City leaders agree to buy $4 million office building, paving way for flood and military grant program
In a brief meeting, Fort Smith city directors voted Jan. 21 to approve the purchase of the building already used as city offices.
The building already houses several city service functions, including city clerks, engineering, human resources, citizen services (utilities) and administration.
The $4 million building will come from unobligated year-end funds from the city.
The board also approved resolutions and regulations promoting resiliency grants for military installations. Initial assessment will take up to 12 months, followed by a further 12 months before grant approval for any projects that may be needed.
MIR was established to ensure that military bases can remain operational for 14 days if utilities are cut off or inoperable.
The board approved the consent agenda, which includes appropriations for the design of a mitigation pool on the former ACME Brick property.
City officials have expressed concerns about the nature of the ponds and whether they will stay dry or wet. It is claimed that the designs will provide them with flexibility should they change from dry to wet ponds based on future development of the property.
Dry ponds are designed to temporarily store excess rainwater during heavy rains or floods. These ponds tend to be shallow, bowl-shaped, and have a gentle slope to facilitate water flow and drainage. Dry ponds tend to be cost-effective and low maintenance.
Wet ponds permanently retain pools of water and provide additional rainwater storage capacity during periods of heavy rainfall. Standing water helps improve water quality by trapping sediment and pollutants. These ponds are built deeper and at varying depths to accommodate permanent water levels and additional rainwater. These ponds are very effective in areas with limited space where the goal is water filtration, habitat creation or commercial value.
At a recent research conference, Travis Brisbane of Halff and Associates said the ponds would reduce the life of homes in the surrounding area from a 10-year floodplain to 25 years. It would remove 39 homes from the 25-year floodplain and 11 homes from the 100-year floodplain.
In other action, Neighborhood Services Director Shawn Gard said there are 43 buildings in Fort Smith that he will seek approval for demolition “because they create unsafe conditions.”
The board approved an ordinance calling for the demolition of buildings at 3301 Neis St., 407 N. 17th St. and 920 N. 10th St. within 30 days.
This article originally appeared in the Fort Smith Times-Record: Fort Smith board promotes city services, food protection projects
