Bentonville City Council and Committee of the Whole Meeting - June 23, 2026

The Bentonville City Council met on June 23, 2026, convening first as a Committee of the Whole for informational discussion, followed by a regular City Council meeting for official actions, public hearings, and public comment. The Committee of the Whole discussed a framework for native and pollinator landscape regulations and potential amendments to the city's noise ordinance. During the City Council portion, the council adopted a resolution recognizing Detective Corporal Jason Beeler for his 22 years of service, approved several consent agenda items, conducted public hearings on easement vacations, approved utility board contracts and a transformer purchase, and voted on two rezoning requests. Public comment at the end of the meeting focused on the proposed pollinator landscape ordinance.

Committee of the Whole (Discussion Items)

No votes were taken.

Item 1: Informational Item on Natural Landscapes Shelly (Staff) presented an informational item regarding a request from the Tree and Landscape Advisory Board to exempt native and pollinator landscapes from the city's 8-inch grass and weed height regulation. Staff noted that approximately 28% of U.S. adults are seeking pollinator plants and about 12% are actively converting their lawns, while pollinator populations have been decreasing over the last 25 years. Concerns raised included aesthetics, maintenance, fire risk, property values, and enforcement complexity. Staff presented examples from Fayetteville, Bella Vista, and Springdale using permits, setbacks, borders, and plant material requirements. Council members discussed the distinction between pollinator gardens in beds (currently allowed) versus full pollinator lawns. Council directed staff to develop a formal ordinance proposal incorporating clear enforcement tools such as setbacks (e.g., 5-foot borders), maximum percentage of lot, a permit or registration process, and restrictions on invasive species.

Item 2: Informational Item on Proposed Amendments to Noise Regulations Shelly (Staff) presented proposed amendments, including a potential plainly audible standard combined with shut-off times, alongside keeping existing decibel limits. Proposed shut-off times for amplified sound included 8 p.m. in residential districts and later hours (10 p.m.–midnight) in commercial districts, with earlier times for construction noise. City Attorney David Bailey advised that decibel limits offer an objective standard easier to prosecute in court than a subjective plainly audible standard. Council members largely supported keeping the existing decibel limits for daytime enforcement and adding clear shut-off times to simplify nighttime enforcement, particularly for complaints about bass and late-night amplified sound. Council directed staff to draft an ordinance reflecting this hybrid approach.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the following items via a single consent vote: New Business Items 2 (BJA Grant), 4 (Appointment of William Akins), 5 (Appointment of Alexander Brice), 9, 10, 11, 12 (Resolutions setting public hearings for easement vacations), and 13 (Supplemental Agreement for Greenhouse Road Improvements), as well as Utility Board Item 5.
• Items pulled from the consent agenda for separate discussion were New Business Item 3 (Utility Board revisions) and Utility Board Items 2 and 3.

City Council Meeting - New Business

Resolution Recognizing Detective Corporal Jason Beeler The council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing Detective Corporal Jason Beeler for his 22 years of dedicated service with the Bentonville Police Department, effective July 1, 2026.

Appointments and Grants

• The council authorized the acceptance of a $39,499.93 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program.
• William Akins and Alexander Brice were appointed to the Bentonville Utility Board, filling unexpired terms ending December 31, 2026.
• An ordinance revising the Utility Board creation ordinance to require in-person attendance for board members was approved.

Utility Board Items

• Substation Transformers: The council approved a waiver of competitive bidding and an emergency appropriation of $450,000 to reserve slots for three substation transformers from Prolec-GE, citing market volatility. An emergency clause was invoked, and the ordinance was approved.
• Water & Wastewater Capacity Fee Analysis: The council approved a contract amendment with Raftelis, reducing the contract amount by $16,200 (to a revised total of $43,400) and extending it to December 31, 2026. Councilor Burkhart expressed concern about the cumulative cost of impact fees on development and housing affordability, urging the city to adopt a more comprehensive financial plan for infrastructure rather than relying heavily on developer fees. Staff noted the reduction was possible because the wastewater capacity fee portion of the study was no longer needed.
• Water & Wastewater Rate Analysis: The council approved a contract amendment with Raftelis, increasing the contract amount by $16,200 (to a total not to exceed $16,200 for the amendment) and extending the timeline to December 31, 2026, to accommodate unanticipated work on the wholesale water agreement and public engagement.
• Water Utilities Department Specifications: The council adopted an ordinance updating the Water Utilities Department Specifications to align with the new Unified Development Code.

Public Hearings

• Easement Vacations: The council held public hearings and approved ordinances vacating an access easement (VAC26-0007), a right-of-way (VAC26-0014), and a utility easement (VAC26-0029). No public comments were offered.
• Future Public Hearings: Resolutions were approved setting public hearings for July 14, 2026, for multiple right-of-way and general easement vacations (VAC26-0026, VAC26-0027, VAC26-0030, VAC26-0031).

Planning and Zoning

• Fish Rezone (503 SW Third Street): The council approved an ordinance changing the zoning from R-1 to T4.1 (Neighborhood General), consistent with the Planning Commission's 6-0 recommendation.
• Shell Road Rezone (5036 SW Shell Road): The council approved an ordinance changing the zoning from R-1 to T3.2 (Neighborhood Transition), following a 5-1 Planning Commission recommendation. Council discussion included concerns over traffic safety on Shell Road, lack of sidewalks, and connectivity. Some council members opposed the density increase, citing a need to preserve R1 predictability for residents. Others supported the rezoning, arguing it would increase housing supply, provide duplex options for affordability, and require the developer to construct half-street improvements. The motion passed on a divided vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tevy and Rose (804 NW 11th St) spoke in strong support of the native pollinator landscape initiative. She cited statistics on pollinator dependence for 75% of global food crops and a 50% decline in wildlife, and emphasized stormwater mitigation benefits. She urged the council to move forward with the ordinance.
• Joe Sumner Knuth (801 NW 11th St) spoke in favor of ecological and social diversification. He encouraged the council to set reasonable parameters for pollinator gardens but not to make the process overly strict or expensive, and to leverage community resources like the county extension service and master gardeners.

Other Business, Announcements, and Reports

• Visit Bentonville presented the Destination Master Plan to the council.
• The Neighborhood Plan 1 open house was held recently.
• The Art Board is extending the America 250 public art contest and shifting focus for a roundabout public art project in partnership with NWACC.
• The Finance Committee did not meet.
• The Parade of Homes was announced for the weekend.
• The Tree and Landscape Board is finalizing the Tree Canopy Assessment and set the Fall Tree Giveaway for October 10, 2026.
• Events announced include July 4th on the Square and the Benthall Pavilion Phase 1 ribbon cutting on July 3rd.