 3:27 pm
While highly technical, the city of Fort Smith recently provided state and federal officials a required consent decree report for 2025. The 123-page outlines compliance actions taken, infrastructure work, and…
by - March 3, 2026 7:20 pm
The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (March 3) approved the modification of a federal consent decree that, according to Mayor George McGill, “puts us at a great place”…
by - February 25, 2026 1:13 pm
The attorney helping the city of Fort Smith modify an onerous federal consent decree requiring significant sewer system spending had a clear message: The city “desperately needs” to sign the…
by - February 23, 2026 3:47 pm
The city of Fort Smith has received a long-awaited consent decree modification from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) which, if approved, provides the city more time and flexibility to…
by - January 28, 2026 4:22 pm
An effort to hire an experienced engineering firm to help the city of Fort Smith address more than $600 million in federally-mandated sewer system work is moving forward, with the…
by - December 1, 2025 12:48 pm
Continuation of two legal services contracts are part of the Fort Smith Board of Directors regular meeting Tuesday (Dec. 2), with one contract to continue working with a law firm…
by - November 4, 2025 8:46 pm
The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (Nov. 4) approved $50.3 million in sewer system improvements mandated by a federal consent decree. The amount included $5.061 million for engineering…
by - September 24, 2025 4:08 pm
Fort Smith taxpayers had a good day in the bond markets on Tuesday (Sept. 23). High demand for bonds sold to fund federally-mandated sewer system work resulted in a lower…
by - June 25, 2025 11:49 am
The City of Fort Smith has assessed 466.18 miles of sewer lines and cleaned 452 miles of those lines since 2015 as part of work to address requirements of a…
by - June 21, 2025 1:45 pm
The Fort Smith Board of Directors has asked city staff to better communicate sewer system work to address improvements mandated by a federal consent decree. Part of that communication will…
by - May 13, 2025 10:04 pm
Fort Smith voters on Tuesday (May 13) approved by a wide margin a sales tax reallocation plan to provide $360 million over 30 years to fund federally-mandated sewer system work….
by - May 6, 2025 8:37 pm
The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (May 6) voted unanimously to direct the city hold a sales tax election in 2030 to give voters a chance to reauthorize…
by - April 28, 2025 8:18 pm
Voters in Fort Smith will on May 13 have the chance for the first time to adequately fund federally-mandated sewer system work and allow city leaders to “move on” to…
by - April 17, 2025 8:05 pm
The Fort Smith Board of Directors, bond underwriters, and federal officials agree that a sales tax reallocation plan to pay for required consent decree work is a “reasonable” and responsible…
by - April 16, 2025 11:18 am
All three measures on the May 13 special sales tax election for the City of Fort Smith must pass in order for the city to fulfill consent decree requirements with…
by - April 3, 2025 12:44 pm
The City of Fort Smith in 2024 completed two major sewer basin projects, cleaned 32,971 linear feet of sewer system lines, and finished assessment of 456.7 miles of sewer system…
by - March 30, 2025 1:17 pm
Some members of the Fort Smith Board of Directors are not letting go of the hope that new leadership in Washington, D.C., will provide the city some flexibility and relief…
by - February 21, 2025 7:36 pm
The May 13 election will include for Fort Smith residents a ballot item to change the city’s sales tax uses to pay for $385 million in bonds to meet a…
by - February 12, 2025 2:59 pm
There is some hope by Fort Smith officials that a new president in the White House or different agency oversight could give the city more flexibility with a federal consent…
by - February 9, 2025 11:02 am
Discussion of three criteria needed to keep the City of Fort Smith in compliance with a federal consent decree is on the agenda for the Board of Directors study session…
