Fort Smith, Ark. – According to the state officials, this is the second loan to the city the Governor has supported and is part of the state’s larger effort to ensure the residents of Helena-West Helena recover from this immediate emergency and are more secure moving forward.
Since the Governor’s visit last August when she met with the Mayor of Helena-West Helena, Senator Murdock, Representative McElroy, County Judge Clark Hall, Chris Colclasure, and other local and state leaders to discuss potential long-term solutions to Helena-West Helena’s water infrastructure issues, she and her office have been in constant contact with local officials in Helena to assist the community in addressing water issues.
She has deployed multiple state agencies, including the National Guard, to assist the community.
The Governor encouraged expedited approval of a $100,000 loan from the ANRC to the city last summer to fix water system leaks.
The Governor ordered a comprehensive analysis and update of Arkansas’ water plan last summer to address issues that have arisen in the past decade since the state last updated its water plan.