Automated trash issue makes the November ballot

Submitted by The City Wire Staff on Fri, 08/31/2012 - 3:20pm

Fort Smith citizens will get a chance to vote in November on mandating a citywide automated trash collection system, and possibly put an end to a controversial issue that has plagued the Fort Smith Board of Directors in recent months.

On Friday (Aug. 31), Fort Smith City Clerk Sherri Gard sent a letter to Joel Culberson saying his petition effort has been certified as sufficient and will be part of the Sept. 4 Fort Smith Board agenda.

Earlier this year when the Fort Smith Board voted 4-3 to halt full automation of trash collection, Culberson vowed before the Board to gather signatures to place the issue on the November ballot and overturn the Board action.

Culberson submitted 3,340 signatures to the City Clerk’s Office on Aug. 8, and on Aug. 23 was notified by Gard of being 10 signatures short of the 2,822 threshold. Culberson’s petition also required minor language changes.

The signature shortfall and language issues were corrected.

“After consultation with the city attorney, I have determined that the submitted amendments/corrections to the Initiative Petition filed with my office on August 29, 2012 have addressed the previous insufficiencies as noted in my initial determination letter dated August 23, 2012,” Gard wrote in her Friday letter to Culberson.

The Board action on Sept. 4 is a formality that alerts the Sebastian County Election Commission that the initiative is qualified to be placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for Culberson, who had little time to collect the signatures. Also, after he submitted 3,340 signatures to Gard’s office, the four Fort Smith Board members who voted to halt the fully automated plan suddenly changed their votes during an Aug. 23 meeting.

“I hate to say it’s anti-climactic, but with the board’s decision to reverse, it is. But symbolically” it has been important, Culberson said Friday afternoon. “And seeing it get to the ballot, getting it to this point, is important to me because so many people got behind it.”

He is planning to issue a statement that thanks the people who were “so important in getting this all pulled together.”

Culberson reiterated that the Vote for Automated group decided to move forward with the initiative after the Board changed its vote because an initiative will require five Board votes to change, rather than four.

“That’s one of our basic arguments, that given all the back and forth with this Board, it just makes it (automated plan) a safer and stronger decision if approved by the people,” Culberson explained.

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Don’t expect an aggressive campaign promoting the issue.

“We will do a limited campaign, maybe just before the election ... We will try keep our Facebook campaign going, try to keep it fresh,” Culberson said when asked about the campaign to gain voter approval.

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Comments

All this...

Submitted by Generation4 on Fri, 08/31/2012 - 4:38pm.

..just to change to a more efficient method of trash pickup like so many other cities have adopted without an epic squabble. All of this...which very much includes many of our elected leaders also. Congratulations to Culberson and those who worked with him to prevent a few people heavily involved in local politics to dominate things as usual.
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This was never just about

Submitted by Judith Moran on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 10:26am.

This was never just about trash. At times, it was also about micromanagement and thinly-veiled racism; about conflict of interest and favoritism; about elitism under the guise of historical preservation; about defying the majority wish in favor a few claiming special privilege. It was about possible collusion in violation of open-meeting requirements, and it was about four board members whose machinations ultimately left them hoist on their own petard.
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True

Submitted by John Q (not verified) on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 11:58am.

Ms. Moran your comments are so true. The thinly-veiled racism was by the Vote for Automated (VFA) group, why else they would use pictures of a Black Man on their FB page that is holding a sign "I am a man". That picture was completely taken out of context, its original purpose was a follow up story about Memphis in the 60's and the race issues there. Elitism?? Yes, by the VFA group and the majority of the signers who this issue would never effect. The cost differential would have been less than a dime a month. Violation of open meeting? NO, it was a group of directors who concluded that no compromise would ever be met. They individually listened to the voters who were actually effected by this issue and said enough is enough. Time to move on. Your comments are offensive and only cause more division among our city. Hoist your petard and lets break down the walls of negativity.
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art for life's sake

Submitted by convivial on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 10:16pm.

Perhaps you should have read Leonard Pitts article before commenting. Here is an excerpt: "Last month marked 40 years since striking sanitation workers in Memphis, virtually all of them black, composed a defiant response: I AM A Man … the verb capitalized and underlined for emphasis on signs they carried as they marched for fair wages, for better conditions, for their own dignity." The photographer, E. Nickelberry, created a set of artistic photographs to accompany the article that retrospectively spoke to the author's words. It was about dignity, not about race. Who are we as a civilization if we cannot use our technologies to lighten the burdens of our fellow man?
Perhaps you should have read Leonard Pitts article before commenting. Here is an excerpt: "Last month marked 40 years since striking sanitation workers in Memphis, virtually all of them black, composed a defiant response: I AM A Man … the verb capitalized and underlined for emphasis on signs they carried as they marched for fair wages, for better conditions, for their own dignity." The photographer, E. Nickelberry, created a set of artistic photographs to accompany the article that retrospectively spoke to the author's words. It was about dignity, not about race. Who are we as a civilization if we cannot use our technologies to lighten the burdens of ...>> Read the entire comment.
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Worn out claims

Submitted by arnold fudpucker on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 3:41pm.

Racism? How so, please explain! People have grown very leery of these knee jerk racism claims when they have no real valid argument or proof. Your explanation would be appreciated and possibly enlightening.
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