[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6553756,"mediaKeyId","5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1","parentId",5065759,"title","Board agrees to pursue a study of Advanced Metering Infrastructure; Ameresco to present formal scope","audioSeconds",4142,"startMs",4876000,"endMs",734000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1&start=4876&end=734","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1/thumbnail_4876000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6553756/Fort-Smith/Sebastian-County/Arkansas/Board-agrees-to-pursue-a-study-of-Advanced-Metering-Infrastructure-Ameresco-to-present-formal-scope","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553756-3da2bd8aa9a4be712e95e3ef37c77dbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948800&Signature=I9fqnJs8zxVjuQUxf5Ju-6fDWguNaB3Ta6mdKlvduwJuUHXmftfRS0fwEr8xSLUXzf8Amd2M~BQwQpWMPYLf8j1Z9WC1w~5zp2k6~zFQxu1LSYuntpb8N8NXsgmOER0d1QBDA4~5bo~Z8bEh6ZKMgv0IvfBkThdnGw5cY4lcpz-kVp5pY9Q0paevZbVMSwM6Gj6~6c-GWthDjMSnFcjYgQiLYh9fY25aZr~J6KnrIww5RJ7hWh2YI4LjRbjUf9OW39QVCp0b2xnq28S1gYFDspzx-2igsSFF6D4gbYvCK7aigAxWs0H1Kpr-un1EcRAPhfX9OPT1Dmn787iMikcO~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fort Smith","date","2025-06-24T17:57:00Z","article","The Fort Smith Board of Directors directed staff to return with a project-development agreement to begin a study of Advanced Metering Infrastructure, after a presentation from Ameresco on AMI benefits, scope and financing options.

Chad Nobles of Ameresco described AMI as an upgrade from manual or drive-by reads to a system that transmits interval meter data to a cloud platform and integrates with billing software and customer portals. \"The lack of the availability of data is real,\" Nobles said, describing how AMI allows customers and staff to identify leaks, set high-consumption alerts and reduce unnecessary truck rolls for manual reads.

Ameresco showed sample results from comparable projects: meter testing often finds larger accuracy shortfalls on intermediate and large meters than on typical residential devices; those commercial and large-meter corrections can produce significant annual revenue recovery. Nobles said an investment-grade audit and field testing are required to determine Fort Smith's expected revenue pickup and the exact implementation price.

On cost, Nobles said the phase-one project-development (\"walk-away\") fee for a city this size typically ranges from about $50,000 to $125,000; that fee is frequently rolled into the construction contract if the board later approves full implementation. He estimated a typical implementation per-endpoint cost range of roughly $500 to $1,200 depending on system complexity and whether meter boxes or additional equipment need replacement.

Board members asked about timing and funding. Ameresco said a full changeout and AMI deployment commonly takes 12 to 24 months after the study and procurement. Nobles said some utilities fund AMI projects through capital leases or tax-exempt lease-purchase arrangements and that Ameresco does not take a share of recovered revenue; the city would keep any increased collections. \"We don't take any percentage of that,\" Nobles said when asked whether the vendor shares in revenue gains.

Directors expressed general support for proceeding to a formal project-development agreement. Director Settle asked staff to return with a formal scope and cost for a study; directors emphasized they would want financial modeling that shows how implementation would affect debt-service coverage and other fiscal metrics before any final contract for a full implementation.

The board did not vote to authorize an AMI contract; it concurred to have staff and Ameresco prepare and bring a scope and contract for board consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Smith - Board of Directors - Special Meeting / Study Session - Jun 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After a presentation from Ameresco, the Fort Smith Board of Directors asked staff to bring back a formal scope and project-development agreement to study Advanced Metering Infrastructure.","taxTitle","Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas","taxId",3748,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553760,"Water utilities director: Fort Smith completed assessments, progress on sewer consent decree but work continues",2562,1478000,4040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1&start=1478&end=4040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1/thumbnail_1478000.jpg","/articles/6553760/Fort-Smith/Sebastian-County/Arkansas/Water-utilities-director-Fort-Smith-completed-assessments-progress-on-sewer-consent-decree-but-work-continues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553760-b9cdc46a94d18b86d7d462fbd5717f01/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948800&Signature=ihwYb~HNifBd6FqewUwj5fmc76FVx-pBVEOPRaqogl0hQ4IUT-gLmrRnzyqQi6~n0LviKi8R3nQCsSo~qAgseGUr9cKD003ogTOPkuWwH8SeQf4ru5JE73nhFKnhUFkwwv6UOLmqOWciJ8exVyVVnmxiZI3XA5QoPbWnQqY8Qblnkz6bD4AFBtJyWUGk~CL17o62AAqBF-EDgefAL6M9DsMi8nbqfYXPzy9hgiKWfx7X-8mgHZOcrpsCW62cxjwNadOsysygcSlUk8qU947SFy5alapiNap6darBW-kXwkt1WJZWfiLM4DoWEH~o1qfMje9PJPzLTeleb2s3y0zVIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fort Smith's water utilities director told the Board of Directors Tuesday that the city has completed the sanitary sewer assessments required by its consent decree, made measurable repairs in 2024, and is preparing a bond-financed construction program to address remaining capacity and structural defects.

