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Fort Smith board rescinds Parrot Island contract with Royal Ridge after bid issues; residents criticize procurement
Summary
Directors approved an ordinance terminating the prior contract with Royal Ridge Construction for Parrot Island water‑park slides and directed staff to reissue bids; public commenters criticized the prior award process and urged focus on water and sewer infrastructure.
The Fort Smith Board voted to rescind the earlier ordinance that awarded a contract to Royal Ridge Construction for water slides at Parrot Island Waterpark and authorized the mayor to sign a termination memorandum so staff can reissue the request for bids.
Staff told the board the reissuance of bids is underway and that bids are scheduled to open March 5. Commenters warned the board this episode reflected poor prior diligence and expressed concern about future legal exposure. Resident Crystal Cadelli called the situation “yet another embarrassing situation for the city,” questioned whether the city had discussed the consent decree with the EPA, and urged the board to prioritize water, sewer and drainage improvements over the water‑park contract.
Chris Cadelli criticized how the project had been handled, arguing the initial no‑award bid process followed by a noncompetitive award and termination had created unnecessary risk. The board proceeded to adopt the ordinance terminating the prior contract and authorized reissuing the bidding process; the motion passed 6–0.
What’s next: staff will complete the reissued procurement process with bids opening on March 5; the board did not direct further litigation steps in the public portion of the meeting.
