The Fayetteville City Council convened on June 23, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting opened with an invocation by Mr. Rajan Z of the Universal Society of Hinduism, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Council recognized departing IT Director Willie Johnson (2015–2025) with a City Key and Coin, and presented the Key to the City to community advocate Laverne Oxendine. City Manager Dr. Hewitt introduced John Jones as the new Director of the Office of Community Safety. The council unanimously approved the agenda and the consent agenda (items 7.0A1–A28). Public hearings were held for street closures, a sign code update, and an annexation; all were approved unanimously. An evidentiary hearing for a special use permit was tabled. Council deliberated on a utility assessment appeal, a sidewalk exemption text amendment, and a bicycle lane ordinance, resulting in an approved appeal, a remand to staff, and a tabling respectively.
Well, good evening, everyone. Like I call out June twenty-third. Those who are joining us in the audience. Those who are joining us virtually, we welcome you here. At this time, as with every meeting, uh, we start with the invocation. We're going to ask that Mr. Rajan Z, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism would come if I would please stand for the invocation immediately following. If all would please stand uh for the invocation immediately following, if we could repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. And I won't want to say Mr. Mr. Rajan is joining us all the way from Nevada. Came to came to pray with us tonight. Uh and he also has a guest all the way from Nepal. So it's an interesting conversation. So welcome. Welcome, sir. Thank you, Mayor. I shall be reading from ancient Hindu scriptures, some as old as 1500 BCE in Sanskrit and then interpret in English. We meditate on the transcendental glory of the deity supreme, who's inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the heaven. May he stimulate and illuminate our minds. Lead us from the unreal to the real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality. Tasmada Sakta Statam Kariam Karma Samachara Asakto Hyacharan Karma Parmapanothip Karma Nevahi Sam Siddi Masita Jankadia Loka Sangreha Mevapi Sampa Shankartumura Hasi. Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world. By devotion to selfless, one attains the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind. May we be protected together, may we be nourished together, may we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us. Samni Vakuti, Samna Hirdianiwa, Samnam Astuvomano, Yathava Susa Hastie. United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be at one that you may long together dwell in unity and conquered. Um Shanti Shanti Shanti. Peace, peace, peace be unto all. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. Under God, individuals with liberty and justice. And two our uh members in the audience who are joining us, uh, we are probably one of the largest melting pots in the world with uh different people from different cultures and religions and languages. I think our schools speak over 80 languages. Um, and so we always try to make sure that we uh have a variety of of those who are opening up the invocation. So if you are a uh a minister of faith of uh particular faith, we we welcome you to do that. Uh but we appreciate you coming to us. Uh tell us briefly tell us a little bit about uh yourself and the universal society of Hinduism. Um Universal Society of Hinduism uh is a globally active organization. It takes up Hindu issues globally, and I have opened the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives with the Hindu prayers, and we take up um and we do a lot of interfaith work also, working with other uh religious leaders and religions. And I have had dialogue with various religions worldwide from different denominations and religions. Thank you. Thank you for having me.