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Fort Smith board approves modification to federal consent decree, extending deadline and clearing financing path
Summary
The Fort Smith Board approved a negotiated modification of its wastewater consent decree that extends the compliance deadline, allows additional borrowing and aims to put the city on a path to durable compliance while leaving future rate choices to the board.
The Fort Smith Board of Directors voted 6–0 on March 3 to approve a negotiated modification to the city’s federal consent decree that extends the time for required wastewater improvements and clarifies financing steps to complete the work.
City attorney Paul Kalamida, who addressed the board remotely, said the modification would extend the implementation window by about 11½ years — moving the compliance target to June 30, 2038 — and provide the city a “fresh start” to pursue durable compliance while continuing coordination with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The board heard staff describe a financial plan that contemplates reallocating…
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