Authority OKs grant contract
Project draws federal, local funds to develop port, facility
FORT SMITH — The Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority made significant headway in implementing a $450,000 matching grant from the Economic Development Administration.
The authority’s board of directors has approved an administrative contract for the grant between the authority and the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District.
On Dec. 18, the board approved an intergovernmental agreement between the authority, the cities of Fort Smith and Van Buren, and Sebastian and Crawford counties regarding submission for the grant. That will provide disaster grant funds to put toward development of an inland port and multimodal facility on the Arkansas River in Crawford County.
Sasha Grist, executive director of the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District, said that the intermodal authority received a letter from the U.S. Economic Development Administration that it had been awarded the grant dated April 16.
Eighty percent of the total funding of the proposed project, or $360,000, will come from the Economic Development Administration grant, according to a summary that was provided at the Dec. 18 board meeting. The local match of $90,000 will be split evenly among the four governmental entities, with each contributing $22,500.
Grist said the administrative contract means that the district will administer the grant for the intermodal authority.
”We will make sure all procurement is done regarding federal guidelines,” Grist said. “We will manage the contractors once contracts are awarded. We will do pay requests, reimbursement requests, just anything that entails keeping the project moving, and making sure that we are all following the grant guidelines as well.”
The contract states all services required and performed will be completed no later than July 8, 2025.
The grant is a three-year period, and the contract’s duration will cover that period, Grist said.
“We’ll make sure that everything is complete,” Grist said.
A payment schedule included in the contract states that the intermodal authority will pay the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District $25,000 to complete the scope of work the contract identifies.
Sen. Mat Pitsch, R-Fort Smith, executive director of the Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority, provided the authority’s board of directors with an update on the grant at Wednesday’s meeting. He said application for the project is going to consist of completing an environmental review for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that has already been started.
“We’ll work on a draft for them, initiating and completing all permits for this project site, and any other environmental documentation, such as, say, a no-rise certificate, completing an engineering study to project costs and needs of all utilities for a future port project, and conducting a preliminary design for the port and multimodal facility,” Pitsch said.
The Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority was awarded and funded at the full requested amount of $450,000 to do this, Pitsch said.
All environmental permitting and design has to be finished before the authority can move to the next phase of construction, according to Pitsch. Starting in August, the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District will advertise for requests for quotes for the design and engineering study to extend utilities, and finish the permitting and environmental. The intermodal authority also needs to establish a review committee for the requests for quotes.
”I would propose to the board members that you allow Jay [White], your chairman, to sign three contracts for the design, the engineering study to extend utilities, and to finish permitting and environmental,” Pitsch said. “We could have a meeting each time those contracts are ready, but we know what they’re going to be. We’re talking very specific about what they need to do, and we need a chairman to sign those.”
Pitsch said the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District will manage each contract. The contractors will submit invoices to both the district and the intermodal authority. The intermodal authority will pay these invoices, with the district then preparing the documents and reimbursement of those expenses through the Economic Development Administration.
The intermodal authority board has also approved granting Board Chairman Jay White the authority to sign the contracts necessary to administer the grant. This is in addition to a motion to have Van Buren Mayor Joe Hurst, Crawford County Judge Dennis Gilstrap, Sebastian County Judge David Hudson and Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken serve on the review committee for the requests for quotes, with White having the option to sit in on the proceedings as well.