Fort Smith staff pitches Brownfields, CPACE and trees as core elements of CPRG sustainability plan

Joshua (city staff presenter) summarized public-input results and recommended several specific measures for the Fort Smith CPRG sustainability plan, including pursuing EPA Brownfields grants and revolving funds, evaluating a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing option for commercial energy retrofits, and expanding the city—s urban- and community-forestry work.

The presentation, delivered as part of the city—s community planning and resilience grant (CPRG) process, opened with survey takeaways: broad support for tree-planting and energy efficiency in public buildings, mixed public views on solar for neighborhoods and schools, and strong interest in sharing program performance data online. Joshua said 363 people responded to the survey and that many respondents reported they participate in recycling programs even though recycling rates in the system data remain inconsistent with that self-report.

Why it matters: staff framed the recommendations as measures that address multiple city priorities at once—public-health benefits from shade and tree canopy, blight remediation and economic reuse of vacant parcels, and energy-cost savings from facility efficiency upgrades.

Staff highlighted Brownfields as a central tool. Joshua said Brownfields grants and revolving funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can pay for environmental assessments and help finance reuse of former gas stations, auto shops, vacant industrial lots and similar properties. He noted the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District had received EPA assessment grants but cannot directly fund reuse; a city-administered revolving fund or pass-through grant could provide the follow-on dollars to clean and market properties for redevelopment.

Joshua gave examples and funding context from the EPA program cited in the presentation: an announcement of $267,000,000 in Brownfields grants; Pine Bluff reportedly receiving $500,000 for assessments; and Region 6 awards in Louisiana described in the packet as "almost $4–5,000,000 for redevelopment." He also referenced an EPA press quotation included in staff materials.

On financing for private commercial upgrades, staff suggested exploring CPACE, a property-tax–linked loan mechanism that MetroPlan used with the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation as an implementing partner. Joshua proposed the city could contract a third party to run a CPACE program and use property tax assessments to collect repayments that would remain with the property when sold.

Urban forestry and trees surfaced repeatedly: staff recommended expanding the city—s urban-forester capacity, targeting low-maintenance plantings in city easements and leveraging tree-planting to reduce urban heat and improve stormwater outcomes. Joshua said residents strongly supported tree planting and that the city is already doing several projects tied to the plan, including large-scale solar plants, public-housing solar pilots, EV charging, alleyway rehabilitation and watershed-management work.

Board reaction and direction: board members asked clarifying questions about grant eligibility, whether the city must own properties to use Brownfields funds, and how CPACE is structured. Joshua and staff said Brownfields pass-through and revolving funding do not require city ownership of a site. Following discussion, a board member moved to place the draft CPRG plan on the board—s July 22 meeting for consideration; a second was recorded and the motion carried by consensus, with staff scheduled to return with a draft for board approval and to submit by Aug. 1 if approved.

What was not decided: no grant awards or new contracts were approved at the meeting. Staff was directed to draft the CPRG plan and return with the full survey results and the draft plan for the July 22 meeting.

Ending: Staff said it would collect the board—s feedback and prepare a draft plan and full survey documentation for the board—s July 22 agenda.