\"We are not in compliance with the Clean Water Act,\" Lance McEvoy, Director of Water Utilities, told the board as he opened a multi-part presentation on the consent decree, its history and the city's 2024 annual report to EPA, the Department of Justice and the state of Arkansas. McEvoy described the decree as an agreement among the city, EPA, DOJ and the state to reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and bring the system into compliance.

McEvoy said the utility completed the initial sanitary-sewer-assessment work called for by the decree in 2024 after delays related to COVID-19. For 2024 he reported: 84.33 miles of pipe assessed (the city's entire system is about 535 miles), 2,139 manhole assessments completed last year, 45,270 linear feet of pipe replaced, repaired or rehabilitated, and 523 manholes repaired, replaced or rehabilitated. He said the audit/CCTV work also found 627 private service-line defects and that 143 private service laterals had cracks that would trigger owner notifications.

McEvoy told the board the department recorded 105 dry-weather SSOs in 2024 and about 26 wet-weather SSOs; staff said some events span multiple days, producing 155 SSO days in the reporting period. He described common causes of dry-weather SSOs as structural failures, debris and grease or FOG (fats, oils and grease) accumulation, roots intruding through cracks, and contractor damage.

On the enforcement and compliance front McEvoy said the department issued 410 notices of violation to FOG generators in 2024 and conducted 224 re-inspections; about 61.6% of required commercial FOG generators were fully compliant at last inspection. McEvoy also described the city's supplemental environmental project (SEP) funds, noting a remaining balance of $267,755.08 as of Jan. 1 and saying those funds are being used for low-income homeowner assistance for private-service-line repairs until they are exhausted.

The presentation outlined capacity and remedial work that remains. McEvoy said roughly 23% of required projects were complete at the end of 2024, 11% under contract, 16% ready to bid pending bond issuance, with about half of the line-replacement scope left to design and construct. He showed a progress \"thermometer\" and said the city intends to issue bond financing later in the year, seeking roughly $100,000,000 for construction and design work; he said EPA and DOJ have been informed of the funding plan and that federal and state regulators have expressed that seeing funding and action is important.

McEvoy also described operational and prevention efforts: a private-service-line program with smoke testing and owner notifications, a FOG education and enforcement program (including 1,742 free FOG kits distributed to the public in 2024), root-control and targeted cleaning for problem segments, updates to hydraulic modeling, pump-station and force-main maintenance, and improved computer maintenance management and GIS integration for work-order tracking.

Board members asked questions about reporting conventions and enforcement. A director asked whether the city had requested to treat multi-day events as single events for reporting; McEvoy replied the city had requested that as part of a negotiated modification and was waiting on a reply. On timing he said capacity projects could bring wet-weather SSOs near zero well before the consent-decree end date of 2037, with a tentative target for many capacity projects around 2029; dry-weather SSOs caused by FOG and private laterals he said are harder to eliminate entirely because they depend on private behavior.

McEvoy said the city intends to continue semiannual or annual progress updates and to publish project-level maps, photos and costs; he recommended continuing public education and a regular reporting cadence to build transparency and public confidence.

