Animal services panel fills top post

FORT SMITH — The Fort Smith Animal Services advisory board took measures Wednesday to address vacancies in its leadership.

The board voted to appoint board member Jesse Fenwick to the position of chairman during its meeting Wednesday. Fenwick was appointed to the board Sept. 17.

City Administrator Carl Geffken wrote in an Oct. 29 letter to the board and the Fort Smith Board of Directors that Robert Naumoff and Brandon Weeks resigned from their positions in October. Sgt. Michael McCoy, support services supervisor for the Fort Smith Police Department, said Naumoff served as chairman of the board while Weeks was the vice chairman.

The board voted to table the nomination of the vice chairman because of the absence of another board member, Nicole Morton, at the meeting.

There are currently seven people on the board, McCoy said, but there are supposed to be nine total. In his letter, Geffken said the city administrator’s office would be taking applications for the two vacancies until the close of business Wednesday. A list will be compiled for the Board of Directors to review. Applicants must be residents and registered voters in Fort Smith, and applications are available on the city’s website.