City Council Regular Meeting – February 24, 2025
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City Council Regular Meeting – February 24, 2025
The Fayetteville City Council met on Monday, February 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included presentations on strategic performance, financial updates, public safety reports, a public hearing on economic incentives, an evidentiary hearing for a special use permit, and other business. Key outcomes included approval of the consent agenda (8-1), approval of economic incentives for Project Crossfit, approval of a special use permit for Sam's Towing, and direction to amend the wrecker ordinance.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the consent agenda (items 7.0A1 through 7.0A15) with one vote in opposition (Councilmember Benavente). The consent agenda included approval of minutes, bid recommendations, rezoning, property acquisition, historic district design standards, demolition ordinances, easements, and various PWC items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the public hearing on Project Crossfit (economic incentives).
- During the evidentiary hearing for SUP25-01 (Special Use Permit for Sam's Towing), the applicants, Kodjo Sam Kouassi and Daniel Barron, testified in support of the permit, stating they would continue towing operations, clean up the property, and employ local workers. They confirmed the property is located in a heavy industrial zone and the adjacent residential structure is actually a commercial gutter business.
Discussion Items
- Strategic Performance Report (Q2 FY25): Chris Lowry presented the second quarter update on the city's five strategic priorities: violence reduction/mental health, affordable housing, youth engagement, economic growth, and branding. Highlights included 15 collaborative initiatives, 47 individuals using mental health services, 3 affordable housing projects closed, 26 new multifamily units funded, and a redesigned website with 37,995 visits since February 11. Council discussed adding a feedback mechanism on the website and incorporating Cumberland County as a partner.
- Financial Update (Q2 FY25): Jeff Yates presented the second quarter financial report. General fund strength is steady, with 42% of revenue realized. He noted risks from federal vacancies, potential tariff impacts, and the need to monitor federal funding. The city is developing a transparency portal for real-time expenditure data. Council discussed vacancy rates (10.8%) and strategies to attract talent.
- Fire Department 2024 Year-End Review: Chief Dove reported 28,894 calls for service, down 796 from 2023. Response times decreased, 90% of calls had a fire truck on scene within the time from 911 call. Highlights included addition of first full-time fire investigator, firefighter cancer screenings, and 1,932 smoke alarms installed. The department had one sworn vacancy at year-end. Council praised the report.
- Police Department 2024 Year-End Review: Chief Braden reported a 10% decrease in total crime, the lowest in 10 years. Homicides down 48%, violent crime down 8.4%. Property crime down 47% since 2014. However, juvenile crime increased significantly: assaults up from 152 to 245, motor vehicle thefts up from 51 to 97. The department has 37 sworn vacancies. Council discussed recruitment, child care challenges, and the need for community investment in youth programs.
- Project Crossfit Economic Incentives: Rob Patton presented a request for a $63,948 cash incentive grant over five years to attract an air dome manufacturer to Fayetteville, creating 72 jobs (avg. salary $47,734) and $4.1 million capital investment. The company is also considering Minnesota and Georgia. Council approved the incentive unanimously after the public hearing.
- SUP25-01 – Special Use Permit for Sam's Towing: The applicant requested a reduction in the separation requirement for automotive wrecker services from 250 feet to 10 feet from residential districts. The property is at 3424 Cumberland Road, zoned heavy industrial, and previously used for towing. Council approved the permit unanimously after finding it met the six criteria.
- Additional Polling Location: Council approved adding a Cliffdale early voting location for the November 2025 municipal election to increase voter participation for western districts.
- Wrecker Operators to Clear Debris: Council approved moving forward with an ordinance amendment to allow wrecker operators to clear debris from accident sites, based on a staff report.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved 8-1 (Councilmember Benavente opposed).
- Strategic Performance Report: Received unanimously.
- Financial Update: Received unanimously.
- Fire Department Report: Received unanimously.
- Police Department Report: Received unanimously.
- Project Crossfit Incentives: Approved unanimously.
- SUP25-01 Special Use Permit: Approved unanimously.
- Additional Polling Location: Approved unanimously.
- Wrecker Ordinance Amendment: Approved unanimously to bring back a formal ordinance.
- Adjournment: Motion carried unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everyone. Like to welcome you to the Monday, February 24th, 2025, February City Council meeting. Welcome all of you who are joining us in the audience, those who join us by way of online or the T television. At this time, as with any meeting, we typically start with the invocation. We'll ask that Pastor Jeff Eisenhower, Aaron Lakes Baptist Church. If Pastor Jeff will come, ask that I would please stand for the prayer. Mm-hmm. Pastor, good to see you. Let's pray together. Father, we uh we thank you for the privilege of living in this great country. Thank you for the privilege of living in this great city. And Father, uh, as a minister of the gospel, I'm not the only one that's called to serve you. Uh, every one of these city council members, according to your word, are called to serve you as well. And so, Father, it is uh it is a privilege to be called. It's a privilege, Father, to know that to whom much is given, much is required. And Father, uh, I lift up Mayor Coven and Lord the City Council and all the decisions that had to be made in this room. Father, you tell us if we lack wisdom to ask of you, and you give it to us very liberally, and we thank you for that, Father. Bless this meeting tonight, bless this city council, bless our city, Father, uh, where you have put us. All world events affect us right here. And so, Father, we look to you and we trust you, and we thank you, Father, for uh watching over us in Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, Pastor, uh, we know you well. You've you've uh worked a long time in these vineyards here, but tell us a little bit about yourself and your ministry. Yeah, I was the pastor of Aaron Lake Baptist Church for 35 and a half years. And uh I just stepped down in January. Uh, I retired, highly recommended. And uh, so I retired. But my successor, uh, who was on my staff, Andrew Clark, he's with us. Uh, I turned the baton over to him. He is now the new pastor. I wish every church could experience that kind of succession, transferring older leadership into new leadership, and the church is really just taking off and growing stronger under his leadership. So I'm thankful for that opportunity to have done that, to have finished well at Aaron Lake. Uh, Aaron Lake is a multicultural, multi-generational, multi-racial church. And uh, God has been good to us to uh make a difference in our city. Uh, several years ago, Andrew and myself got together, and we ask ourselves if our church burnt down, uh if we weren't meeting anymore, would this city even know? Would they even care? And that kept us up at night. So we decided to do something about that. So it's it's it's it's a great church. It's been my privilege to serve there, and uh, and I look forward to just seeing good things to keep good things going on in the city and on that side of town on the West Side at Air Night Baptist. Well, we appreciate that. Uh let's give Pastor Round applause. And and Pastor Pastor Eisenhower, one more thing. How many years did you say? 35 and a half. So we have four. Before you were born.
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