OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Fayetteville City Council Agenda Session - June 30, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, June 30, 2026
BodyFayetteville, Arkansas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 30, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:43:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Okay, I'm going to call this meeting to order.

0:02

This is the agenda session uh city council meeting of Fayetteville, Arkansas, June 30th, 2026.

0:09

Um for our meeting, our next meeting, we will have roll call, pledge of allegiance, any mayor an mayoral announcements, proclamations, and recognition.

0:21

Uh we'll also have first item will be uh sales tax and monthly financial report.

0:30

Do we get that today or is that next week?

0:33

Okay, next week.

0:34

Okay, then we have our consent agenda.

0:38

And so we have approval of the June 16th 2026 City Council meeting minutes.

0:48

A two is a resolution to approve the purchase of two commercial mowers.

0:53

And I don't have glasses, I have sunglasses there.

0:56

So purchase of two commercial mowers from Professional TERF Products LP in the total amount of $205,512 and 92 cents pursuant to a source well cooperative purchasing contract plus any applicable surcharges, freight charges or delivery fees up to 10% of the original purchase price.

1:21

A three, a resolution.

1:24

Yes, Bob.

1:26

Yes.

1:27

Yeah.

1:27

Um who's who's uh the A2, the commercial mowers?

1:33

That's Ross and Keith.

1:34

If Ross is there, is he available to answer questions?

1:37

Yes.

1:38

He Ross come up.

1:40

I just noticed the price for two mowers.

1:43

So it's a hundred thousand a piece.

1:45

What are these these aren't your just typical zero-turn motors?

1:48

I take it.

1:49

No, these are not.

1:50

These are basically a lot of what we buy are hustler mowers.

1:53

We're mowing about five feet at a time.

1:54

These commercial grade mowers are liquid-cooled, mowing eleven feet at a time.

1:59

Oh, we're able to do that.

2:00

So these are like big Yes.

2:02

Okay.

2:03

Okay.

2:03

Yeah, that was my question.

2:04

I was just wanted to make sure we weren't paying 100 grand for just zero-term mowers or correct.

2:10

That's completely different, yes.

2:12

Okay.

2:13

And Councilmember Stafford, that's the exact question I had.

2:15

I asked them in detail when it eventually came before it even made to the council.

2:19

Is can you please explain why these are as high as they are?

2:23

And they both Ross and Byron Humphrey sat down and explained they have a lot more longevity than those zero tune mowers, and they have a lot wider they're batwing mowers, correct?

2:32

Correct.

2:32

Yeah.

2:33

So they would like it would basically be like running three mowers side by side or something like that.

2:38

That's correct.

2:39

Save a lot of time.

2:40

Correct.

2:41

As well.

2:42

Okay.

2:42

Thank you.

2:42

You're welcome.

2:43

Ross, I just had one follow-up question.

2:45

I just was curious because I know you do less scoring and you have a certain um time frame that you expect.

2:50

What is that for these mowers comparable to other mowers that we would buy?

2:54

So typically the hustler mowers, the classification that they're in, we're expecting about three to four years of service.

3:00

Okay.

3:00

These were originally set for six years, but we've held on to them for about 10, 10 plus.

3:05

Uh by the time the new ones show up, it'll be about 10, 11 years each.

3:08

Okay.

3:09

All right.

3:09

Thank you, Ross.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████████████████35%
Public Engagement██████████████████████22%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████████14%
Public Safety████████8%
Tree Preservation██████6%
Procedural████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Historic Preservation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Fayetteville City Council Agenda Session - June 30, 2026

The Fayetteville City Council held an agenda session on June 30, 2026, to review and discuss items scheduled for the next regular meeting on July 7, 2026. The council discussed consent agenda items, multiple rezoning requests, a major bond issuance, a proposed ordinance on non-disclosure agreements, and received the 2025 external audit results. No formal votes were taken; all items will be considered for final action at the July 7 meeting.

Consent Calendar

  • A1: Approval of the June 16, 2026, City Council meeting minutes.
  • A2: Resolution to purchase two commercial mowers from Professional Turf Products LP for $205,512.92. Staff explained the mowers are liquid-cooled, eleven-foot batwing mowers with a 10+ year lifespan, replacing two older units. Councilmembers asked about cost and inventory.
  • A3: Resolution to award bid for construction of the MLSAP and College Avenue intersection and North Hemlock Avenue project to APAC Central Inc. for $3,500,568, with a $357,000 contingency, and to accept a $3.6 million surface transportation block grant (80% of project cost). Chris Brown noted the project has been in design for several years.
  • A4: Resolution for supplemental engineering services with Burns & McDonnell for $93,785 related to the same intersection project.
  • A5: Resolution to waive competitive bidding and transfer completion of Bryce Davis Park phase one to ACS Playground Adventures after the original contractor defaulted. Staff confirmed no additional city costs; the original contractor’s insurance covers $67,511 in extra expenses. A two-month completion timeline is expected from contract signing. Councilmembers discussed contractor accountability and site safety.
  • A6: Resolution to award contract for a sidewalk on Mission Boulevard from Libby Lane to Winwood Drive to Milestone Construction for $178,997 (with $17,000 contingency) and accept $50,000 from the Whistler Woods subdivision homeowners association. The project scored highly in the city’s sidewalk priority system and was advanced with the POA donation.
  • A7: Resolution to approve a first amendment to a deed of declaration for the shopping center at I-49 and MLK Jr. Boulevard (former Kmart site). Devin Howland explained the amendment removes a one-story height cap, modernizing the 1979 private agreement. The city became a party due to a 2015 stormwater parcel purchase. Councilmembers noted the amendment allows redevelopment under underlying zoning.
  • A8: Resolution to approve a memorandum of understanding with the University of Arkansas establishing maintenance responsibilities on vacated rights-of-way. The city will maintain the pavement and curbs; the university will maintain everything outside the curbs, including specialized sidewalks. Staff and council discussed cost sharing for repairs and future expansions.
  • A9: Resolution to sell 477 square feet of city property at the Ramble Civic Plaza to Rendell Properties Inc. for $24,665 to allow an additional egress for the Park Hotel project. Staff confirmed the sale is needed for a July groundbreaking.

