Fort Smith director’s bid to alter agenda fails

FORT SMITH — Discussing removal of the Civil Service Commission chairman will create another uproar Fort Smith doesn’t need, a city director said Thursday in his unsuccessful attempt to remove the executive session item from Tuesday’s meeting agenda.

George Catsavis contacted City Clerk Sherri Gard on Thursday afternoon and requested the discussion over removing commission Chairman Chip Sexton be dropped from the agenda, Gard wrote in an email she sent out at 4:18 p.m. Thursday.

“I think it’s ridiculous to even consider removing Chip Sexton,” Catsavis said.

He said Sexton did a good job on the commission and is well-respected within the city. Catsavis also said the directors just weathered a controversy over recycling and they need to move on with the work of the city and not create another dispute.

Gard wrote city ordinances require consent of four directors to add or remove an agenda item. She contacted all but one of the other directors, Kevin Settle. Of the others, she wrote, City Director Don Hutchings wanted the executive session item removed, but City Directors Keith Lau, Andre Good, Mike Lorenz