Fayetteville City Council Agenda Session - October 28, 2025
Fayetteville City Council Agenda Session - October 28, 2025
This agenda session, serving as a planning meeting for the upcoming November 4th business meeting, reviewed numerous resolutions, grants, and zoning requests. While most consent items were discussed, three items (A8, A9, and A12) were pulled to New Business for further discussion due to councilmember questions regarding e-waste funding and federal grant constraints. The session also included a Walk-on Ordinance to establish a Food Commission and introductions of a new City Engineer.
Consent Calendar
- A3: Approved amendment to engineering services agreement with RJN Group ($814,113) for waterline assessments and a $120,000 contingency.
- A4 (Pulled): Transportation asphalt patch truck replacement from Burkamp Inc. ($278,449) was initially discussed but pulled to New Business due to a price discrepancy identified in staff memos that required a formal amendment at the next meeting.
- A5: Approved purchase of a generator and automatic transfer switch for the Walker Senior Center ($59,718.17) from Nixon Power Services to support Meals on Wheels and senior nutrition programs.
- A6: Approved on-call electrical contract with Austin King Incorporated for up to four years.
- A7: Approved agreement with Fresh Start Junk Removal for solid waste hauling for two years with automatic renewals.
- A10: Authorized acceptance of a $10,000 Boston Mountain Recycling Grant for compost collection containers.
- A11: Approved professional engineering services agreement with Olsen Engineering ($24,350) for Police Department fueling station site plan design.
- A12: Approved MOU with Washington County for a $123,730 DTF grant; item was pulled to New Business by Councilmember Moore who expressed opposition to federal immigration-related grant requirements.
- A13: Authorized acceptance of a $40,000 STEP grant for selective traffic enforcement and child safety seats.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No formal public comment period was held as this was an agenda/planning session.
Discussion Items
- Walker Senior Center Generator (A5): Councilmember Jones questioned if the facility would serve as an emergency cold weather shelter. Staff clarified that while the City owns the building and it is a Red Cross shelter, no formal conversations have been had about using it for winter weather overflow in that capacity, though Councilmember Jones suggested the Red Cross has stated such decisions are local. Councilmember Moore echoed concerns about staff comfort levels for congregational settings in shelters.
- Fueling Station Design (A11): Chief Reynolds presented the plan for an on-site fueling station funded by police impact fees ($450k estimated). Councilmember Moore inquired about collaboration with Washington County's concurrent fueling project and the use of impact fees given recent police station construction costs. Chief Reynolds confirmed no collaboration with the County, confirmed funds are replenishing, and outlined plans to transition 15 of 100 fleet vehicles to hybrids (Ford Explorers) by 2026, noting they do not require external charging infrastructure.
- DTF Funding (A12): Councilmember Moore expressed strong opposition to the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area grant, citing concerns regarding federal requirements for immigrant neighbors under the current administration and requiring the item for a formal vote.
- Recycling Grants (A8 & A9): Councilmember Moore pulled these items to seek clarification on whether the $75,000 technical assistance grant (A8) covers e-waste recycling. Staff (Peter) could not hear the question initially but confirmed it likely does not; he committed to providing a written answer before the next meeting.
- PCD Rezoning (Unfinished Business): Staff presented a revised rezoning request for the North Raven Lane/Next Chapter neighborhood, reducing the total acreage from 49.2 to 33 acres by removing the Underwood PCD portion. Staff confirmed the removal of a zoning reversion clause and that the applicant provided a new legal description.
- Fire Alarm & Hydrant Ordinances (C2 & C3): Fire Marshal Jeremy Ashley explained that low-frequency alarm sounders must now be installed inside sleeping units (not just hallways) to meet the 75-decibel code requirement, noting recent tests showed lower levels in hallways. This is intended to level the playing field against out-of-town bidders. The fire hydrant ordinance (C3) reinstates the 100-foot requirement for Fire Department Connections, though the Fire Marshal noted discretion for minor deviations (e.g., 103 feet).
- Aquatic Center Contracts (C4 & C5): Resolution to award design contracts to Crafton and Toll Associates ($232,524) and Construction Manager CDI LLC ($39,999). Council asked if bond failure would waste funds; staff confirmed the initial pre-bond phase costs will be spent regardless but the deliverables will inform future planning.
- Right-of-Way Dedication (C7): Property on MLK and College Avenue. Staff recommended denial of the applicant's request to reduce right-of-way dedication, citing a misaligned intersection that could be corrected. The Planning Commission recommended approval (8-1) against staff advice. Council discussed leaving the item on the agenda for vote rather than consent due to the conflict in recommendations.
- Rezoning Proposals (C9, C10, C11, C12, C13, Final):
- C9 (West Cleveland): Resolved from RSF4/P1 to fully P1 (Institutional).
- C10 (South Willow): Resolved from RSF8 to RIU. Staff recommended approval; Planning Commission unanimous.
