The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved $744,267 for the purchase of 12 new fleet trucks and vehicles for the city’s engineering and street departments Tuesday night (Oct. 18), but it wasn’t without scrutiny from city directors pushing for the long-awaited conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG).
According to Talk Business & Politics, Fort Smith Purchasing Manager Alie Bahsoon faced questioning from City Directors George Catsavis, Kevin Settle, and Mike Lorenz as to why the purchasing request for the new vehicles failed to include a CNG cost comparison since it has been a years-long goal of the Board’s to convert fleet trucks to the cheaper fuel source.