No formal board action was taken on the report itself during the study session; the board heard the presentation and directed staff to continue with the planned design, bidding and communications steps and to return with updates.","The water utilities director told the Fort Smith Board of Directors that the city completed the sanitary-sewer-assessment work required under its consent decree and completed thousands of feet of repairs in 2024, but significant capacity and structural projects remain.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553766,"Fort Smith board accepts clean audit, discusses $22.7 million assignment to cover 2025 shortfall",1128,321000,1449000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1&start=321&end=1449","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065759-2cc0186b9da7ce1b23d8ec69fe5c58a1/thumbnail_321000.jpg","/articles/6553766/Fort-Smith/Sebastian-County/Arkansas/Fort-Smith-board-accepts-clean-audit-discusses-227-million-assignment-to-cover-2025-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553766-77cfefadcde10528801e4fa160b3f96b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948800&Signature=LfxjkjEGIMCCSwJF3dSSDyrbywJSSQ8Ko3lrdhwb-DygT5VA89pmXiDV9cSuFGUJcsOX-6nzdgmik9bg~lEXuL9ZQP5iN0gF9664q~dZeUV2ga7S8S-sbQ2krax1flcKZELcDGGf-Uj5pOQx8GZwhgovPmm5Z~X6-cRjxMsXI9hRkyVvU1-pxbGFFw8rStf374hCz6TV-gPGOaxSrCIhMKqIK5cLa1iwqhO9G83LmICHTRtnowlWIHBIng87mE7BZnsPS2sAEjs7Tkxh-2XUVc38dANkrRqHzc8lNIk6Y5wwhSPj3GmZgRB5PJ9MzSVcfsBiSl-0t~c09w8YeUR7Wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted 5-0 Tuesday to accept the city's fiscal 2024 external audit and to allow staff to file the final reports.

The audit, prepared by the city's finance staff and audited by Forvis Mazars, returned an unmodified (clean) opinion on the city's financial statements and reported no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control, Dina Enfield, chair of the Audit Advisory Committee, told the board. \"We are receiving an unmodified or clean opinion on the financial statements,\" Enfield said.

The audit packet included the annual comprehensive financial report prepared by Chief Financial Officer Andy Richards and a Government Finance Officers Association certificate of achievement for the 2023 ACFR. Richards told the board the city reported a total fund balance of $35,400,000 at year end, which he said represents about 48% of annual expenditures and transfers; the unassigned portion of that balance was reported at roughly $12,000,000, about 12% of expenditures and transfers.

Board members spent most of their discussion on a $22,700,000 assignment of 2024 fund balance that will be used to cover a projected 2025 budget shortfall. Richards described that amount as largely composed of 2024 carryovers and specific actions taken after the budget was passed, including the purchase of a building. \"The amount that was assigned for subsequent year's budget was $22,700,000 and so that is something that's kind of new,\" Richards said, noting that the figure derives from the amended budget adopted in May.

Director Martin, who has served on the audit advisory committee, said the board needs to be mindful of the general fund through 2025 and recited the board's fund-balance policy thresholds: steps would be taken if the fund-balance percentage fell below 20% and deeper measures if it fell below 15%. Martin also noted the audit reported a 114% debt-service coverage ratio on the schedule cited in the AFCR, above the 110% target.

Public comment on the item included a two-minute statement from Joy McCutchen asking for clarification about carryovers and how the $22.7 million was spent; Richards and Enfield responded to explain the assignment reflected carryovers and recent budget adjustments.

After discussion the board called the roll and the measure passed 5 in favor, 0 opposed. Enfield and Richards were thanked for their presentation; staff will file the final reports to meet reporting deadlines.

Less critical details: the audit also included governmental and single-audit reports under uniform guidance; auditors tested four federal programs that together made up about 63% of the city's total federal awards for 2024, and the audit team reported an unmodified opinion on those major programs.

Votes at a glance: the resolution to accept and file the external auditor's report was adopted 5-0 during the special meeting portion of the session; the board directed staff to file the final reports by the end of the month to meet deadlines.","The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted 5-0 to accept the city's fiscal 2024 external audit, which gave an unmodified opinion. Directors and staff discussed a $22.7 million assignment of 2024 fund balance to cover a projected 2025 budget shortfall and the city's current fund-balance metrics and debt-service coverage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board agrees to pursue a study of Advanced Metering Infrastructure; Ameresco to present formal scope

Water utilities director: Fort Smith completed assessments, progress on sewer consent decree but work continues

Fort Smith board accepts clean audit, discusses $22.7 million assignment to cover 2025 shortfall