Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting – September 9, 2024
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Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting – September 9, 2024
The Fayetteville City Council met on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included recognitions, public forum, approval of a consent agenda, and appointments to various boards and commissions. Mayor Mitch Colvin presided.
Announcements & Recognitions
- Proclamation for Tyler Brandon Moore: A proclamation declared September 9, 2024, as “Tyler Brandon Moore Day” in honor of the Northwood Temple Academy student who maintains a 4.3 GPA, is a student-athlete, and is working toward becoming one of the youngest licensed pilots in North Carolina, with aspirations to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy.
- National Information Technology Professionals Day: September 17, 2024, was proclaimed as such, recognizing the city’s IT department.
- National Day of Remembrance: September 11, 2024, was proclaimed to honor the victims and heroes of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
- New Fire Marshal: Fire Marshal Justin McLaurin was introduced; he was promoted from deputy fire marshal after a nationwide search and has 15 years of fire service experience.
- State Representative Marvin Lucas was acknowledged in attendance.
City Manager Report
- City Manager Hewitt yielded his time to Fire Chief Dove, who presented the new Fire Marshal. No additional report was given.
Public Forum
Six residents signed up; four spoke (two were absent).
- John Garusso (308 Third Street) urged the council to develop a crisis intervention program under the Office of Community Safety, emphasizing peer support specialists dispatched with emergency services. He stated, “The only thing we’re missing is action from you.”
- Peggy Thompson (516 Bravery Lane) raised concerns about mental health resources for youth, specifically the 988 crisis line, and affordable housing. She noted that her 17-year-old faced difficulties accessing treatment and that unsafe housing environments affect children’s education.
- Charles Matthews (3618 Tendle Court) criticized the city manager and PWC over flooding downtown, the breach of Rosa Lake Dam, and leaking sewer manholes on his property. He called for replacement of the dam and accountability. In response, City Manager Hewitt clarified he has no control over PWC. Sheila Thomas, Public Services director, reported that a FEMA BRIC grant application for Rosa Lake was not awarded this year; the city will fine-tune and resubmit in the next cycle. She noted the benefit-cost ratio was above one but the primary beneficiaries are private properties.
- Sean McMillan called for transparency regarding the police-involved death of Lawrence Artis (October 2023), release of camera footage previously requested by Council (8-1 vote), and a sentinel review of that incident and the homicides of Jada Johnson and Demarcus Brody. He also urged the council to reject renewal of the ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking) contract and requested an update on the hiring of an OCS director and data specialists.
Consent Calendar
The consent agenda was approved unanimously by a motion from Councilmember Hondros, seconded by Councilmember Hare. Items included:
- Approval of four sets of meeting minutes (August 5, 12, and 21, 2024).
- Budget Ordinance Amendment 2025 to accept $37,617 in grant funding for senior centers from Mid-Carolina Regional Council.
- Capital Project Ordinance Amendments 2026, 2027, and 2028 funding $1,596,633 for North Street and Sunbury Drainage Improvement Projects.
- Capital Project Ordinance Amendment 2031 allocating $5,000,000 in Powell Bill funding for pavement preservation.
- Policy revisions for Streets, Traffic, and Parking (seven policies updated).
- Professional service contract of $564,037 for Russell & Person Street Bridge and Stream Improvement project management.
- Resolution authorizing outside counsel for quiet title action on Lot 249, College Park.
- Bid recommendation of $3,986,745 for resurfacing various streets (Phase I, 2025).
- PWC bid recommendations: $4,149,400 for water main rehabilitation and $247,046 for substation disconnect switches.
Discussion Items: Boards and Commissions Appointments
Councilmember Hare, chair of the Appointments Committee, presented recommendations.
- Tabled: The Ethics Commission and Linear Park Commission appointments were tabled by a unanimous vote (motion by Hare, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Jensen) pending updates from staff.