Raze and Removals

  • B1 & B2: Resolutions to order raze and removal of dilapidated structures at 320 West Isla Street and 3582 North Highway 112. Staff provided updates and noted minor language amendments. Councilmembers asked about cost recovery (liens) and the total number of properties in the raze pipeline.
  • B3: Resolution for 848 North Jackson Drive – staff reported the owner has completed some repairs and requested tabled indefinitely. Council agreed.

Discussion Items

  • D1- Vacation: Ordinance to vacate 239 square feet of general utility easement at 4307 West Cactus Place. No discussion.
  • D2 (RZN 2026-15): Rezone 36.2 acres northwest of Dean Solomon Road and Van Eyck Drive from RSF-4 and CPZD to RMF-12 (9.6 acres) and RSF-8 (26.6 acres). Staff and Planning Commission (7-0-1) recommended approval. Jesse Masters noted significant public opposition and a bill of assurance from the applicant to remove a use unit. Councilmembers expressed concerns about tree preservation and requested a site tour, scheduled for July 6 at 4:30 p.m.
  • D3 (RZN 2026-16): Rezone 2.5 acres at 1905 East Mission Boulevard from C-1 and RSF-4 to CS (community services). Staff and Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval. No public comment received.
  • D4 (RZN 2026-17): Rezone 3.53 acres at 3105 North Old Wire Road from RSF-4 to P-1 institutional. Staff supported the request; Planning Commission voted 6-1 in favor. Councilmembers raised concerns about traffic congestion at the Skillern/Old Wire intersection, noting nearby developments and a new junior high. The applicant previously sought a conditional use permit for a daycare (100-200 students).
  • D5 – Sales & Use Tax Bonds: Ordinance authorizing up to $191.22 million in Series 2026 bonds for water/wastewater, parks, animal services, trails, transportation, sustainability, aquatics, and fire department improvements, plus refunding existing bonds. Steve Dotson presented the financing plan, the first of several phases. He explained the 5% obligation within six months and 85% within three years rules. Councilmembers asked about project prioritization, cost escalations (especially the aquatic center), and communication regarding school district discussions for cost sharing. Mayor apologized for not notifying all councilmembers about a proposal to the school board; no agreement exists yet.
  • D6 – NDA Ordinance: Ordinance prohibiting the city from entering into non-disclosure agreements that restrict disclosure of public records or public business beyond what is authorized by law, with an exception for council-approved NDAs. Councilmember Moore presented the proposal, citing transparency concerns. Councilmembers debated potential impacts on economic development and trade secrets. City Attorney Kit Williams noted that existing FOIA exemptions already protect confidential business information. A legal opinion on the proposal was requested.

External Audit Results

  • Ann Garrety, chair of the audit committee, reported that Forvis Mazars issued an unmodified (clean) opinion on the city’s 2025 financial statements, with no material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or noncompliance. Federal program audits for highway planning, recreational trails, and Safe Streets for All also received clean opinions. Council commended the finance team.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken; all items listed above will be considered for final action at the July 7, 2026, regular council meeting.
  • A site tour for the Dean Solomon rezoning (D2) was scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.
  • The bond ordinance (D5) and NDA ordinance (D6) will have public hearings on July 7.
  • The city attorney will provide a written legal opinion regarding the NDA ordinance.
  • City offices will be closed July 3 (Friday) for Independence Day, with no residential trash/recycling collection on July 4.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, I'm going to call this meeting to order. This is the agenda session uh city council meeting of Fayetteville, Arkansas, June 30th, 2026. Um for our meeting, our next meeting, we will have roll call, pledge of allegiance, any mayor an mayoral announcements, proclamations, and recognition. Uh we'll also have first item will be uh sales tax and monthly financial report. Do we get that today or is that next week? Okay, next week. Okay, then we have our consent agenda. And so we have approval of the June 16th 2026 City Council meeting minutes. A two is a resolution to approve the purchase of two commercial mowers. And I don't have glasses, I have sunglasses there. So purchase of two commercial mowers from Professional TERF Products LP in the total amount of $205,512 and 92 cents pursuant to a source well cooperative purchasing contract plus any applicable surcharges, freight charges or delivery fees up to 10% of the original purchase price. A three, a resolution. Yes, Bob. Yes. Yeah. Um who's who's uh the A2, the commercial mowers? That's Ross and Keith. If Ross is there, is he available to answer questions? Yes. He Ross come up. I just noticed the price for two mowers. So it's a hundred thousand a piece. What are these these aren't your just typical zero-turn motors? I take it. No, these are not. These are basically a lot of what we buy are hustler mowers. We're mowing about five feet at a time. These commercial grade mowers are liquid-cooled, mowing eleven feet at a time. Oh, we're able to do that. So these are like big Yes. Okay. Okay. Yeah, that was my question. I was just wanted to make sure we weren't paying 100 grand for just zero-term mowers or correct. That's completely different, yes. Okay. And Councilmember Stafford, that's the exact question I had. I asked them in detail when it eventually came before it even made to the council. Is can you please explain why these are as high as they are? And they both Ross and Byron Humphrey sat down and explained they have a lot more longevity than those zero tune mowers, and they have a lot wider they're batwing mowers, correct? Correct. Yeah. So they would like it would basically be like running three mowers side by side or something like that. That's correct. Save a lot of time. Correct. As well. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome.

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