City Council Regular Meeting - May 13, 2024

The Fayetteville City Council held a regular meeting on May 13, 2024, at 6:30 PM. The meeting included recognitions, public comments on community safety and downtown parking, approval of consent items, acceptance of the FY2023 audit, two street closure public hearings, adoption of the FY2025 Strategic Plan, and presentation of the recommended FY2024-2025 operating budget. The council unanimously approved most items, including setting a public hearing on the budget for May 28, 2024.

Announcements and Recognitions

• Mayor Mitch Colvin proclaimed May 12–18, 2024, as Police Week, honoring fallen officers and all Fayetteville Police Department employees. The proclamation was presented to Chief Braden, along with representatives from the Fayetteville Police Foundation.
• Councilmember Benavente read a proclamation designating May 2024 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Sal Mampong of North Carolina Asian Americans Together spoke about the growing AAPI community in the state.
• The council recognized Kenneth Williams, student body president at E. Smith High School, for his leadership and academic achievements. Williams will intern with the City Attorney's Office through the ICON program.

Public Comments & Testimony

17 speakers signed up; all were heard. Key positions expressed:

• Lizette Rodriguez (1701 Cherokee Dr.): Criticized the recent Public Safety Forum for not presenting Dr. Tate’s OCS data and for only spending 10 minutes on mental health response. She urged the council to follow models from Durham and other cities that respond to a broader range of calls.
• Gerard Falls (226 Judge St., Superintendent of Capitol Encore Academy): Shared an incident involving a mentally ill person repeatedly cycling through jail and release without care. He argued that an Office of Community Safety director could advocate for better mental health resources.
• Michael Penick (325 Hay St., Cool Springs Downtown District): Announced that the Cool Springs board unanimously voted to support reducing paid parking hours from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Elaine Kelly (242A Hay St.): Supported reducing paid parking to 5 p.m. to encourage evening foot traffic.
• Molly Arnold (227 Hay St., Bay of Bills): Asked the council to reduce parking hours, stating small businesses are struggling.
• Nancy Ramos (108 Hay St., Vagabond Cafe): Blamed paid parking for declining foot traffic and said customers refuse to come downtown because of it. She also requested a loading/unloading zone.
• Bobby Burgess (2108 Constitution Dr.): Spoke in favor of the Office of Community Safety, noting that personal mental health challenges would benefit from such a program. He also supported reducing paid parking hours.
• Diane Poffett (112 Hay St., City Center Gallery and Books): Supported reducing paid parking to 5 p.m., noting that book clubs meeting at 6 p.m. are uncertain about whether to pay.
• Sean McMillan (6224 Golden Rain Dr.): Praised the city’s efforts on public safety but criticized the forum for not discussing specific funding for OCS or independent oversight. He called for more transparency and mentioned Lawrence Artis and Marcus Brody, two individuals who died recently in interactions with law enforcement.
• Other speakers addressed homelessness, hate crimes, street lighting (Barbara Gaither, 7912 Gaelic Dr., asked for streetlights in Springfield Crossing), and moral responsibility of churches.

Consent Calendar

The council approved the consent agenda unanimously, including:

• Approval of meeting minutes from April 2024.
• Amended independent auditor contract for FY2023.
• Budget Ordinance Amendment 2024-14 for council member travel.
• Budget Ordinance Amendment 2024-13 for the Summer Fire Camp Grant.
• Capital Project Ordinance 2024-12 for a battery electric bus.
• Bid recommendation for Sunbury Drive Drainage Improvement Project.
• PWC bid recommendation for electric substation on-call construction.

Staff Reports

Audit and Financial Results for FY2023 Robert Bittner of PB Mares presented the external audit. The city received a clean (unmodified) opinion. One material compliance finding: the audit was submitted late (several months past the December 1, 2023 deadline). There was one significant deficiency in internal control over the CDBG program (late quarterly reports). The Local Government Commission flagged three performance indicators of concern: late audit, material weakness, and a $500,000 reduction in general fund balance (the city still met its 10% fund balance policy). Council accepted the report unanimously.

Public Hearings

• Carthage Drive Closing: No public speakers. The street is unopened and will be closed to allow landscaping at Senior Center East. Approved unanimously.
• Joseph Street Closing: No public speakers. A portion of the street will be closed to facilitate a commercial development. Approved unanimously.

Other Items of Business

Adoption of FY2025 Strategic Plan Chris Lowry (Strategy and Performance Manager) and Andy Brayboy presented the plan. It is built around five priorities adopted at the January retreat:

1. Integrate a comprehensive approach to violence reduction and mental health response.
2. Continue revitalization efforts emphasizing affordable housing.
3. Increase parks and recreation opportunities for youth.
4. Use city-owned property to enhance economic growth.
5. Articulate and define the city’s story to attract residents and businesses. The plan incorporates resident survey results and includes performance measures. Councilmember Benavente moved to adopt with an amendment to include the Office of Community Safety on the organizational chart. The motion passed unanimously.

Presentation of Recommended FY2024-2025 Annual Operating Budget City Manager Hewitt presented a balanced $319 million total budget. Key elements:

• 5-cent property tax increase (from $0.5395 to $0.5895 per $100 valuation) to fund $8.3 million in public safety market adjustments (police, fire, 911). This includes raising police Step 0 from $43,000 to $50,000 and firefighter Step 0 from $40,800 to $45,000.
• $4 million allocated for Office of Community Safety activities ($2.1 M general fund, $1.3 M ARPA, $460,000 block grants).
• Stormwater fee increase from $6 to $7 per month.
• Solid waste fee increase from $265 to $275 per year.
• 4% merit increase for non-sworn employees plus a 1% 401(k) increase.
• 35 terminally vacant positions frozen, saving $10.6 million.
• Maintenance of all capital programs and community event funding. The council received the budget presentation and set a public hearing for May 28, 2024, at 6:30 PM. Motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
• FY2023 Audit: Accepted unanimously.
• Carthage Drive Closing: Resolution adopted unanimously.
• Joseph Street Closing: Resolution adopted unanimously.
• FY2025 Strategic Plan: Adopted unanimously with amendment to include OCS in the organizational chart.
• FY2024-2025 Budget: Received; public hearing scheduled for May 28, 2024, at 6:30 PM. Council will hold budget work sessions on May 16 (10 AM), May 23 (date to be rescheduled), and June 3 (2 PM).