City Council Agenda Session and Presentations - August 25, 2026
City Council Agenda Session and Presentations - August 25, 2026
The meeting was an agenda session for the upcoming September 1, 2026 council meeting. Discussions covered consent agenda items, unfinished business, and new business items. Presentations included the quarterly climate action plan update and the economic development quarterly report. The meeting concluded with an informal discussion on proposed changes to the nominating committee process.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution to waive competitive bidding and purchase MIO vision traffic signal equipment from Pinkley Sales Company for $868,494 (plus taxes). Council discussed camera capabilities – they are used only for traffic management, not for video recording or sharing.
- Three Drake Field projects (North General Aviation Apron, Taxiway E extension, ARF vehicle) bundled as resolutions involving bid awards, FAA grants, and potential temporary loans from the general fund. Total city obligation approximately $9,000 for the apron project, with grants covering the vast majority.
- North General Aviation Apron: Resolutions to award bid to Emory Sapp and Sons ($1,047,364.24), accept FAA grant ($1,290,011), approve work order with Garver ($111,700), project contingency ($49,946), and budget amendment for temporary loan if needed.
- Taxiway E Extension: Resolutions to award bid to APAC Central ($2,854,473.42), accept FAA grant ($3,477,544), approve work order with Garver ($339,100), wetland mitigation credits ($428,296), contingency ($38,265), and budget amendment/loan.
- ARF Vehicle: Resolutions to accept FAA grant ($1,100,197), purchase ARF vehicle from Oshkosh ($1,112,386), approve Garver amendment ($7,100), and budget amendment/loan.
- Resolution to authorize purchase of trash carts from Toter LLC via cooperative contract (through April 2029).
- Resolution to approve task order with Burns & McDonald ($409,992) for construction administration on Millsap/College/Hemlock project.
- Resolution to approve renewal of four Continuum of Care grant agreements with HUD ($417,820) for homeless assistance programs.
- Resolution to authorize mayor to execute documents for Arkansas Natural Resources Commission water/sewer grant application (deadline Sept 16, 2026) – three projects submitted.
- Resolution to approve amendment to agreement with Corolo Engineers ($74,990) for additional water/sewer rate study services; approved by Water and Sewer Committee 3-0.
- Resolution to extend sewer service beyond city limits to 1011 S. Mally Wagnan Rd (4.2 acres, 4 single-family homes); applicant responsible for installation and maintenance; property cannot annex due to non-contiguity.
- Resolution to approve cost share agreement ($4,806) with PBS Properties for water main construction at West Cleveland and North Store.
- Resolution to approve change order with Nabholt's Construction ($687,340.18) for water/sewer relocations on MLK Boulevard.
- Resolution to approve budget amendment ($8,000) for construction materials.
- Resolution to waive competitive bidding and purchase Axon Justice Software for prosecutor's office ($75,842 over five years) from Axon Enterprise.
- Resolution to accept 2025 JAG Local Solicitation Grant ($85,307) for law enforcement training/equipment.
- Resolution to accept state drug crime enforcement grant ($272,301) for 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force – Councilmember Moore requested this item be moved to new business for a separate vote.
Discussion Items
- Unfinished Business:
- B1: Resolution to table indefinitely the removal of dilapidated structure on North School Ave (structure already removed).
- B2: Ordinance on Tanglewood Branch streamside protection zone – tabled to Sept 1; no new information.
- B3: Rezoning of 36.2 acres near Dean Solomon and Van Eyck (RZN 2026-15). Applicant’s representative requested removal of the RMF-12 portion (10 acres) via amendment. Council discussed procedural options requiring unanimous consent or majority vote to allow further discussion and amendment. A bill of assurance tied to that portion would become void.
- B4: Rezoning of 0.55 acres at 1845 W. Wettington (RZN 2026-18) – left on second reading; council may need to amend ordinance to accept offered bill of assurance.
- B5/B6: Annexation of 11.17 acres (Flintlock) and associated PCD – request to table to Sept 15 meeting.
- New Business:
- C1: Rezoning 0.4 acres at 722-714 N. Leverett Ave (RMF-40 to UN) – Planning recommended 8-0; staff supports. Council requested additional information on traffic/safety for next meeting.
- C2: Rezoning 0.56 acres at 201 E. Spring St (RIU to UN) – Planning recommended unanimous; staff supports; one public concern about parking.
- C3: Resolution to release two lots from city licenses and transfer to new owner – moved to consent.
Energy and Environmental Report (Peter Nierengarten)
Quarterly climate action plan update. Key progress:
- 3.77 MW solar array online April 2026; total solar portfolio 14 MW; city buildings at 93% clean energy.
- Cart-based recycling launched June 2026: 27% increase in tonnage collected; 40 carts removed (of 28,000 distributed) for contamination; three-strike policy implemented.
- 32 co-mingled recycling dumpsters deployed at multifamily/commercial sites.
- College Ave transit route transitioned to Razorback Transit: 82% ridership increase in first month; South Fayetteville routes (20 & 21) saw 24% increase.
