Measure twice, cut once

We are edging closer to screwing this up.

That’s the feeling a few folks are getting with this ongoing and seemingly unguided discussion about improving quality of place assets in Fort Smith and Sebastian County.

What we are talking about, of course, is the potential for up to $40 million in quality-of-place projects designed to diversify what it is that makes life worth living in the Fort Smith region. A community is really two basic things. It’s a place to work and it’s a place to play. For years this community has performed relatively well on the work portion — think street tax improvements, water system expansion, Fort Chaffee — and not so well on the play portion.

But we get it, finally. It’s taken a couple of decades, but we’ve collectively accepted that we must do more to build or improve facilities for tennis, soccer, baseball, softball and a variety of other activities that keep us busy on the weekends and might frequently bring visitors to our fair city. We see the need to do something to maximize the unique jewels that are the Riverfront in downtown Fort Smith and Ben Geren Regional Park. And there is wider acceptance that arts and entertainment — think Second Street Live!, Fort Smith Symphony, Fort Smith Arts Center, etc. — require some measure of consideration in terms of possible taxpayer support.

Now that we get it, we’ve somehow convinced ourselves to rush headlong into the Do Something Now arena in which pretty pictures, a hyperbole-rich opportunity analysis and a hyperactive public relations campaign threaten to marginalize that poor soul on the back row who is unwilling to partake in the communion. (And to think, this all got started because we are about to face a serious funding shortfall at the Fort Smith Convention Center.)

Let’s consider a few points.

• We must measure twice and cut once if we want voter support of an aggressive quality of place plan.
The most successful voter initiatives in the past 15 years were: the $55 million plan that expanded the convention center, built a new public library system and completed the first phase of a riverfront development plan; and the $200 million voter approval to expand Lake Fort Smith AND build a new state park.

A key reason these efforts were successful is because private sector folks were tasked to research, develop and present sound plans to the Fort Smith Board of Directors. In other words, we took the politics and posturing and the politics of posturing out of the experience. We allowed citizens to filter the ideas and push those ideas to the board.

But this new effort is managed as if we all suffer from adult attention-deficit disorder and we can’t focus long enough to pour Ritalin in the water system. For example, to prioritize what might get funding or discussed, the city directors have been putting colored dots on flipcharts for chrissakes! The micromanagement and/or lack of discipline by the city board and city administrator has resulted in numerous groups getting their pet project put on the list for possible taxpayer funding. A person who has closely watched this effort unfold over the past several months noted recently: “This is turning into an elitist free-for-all. Good luck with getting that approved by voters.”

• We must measure twice and cut once if we want voter support of an aggressive quality of place plan.
And then there is this ballfield drama that could cost between $20 million and $35 million. The city of Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Westphal Group are paying about $160,000 for an opportunity analysis to determine the best use of the 85 acres the Westphal family owns on the riverfront in downtown Fort Smith. This prime parcel of land to be anchored on the south by the U.S. Marshals Museum oozes with potential.

Proponents of building a baseball stadium for an independent league baseball team profess with great certainty that it will be The Catalyst for millions of dollars of private development along the riverfront. Unfortunately, the overwhelming evidence from decades of research into taxpayer-supported sports stadiums of all sizes in all sizes of communities suggests otherwise. (Link here to an interesting analysis of the issue by Times Record Sports Editor Scott Faldon. Turn your volume down first.)

Before we ask voters to warm to the idea of forking over up to $35 million for a baseball stadium, we might first present them an honest economic analysis — not to be confused with the aforementioned opportunity analysis. It’s called a business plan. Would you approach a banker or venture capital firm without a rational business plan? Nope. So don’t approach voters without the same respect.

Also, the taxpayer dollars shouldn’t pay the entire tab for the stadium. A private investor (or investors) should have some skin in the game. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10%-15% would be a good start.

• We must measure twice and cut once if we want voter support of an aggressive quality of place plan.
The conventional wisdom is that Fort Smith is full of aginners who don’t get it when it comes to a progressive quality-of-place vision. History suggests otherwise. Fort Smith folks more often than not reward city officials who get it right and propose a progressive and responsible quality-of-place vision.

• We must measure twice and cut once if we want voter support of an aggressive quality of place plan.
Let’s summarize:
— Measure twice, cut once.
— Don’t screw this up.
— Take care of the convention center funding shortfall first.
— Measure twice, cut once.
— Somewhere between measuring twice, not screwing this up and taking care of the convention center deficit FIRST, create at least one task force assigned the goal of working with city and Sebastian County officials to prepare a quality-of-place package that mixes an aggressive vision with practical economics. Give this task force no more than a year to meet its goal.
— Don’t screw this up.
— Do not give this task force colored dots and flipcharts.
— Measure twice, cut once.
— Once a plan is approved, conduct an aggressive 2-3 month voter education campaign prior to a vote.
— Measure twice, cut once.