(Fayetteville, N.C.) – The City issues a Council Recap following each work session and regular meetings. Council Recaps are available at fayettevillenc.gov/councilrecap.
RECOGNITIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Colvin and the City Council began the meeting by presenting keys to the City of Fayetteville to several individuals in recognition of their dedicated service to the community. The outgoing garrison commander of Fort Bragg, Col. Scott Pence, was acknowledged with a key for his strong partnership with the City throughout his leadership.
Two additional keys were presented to teenage sisters, Cheyanne and Cali Rai Campos, who created a non-profit, Giving Back Warm Hugs, that has provided free shoes and socks, haircuts, job fairs and dresses for youth in the community. They also established their own business with the purpose of funding their non-profit work.
AGENDA APPROVAL
The agenda for the Council meeting was approved with the exclusion of two items—7.01 and 10.03—which will come back to Council during a June meeting.
Items passed on the May 23 Consent Agenda include the following:
Council issued an order of approval regarding a special use permit for the expansion of a veterinary clinic to allow dog kennels on 0.84 acres of property located at 2921 Ramsey Street. Council held an evidentiary hearing on this matter on April 25 and voted to issue the SUP. Read more about this agenda item.
Council approved a demolition ordinance on three residential uninhabitable structures determined to be dangerous. The properties are located at 310 Ingram Street, 522 School Street and 4830 Belford Road. City staff will continue to work with property owners in an attempt to bring structures into code compliance prior to demolition. Read more about this agenda item.
Council approved a revision to the Center City Parks & Trail Master Plan to include a trail that will provide access to Mazarick Park/Glenville Lake connecting it to the Murchison Corridor. Read more about this agenda item.
Council authorized the provision of legal representation to a City employee named as a defendant in a lawsuit regarding an alleged incident that occurred when the employee was within the course and scope of employment. Read more about this agenda item.
Council identified one consent agenda item for additional discussion and subsequent approval.
Council approved agreements with sub-recipients of an FTA grant through Transit that enhances mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Sub-recipients of the grants include Mid-Carolina Council of Governments for the Cumberland County Community Transportation Program ($200,000) and Hoke County for the construction of bus shelters and stops ($81,400). Read more about this agenda item.
STAFF REPORTS
In the first of two staff reports, Fayetteville Fire Department Chief Mike Hill provided the first quarter report for 2022 to highlight performance metrics and key departmental activities. Chief Hill presented key accomplishments including Firefighters' recent rescue of 12 people from an apartment complex fire and new hires and promotions. Following questions and conversation, Council accepted the 2022 First Quarter Fire Department report. Read more about this agenda item.
In the second staff report, Fayetteville Police Department Chief Gina Hawkins provided the first quarter report for 2022 to highlight staff accomplishments and retirements, new violent crime prevention personnel, performance metrics, local and national crime trends, strategies to maintain and improve public safety and key departmental activities. Following questions and conversation, Council accepted the 2022 First Quarter Police Department report. Read more about this agenda item.
LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS
The first of two legislative hearings approves the conditional rezoning from community commercial to community conditional of a property at 505 Forsythe Street to allow the expansion of mobile military classroom storage. The Zoning Commission held a legislative hearing on April 12 and recommended approval when an appeal was then filed on April 29. Council voted to approve the conditional rezoning with specified conditions as proposed. Read more about this agenda item.
The second legislative hearing rezones a number of properties in and around Downtown Fayetteville to newly created downtown district 1 (DT-1) and downtown district 2 (DT-2) through a map amendment. This rezoning is part of a phased implementation of the Downtown Urban Design Plan. Council voted to approve the map amendments to DT-1 and DT-2 as proposed. Read more about this agenda item.Read more about the Downtown Urban Design Plan.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
This item makes text amendments to Article 30 of the City's Unified Development Ordinance to implement the Downtown Urban Design Plan in accordance with the map amendments approved in the preceding hearing. Staff held a public meeting with stakeholders to solicit feedback in January 2022. On March 15, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the text amendments as written. Council voted to adopt all of the proposed text amendments for DT-1 and DT-2. Read more about this agenda item.Read more about the Downtown Urban Design Plan.
The second public hearing regarding text amendments to the City's Unified Development Ordinance allows for the conversion of existing hotel/motel buildings into multi-family residential developments. The proposed changes will allow the reuse of old facilities by transforming them into multi-family housing. Council voted to adopt all of the proposed text amendments as written. Read more about this agenda item.
Council conducted a third public hearing to approve the proposed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Annual Action Plan (AAP) to implement the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and Housing Opportunities for People with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA). Presented by the Economic and Community Development Department, the AAP covers the expenditure of some $8.2 million in federally-funded programs to address priorities identified in the Consolidated Plan. Council voted to approve the Annual Action Plan. Read more about this agenda item.Read more about ECD's Consolidated Plan.
The second to last public hearing reviewed the proposed Amendment to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2021 - 2022 Annual Action Plan (AAP) to include HOME Investment Partnership funds authorized through the American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) in the amount of $3,397,564. Council concluded the hearing by voting to approve the proposed amendment. Read more about this agenda item.
The final public hearing concerned an installment financing agreement not to exceed $10,500,000 for the costs of constructing and equipping the new Fire Station 4. Council concluded the hearing and voted to approve three resolutions allowing for the execution of a financing agreement for construction. Read more about this agenda item.
OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS
In the final item of the night, the City Manager presented the recommended balanced FY23 City of Fayetteville annual budget. Over the following two weeks, Council will engage in a series of budget work sessions to discuss the proposed budget which will be followed by a public hearing that was scheduled for June 13. Read more about this agenda item.Read more about the annual budget and budgeting process.
The next regular City Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers in City Hall. Meetings also air live on Spectrum Channel 7, the City of Fayetteville YouTube Channel and on the FayTV app available on your streaming device. City Council will hold their monthly Work Session on Monday, June 6 at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers in City Hall. Meeting agendas, supporting documentation and minutes are publicly available here. For more information about the Fayetteville City Council, please visit fayettevillenc.gov/citycouncil.