- Approved: The following appointments were approved unanimously (motion by Hare, seconded by Councilmember Thompson):
- Audit Commission: Tall at Skikes
- Board of Appeals: William Hedgepeth
- Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) Transit Advisory Committee: Sharon Moyer, Stephanie Jones
- Fair Housing Board: Lawrence King Jr., Melanie Shorter
- Human Relations Commission: Lindorah Thompson, Toshiba Casi, Tracy Pelt
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee: Zora Cole
- Planning Commission: Austin Joseph
- Redevelopment Commission: Teddy Warner
- Stormwater Advisory Board: Timothy Ingram
- Record Review Board: Philomena Lodaza (spelling approximated)
- Zoning Commission: Robert Height
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Consent agenda (unanimous).
- Tabled: Appointments to Ethics Commission and Linear Park Commission (unanimous).
- Approved: Appointments to 11 boards/commissions as listed (unanimous).
- Noted: The city will continue pursuing a FEMA BRIC grant for Rosa Lake dam flood mitigation. A public information session will be scheduled for the next grant cycle.
- Acknowledged: Several vacancies remain; residents are encouraged to apply.
- Meeting adjourned after the appointments vote.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everyone. We'd like to call our September 9th City Council meeting to order. Welcome all those who are joining us in the audience, those who are joining us remotely. Uh, real quick before we get into the invocation Pledge of Allegiance, I'd like to acknowledge uh State Representative Marvin Lucas who's with us. Good evening, sir, and welcome. Any other elected officials or past elected officials that I don't want to want to miss anyone. All right. Well, moving into the invocation, we asked that Captain U Garrett Rogerson from the Federal Fire Department, if you would come give us our prayer. Ask that all would please stand for the invocation. Immediately following, if we could repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. Good evening, and thank you for this opportunity, Mayor and City Council. Um, thank you, Chief Dove, for asking me um to come forth this evening. Uh, lead you guys in prayer. Um, I just want to thank the elected officials and the mayor and uh um fire chief for the responsibility of um being a chaplain and what we do for the department and its members. Um, we care about the overall spiritual well-being of the fire department, its members, and its families. Um, we also may be requested to minister to firefighters and civilians alike on scenes of emergency incidents. Um, so thank you, Chief Dove. Um, at this time, I'll lead us in prayer. Lord, thank you for this opportunity to come before you in prayer to ask your blessings on our elected officials as they discuss the needs of our city. Give them the wisdom and guidance to lead our city in unity and in love, that we can be a community that thrives. Keep us safe, Lord, and let our lives be pleasing unto you in your precious name we pray. Amen. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, uh, Chaplain and Captain Rogerson, thank you for your service uh to the community as well. Thank you, Chief Dove for loaning your chaplain to us tonight for prayer. Uh, Council, as we move to announcements, uh go to Councilmember Hondros. I think he had an announcement. Mr. Mayor. Uh, just want to remind the community this weekend, uh, this Saturday and Sunday, the 14th and 15th of September, is our annual Greek festival at the uh Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church at the uh main campus in Haymt on uh Oak Ridge Avenue. So everybody come out Saturday and Sunday. It'll be a good time and good food had by all. Thank you, sir. We definitely have to remember that in the good spaghetti that comes along then. Oh, okay. Different fundraisers, spaghetti's different sounds ahead of myself, yeah. All right. Um, thank you, Councilmember Hondrose. So you know, as with every meeting, uh, we always like to acknowledge our own, particularly uh the young men and women of this community that are doing exceptional things. And tonight we have the opportunity to acknowledge uh Mr. Tyler Brandon Moore. That was recently uh, let me make sure I get this right for Mr. Bayes. It was recently aired on WRAL, and then we're on news tonight. So he told me to make sure that we're on news tonight came after WRAL, but a phenomenal uh young man that has accomplished some great things, and we have prepared a uh small token of our appreciation for you, Tyler and your family. If you could meet me at the podium, uh Mayor Pro Tim Jensen, who always takes all the credit for any North Side uh product is going to read the proclamation. So, Tyler, you and your parents, if you want to meet me at the podium. Which we are North Side Kids and where we grow leaders on the North Side.
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