- C11 (North Penelope Lane): Resolved to mix of RIU and RA (Agricultural). Staff recommended denial due to floodplain/streamside protections. Planning Commission recommended approval (8-1). Council discussed the intent of using RA for conservation versus floodway maps. Staff confirmed FEMA approval is not required for development within the floodplain unless maps are revised.
- C12 (South West Ave): Resolved from RMF24 to RIU. Staff recommended approval.
- C13 (West Dean St): Resolved from RMF6 to RIU. Staff recommended approval.
- Final Item (North Lewis Ave): Resolved from RSF4 to UN (Urban Neighborhood). Staff recommended approval and Planning Commission unanimous.
- Walk-On Ordinance (Food Commission): Minister Monique Jones proposed establishing a Fayetteville Food Commission. She expressed concern that SNAP work requirements could cut benefits for 25,000 Arkansans and vulnerable populations. The commission would advise on food security, urban agriculture, and food deserts. Council requested clarification that a representative from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank (located in Springdale) could serve despite residency rules, which staff confirmed is permissible. The administration expressed support.
Key Outcomes
- Item Placement: Items A8, A9, and A12 were moved from the Consent Calendar to the beginning of the New Business agenda for the next meeting.
- Walk-On Ordinance: The Fayetteville Food Commission ordinance was introduced and scheduled for the next agenda.
- Personnel: Justin Bland was introduced as the new City Engineer.
- Meeting Location: A show-of-hands vote confirmed the Council prefers to keep future agenda sessions in the current workshop location (upstairs) rather than downstairs.
- Food Drive: Mayor announced participation in the Mayor's Alliance to End Childhood Hunger and stated a food drive will be held at City Hall, Police Dept, and Fire Departments, though specific dates were not finalized.
- Voting Status: No final votes were taken on the rezoning or ordinance items during this agenda session; they are reserved for the November 4th business meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, everybody. Whoa. Keith, we gotta fix that. Okay, what about that? Is that bringing this order? Just gonna leave that. Okay, much better. Okay, welcome to the agenda session for October 28. This is the agenda session for the November. Help me out. The November 4th City Council meeting. Just a reminder, it is not a business meeting, it is just a planning meeting. Um first up next week we'll have the sales tax and monthly financial report from Stephen Dotson, our CFO. And then we'll jump right into the consent agenda. Um first two items being council meeting minutes, and then beginning with A3. And also um, just to let anybody know, same is in the other room. There are it's hard sometimes for us to guess as a staff what what consent items you might want to hear more about and what are fairly straightforward. So by all means speak up. It can be really informal, just let us know. Don't feel like I have to call on you. Just jump in and let us know if you want to hear more about it. We've got staff that can talk about each item. The first one, A3 is a resolution to approve amendment number one to the engineering services agreement with RJN group. It's a hundred it's eight hundred and fourteen thousand and a hundred and thirteen dollars for waterline condition assessments and to approve a contingency in the amount of 120,000. And Tim is here and can speak to that if you all would like more info. The next is a transportation asphalt patch truck replacement. It's a resolution to approve the purchase of an FPS asphalt pothole patch truck from Burkamp Inc. pursuant to an HGAC cooperative purchasing contract in the amount of 278,449 plus any applicable surcharges, freight or delivery fees, up to 10% of the original purchase price. It's worth noting that FPS does not mean Fayetteville Public Schools. So just uh A5 is something that is exciting. It's uh the Walker Senior Center Generator and Automatic Transfer SWIFT purchase that will support meals on wheels and senior nutrition programs. This is a resolution to approve the purchase of a generator and an automatic transfer switch from Nixon Power Services pursuant to a source well cooperative purchasing contract in the amount of $59,718.17 cents, plus any additional tariff charges up to 10% of the original purchase price for the Fayetteville Senior Center's meals on wheels and senior nutrition programs. And Byron, do you want to come up and tell us a little bit more about that? Is that what you were gonna ask Minister Jones? No, my question was does the city own um the the senior city. I'm sorry, I took my sip of my drink too soon. We and Keith we own the building, but it is operated on a contract with area agency on aging. Is that correct? That's correct. Byron, do you want to yes Mayor? Uh the senior center is owned by the city. Um it serves as not only as a recreation center for seniors and for social events, but also they serve the mill on wheels program out of there, and so they serve uh 950 meals a day out of that center, hot meals a day and 355 frozen meals a day. And they also um at any one time they have about seven to eight thousand dollars worth of food in their freezer, and so that's really the need for the generator just to make sure that that uh is protected. It is also uh on a shelter list of one of our five shelters in the city approved by the Red Cross. So just another need for the generator. Thanks, by Teresa. Go ahead. Um, so just to just um I'm assuming that that um the um senior center asked for this generator, this backup generator, it's probably been on the list for a long time. There is a currently a generator there, and the transfer switches failed and it needs to be replaced. And so we're replacing a generator that's non-functioning at the moment to get it back into functional.
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