FORT SMITH : Directors OK water for towns
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
FORT SMITH — It appears city directors will pass a resolution next week expressing willingness to sell water to a water association of neighboring towns, enabling it to seek government funding to improve water facilities.
Two Fort Smith directors who voted in August to table consideration of the resolution, Steve Tyler and Andre Good, said Tuesday they would vote for the resolution.
Their votes in August, with those from Kevin Settle and Bill Maddox, were enough to table the resolution for six months while a study was done to determine the lifespan of Lake Fort Smith, Fort Smith’s main water supply.
Acting City Administrator Ray Gosack said Tuesday some directors wanted to reconsider the resolution and not wait six months for an independent review. Gosack said according to staff calculations, the addition of the new water customers would increase the city’s water use by 70, 000 gallons a day or 0. 3 percent.
Settle and Maddox still appeared to oppose selling water to the association, expressing fears of running low on water in the future. Maddox said he was concerned if one of the small communities in the association landed a large industry, their increased water demand could leave Fort Smith residents short of water and require Fort Smith to build a new reservoir.
But directors Gary Campbell, Rick Parrish and Cole Goodman continued to voice support for the resolution.
“It really is a no-brainer,” Parrish said. “They need water; we’ve got it to sell. I don’t know what the fuss is.” Members and supporters of the Franklin and Sebastian Water Association requested the resolution so they could apply for federal and state grants and loans to pay for upgrading their water infrastructure, laying water lines to connect to Fort Smith’s system and to purchase water from Fort Smith as a supplemental water source.
Agencies offering the grants and loans require a reliable source of water before releasing any money for improvements.
The association is composed of the towns of Lavaca and Central City, which buy water from Fort Smith, Charleston and the River South Rural Water District in Franklin County.
State Rep. Steve Breedlove, D-Greenwood, speaking for the association, told directors that delaying the resolution would dash those communities’ hopes of applying for state funds in the 2009 legislative session. If the applications didn’t go in next year, the next chance would be 2011.
Breedlove said cities like Charleston were in desperate need of a supplemental water source and would run out of water in another dry summer like the one in 2006.
Greenwood is not included in the resolution for the water sale.
A Sept. 17 letter from Breedlove to Gosack said because Sebastian County’s second largest city has not decided whether it wants to buy water from Fort Smith, Greenwood withdrew from the water sale because it did not want to jeopardize the other members ’ desire to buy Fort Smith water.
But the Greenwood City Council met in a special meeting Monday and passed a resolution to remain a member of the association for the purpose of seeking funding for water improvements it might not otherwise be able to afford, the resolution said.
Greenwood Mayor Kenneth Edwards said the town wanted to explore other options for purchasing supplemental water, such as from the neighboring James Fork Regional Water District that supplies water to parts of south Sebastian and Scott counties.
Edwards said Greenwood has a connection with James Fork for emergencies but has not needed it this year. When it does, he said, James Fork charges Greenwood $ 13, 000 a month for water.
Edwards also said it would be impractical to purchase water from Fort Smith as a member of the association since the water sold to the association would be sent down a pipe along Arkansas 22. He said about nine miles of pipe would have to be laid across Fort Chaffee to connect Greenwood to that water line.
If Greenwood decides it wants to buy water from Fort Smith, he said, it would be easier to tap the city’s line near U. S. 71.
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