Fort Smith operations to return

Offices still off-limits but services to run, executive assures

FORT SMITH — Governments and businesses in the River Valley are looking to return to some semblance of normalcy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken said at Friday’s coronvirus brief that city operations will return to full capacity on Monday, with office workers returning that day. The field staff returned to full operations this week.

However, Geffken noted that city offices will remain closed to the public, with the exception of a collections and customer service area in the lobby of City Hall at 623 Garrison Ave. He reminded those in attendance that although parks are open, the equipment there is still can’t be used because of guidelines and directives from Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Health Department Secretary Nate Smith.

Geffken also brought up Hutchinson’s Executive Order 20-25, which was issued Tuesday and extended Arkansas’ public-health and disaster emergency for 45 more days.

“It’s shown, based on the numbers that were released yesterday, that 770-plus people have active covid-19, and that is much lower than where we were a week ago,” Geffken said. “So the work that everyone has done to maintain social distancing, to wear masks and to make sure they have proper hygiene, washing your hands for 20 seconds, has paid the dividend. And we need to remember that even once the public health emergency is repealed, that this is good practice to maintain.”

Sebastian County Judge David Hudson said county government will coordinate with the Administrative Office of the Courts in regard to personal protective equipment to support the court system. This would be accomplished utilizing supplies procured through that office and working in coordination with the Arkansas Supreme Court for their directives on court operations.

“Many county government services are provided online and by phone, and the citizens are encouraged to continue to use Internet services or phone contact to avoid coming to the courthouses whenever possible,” Hudson said.

Hudson said the county emergency management department continues to support Mercy Fort Smith and Baptist Health-Fort Smith providing coronavirus testing in the parking lot of the Ben Geren Park Safe Shelter. Emergency management workers are also, while working closely with the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, supporting first responder departments in all of the cities in the county with the provision of appropriate personal protective equipment and supplies.

Others who spoke at Friday’s news conference were Mayor George McGill; Dr. Bryan Clardy, Sebastian County health officer and faculty member at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Lorie Robertson, director of marketing for the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority; Libby Meyer, assistant executive director of the Downtown Business Association; and Talicia Richardson, executive director for 64.6 Downtown.