- 38 transit stop upgrades completed summer 2026.
- Climate Pollution Reduction Grant: $11.8M awarded; 217 acres ecosystem restoration (10% complete); White River Greenway Trail at 90% design; e-bike incentive program issued 435 vouchers (11 to Fayetteville).
- 2025 greenhouse gas inventory: Community emissions 22% below 2010 baseline; per capita 44% lower and 22% below U.S. average. City operations emissions 72% below 2010 (second lowest year). Utility expenditures $5 million, up 2% due to colder winter and fleet expansion.
- Future focus: continued investment in transit/trails, community clean energy, fleet transition, efficient buildings, nature-based solutions.
Economic Development Quarterly Report (Devin Howland)
Q2 2026 results:
- 57 new business licenses; 149 new full-time jobs.
- $85.7 million in commercial permits.
- 3 requests for information from prospective employers; $10 million in grant applications.
- 210 businesses assisted through city/chamber/Startup Junkie partnerships; 59 women/minority/veteran-owned.
- 31 events with 1,500 attendees.
- Fayetteville Business Starter Kit launched, with English and Spanish guides, hard copies at library, city hall, and Startup Junkie.
- Chamber conducted 47 site visits to 33 companies; 760 attendees at industry events.
- 77% of business licenses have 10 or fewer employees. Survival rate analysis included in report.
- Taxable sales analysis: 2 of every $3 taxable dollars come from retail/restaurant.
- Q3 plans: four additional business guides, sector socials, four deep-dive industry analyses, continued retail/restaurant recruitment.
Key Outcomes
- Items moved to consent: C3 (license release).
- Item A17 (Drug Task Force grant) moved to new business at councilmember Moore's request.
- B1 (dilapidated structure) will be tabled indefinitely at the council meeting.
- B3 (rezoning) will require procedural action at the September 1 meeting; applicant seeking to remove RMF-12 portion.
- B5/B6 (annexation) requested tabled to September 15.
- B4 (Wettington rezoning) expects consideration of bill of assurance.
- Nominating committee discussion: No decisions made; council members expressed differing views on whether to continue interviewing all applicants or limit to key boards (Planning, Civil Service, Black Historic Preservation). Mayor noted the committee is not codified in ordinance and changes can be made through rules of order and procedure. Some members favored staff screening to reduce meeting length; others valued council interviews for all boards.
- Nominating committee will meet after this session to interview candidates – 10 total vacancies across multiple boards.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, I have been re reprimanded by my designated rule follower, Mr. Jonathan Kurth, that I am beginning the meeting 46 seconds late. So let's get started with the tentative agenda for next week's council meeting. Um after we do um the pledge and the call to order and all of that, we will have a sales tax and monthly financial report from our CFO Stephen Dotson. And that's happening next week at the meeting, not this evening. Is that correct? Okay. And then we will be on to the consent agenda. The first item, and I'm gonna read all of these and then let me know if you need someone from the staff to talk more in depth about it. The first is a resolution to waive competitive bid bidding and approve the purchase of MEO vision traffic signal equipment in the amount of eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand four hundred and ninety-four dollars from Pinkley Sales Company plus any applicable taxes. Um we'll start with you, Ms. Turk, and I think Keith andor Chris can tag team this. Keith, if you want to go ahead and come up. Thank you, Mayor. Um, you know, I looked uh I read through this, and it looks like this would be a great improvement, but there's been a lot of concerns about license plate, like from Flock, and so I just for the public and I guess our information it would be helpful to understand if those have license plate readers and how that um how that information is provided to other agencies if that's the case. Sure. Uh these are not flock cameras and they uh they do have the ability to record, but we have recording turned off. These are the cameras are specifically utilized to manage our traffic pattern, and that's it. They're not share we don't we do not share the videos with anybody. Uh we actually don't download the videos and look at them or anything. It's purely used where a vehicle pulls up to an intersection, the cameras can identify a vehicles there to help with traffic management. So if there's like some kind of um accident or uh infraction or whatever, would that information ever be used? Uh to date, we have not used that, and we have no intent to do that going forward. So it'd probably be from a court order or something like that. If that I'm just doing a theoretical because there's been so much um concern about those flock cameras. Well, on these cameras where we have the video recording turned off. So because of that, we wouldn't have any video to provide. Okay, thank you for clarifying that. And if I may, just one of the things, I'm assuming the cameras are also facing the front of vehicles, not the rear. That's correct. And so no license plates in Arkansas. Only those Oklahoma people are in trouble. That's correct. Thank you. All right, great. Thanks, Keith. Um, okay. A oh, that was a two. A three, Drake Field. Sorry, Mayor. I do have a question. I'm so sorry. I thought you turned your light off. I apologize. Um, I thought all the questions were asked. I was just trying to figure out why it was um why are we asking for the um to weigh the competitive bidding? Sure. So uh Milevision company requires you to use a local reseller to purchase that. So it's uh in order for like warranty work for them just to provide service. So if there's a reseller like in St.
openpublica.com