Combined Committee of the Whole & City Council Meeting - January 13, 2026

This combined meeting of the Committee of the Whole and City Council convened on January 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Bentonville City Hall. The agenda included discussions on the 2026 City Council calendar, revisions to public comment procedures, drainage improvement options for Tiger and Northwest G Street, and several land-use ordinances, along with public hearings and appointments. All voting items passed unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (December 22, 2025): Approved 8–0.
• Public Art Advisory Committee Appointment (Catherine Bays): Approved unanimously.
• Ordinance Vacating Alley/Street Right-of-Way (VAC25-0028): Public hearing held, no speakers; approved unanimously.
• Ordinance Vacating Utility Easement (VAC25-0030): Public hearing held, no speakers; approved unanimously.
• Resolution for EMS Ambulance Billing Services (DeLeon Business Solutions/Trinity Billing): Approved unanimously.
• Planning Items (all recommended 7–0 by Planning Commission):
  • Property Line Adjustments (PLA25-0034, PLA25-0027, PLA25-0033) – each approved 8–0.
  • Lot Split (LS23-0057) – approved 8–0.
  • Rezonings to DN-1 Downtown Low Density Residential (RZ25-0047, RZ25-0050) and to DE Downtown Edge (RZ25-0049) – each approved 8–0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Evan Schnur (Southwest Glover resident): Described yard flooding after a culvert was removed during a home build; asked the city to address drainage inconsistencies and noted that flooding began only after upstream changes.
• Kara Matthews, Lori Carter, Cecilia Hicks, Spencer Nelly (residents of Northeast 3rd Street): Opposed a planned sidewalk project citing lack of communication, loss of mature trees, impacts on driveways (some would become non-functional), and better uses for the funds (e.g., drainage). They requested a neighborhood meeting before proceeding.
• Brett Meek (Spriggs Court): Expressed support for the sidewalk project, highlighting pedestrian safety needs for children and elderly residents who walk to school and the store.
• Mike Armstrong (Bentonville resident): Announced his candidacy for family court judge and described his legal experience.

Discussion Items

• 2026 City Council Calendar: The March 24 meeting will be moved to March 31 to avoid spring break. Four quarterly financial updates will be held on council dates, and the all-day budget review will become two evenings (Monday and Tuesday, November 9–10).
• Public Comment Procedure Overhaul: Council debated removing the 30‑minute overall time limit, requiring in‑person sign‑up, restricting comments to Bentonville residents or those who work in the city, moving non‑agenda comments to the end of the meeting, allowing council to ask questions of developers without counting as public comment, and maintaining an online comment option with priority for in‑person speakers. Staff were directed to draft revised language for the January 27 meeting.
• Tiger & NW G Street Drainage Options: Engineers from Olson presented three options: (1) increased culvert under Tiger only (60‑inch pipe), (2) Tiger plus a swale on Powell Terrace, (3) the full project originally planned. Only option 3 showed meaningful reduction in flooding, particularly for the one known home that has taken water. The city has $1.5 million budgeted for the full project. Council consensus was to proceed with the full project and bring back bid results. Maintenance of bar ditches was also discussed as a broader issue.
• Sewer Capacity Fee Transition: Councilmember Bill reported that projects with planning commission approval but not yet at the pre‑construction meeting stage face new sewer fees (effective January 22) even if they were approved before the ordinance. Staff acknowledged 13–14 projects in that situation and are expediting pre‑construction meetings but noted the ordinance does not allow waiver. Council requested staff bring options for possible grandfathering to the January 27 meeting.
• Other Topics: An update on the city’s AI policies will be provided at the next meeting. The Early Build Program will be reviewed.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of December 22, 2025, approved (8–0).
• March 24 council meeting rescheduled to March 31.
• Public comment rules will be revised; new language to be presented for approval on January 27.
• Full Tiger & NW G Street drainage project to move forward; bids to be sought.
• Options for grandfathering sewer capacity fees for projects with planning commission approval to be presented on January 27.
• All land‑use ordinances and the EMS billing resolution passed (each 8–0).
• A neighborhood meeting will be scheduled to discuss the Northeast 3rd Street sidewalk project with residents.