Fayetteville City Council Work Session – August 4, 2025

The Fayetteville City Council met in a work session on August 4, 2025, beginning at 2:00 PM. The agenda covered emergency management, flood mitigation engineering, a proposed loitering ordinance, parks and recreation master plan updates, and two speed limit reduction requests. The council approved multiple items and provided staff direction on next steps.

Emergency Management Presentation

• Laura Smith (City Emergency Manager) and Gary Crumpler (County EM Coordinator) presented an overview of emergency management, including the four phases, legal frameworks (Stafford Act, Price Anderson Act, NC Emergency Management Act), and the roles of local jurisdictions. An interactive exercise using monopoly money allowed council members to prioritize hazards; the top three were dam failure, inland flooding, and hurricanes.
• Discussion covered notification systems (Cumberland Alerts), the need for audible sirens, generator capacity at shelters, and the uncertainty of federal funding for emergency alerting. Council members asked about communication during disasters when cell service is down and about equipping firefighters with multiple gear sets.

Cross Creek Channel Improvements – Advance to 15% Design

• Alicia Lanier (Watershed Program) and Matthew Jones (Hazen Sawyer) presented the scope of work for preliminary design of channel improvements along Cross Creek in downtown Fayetteville. The 11‑month study will evaluate three alternatives, assess environmental constraints, and produce a 15% design. The full project is estimated at roughly $50 million with a 10‑year timeline.
• Council discussed past studies, the potential for a San Antonio‑style riverwalk, and the need to balance flood mitigation with community amenities. City Manager noted that with over $1.1 billion in identified flood‑related needs, the council will increasingly need to consider bonds.
• Motion passed (unanimous) to provide consensus to proceed with the preliminary design (15% design).

Proposed Loitering Ordinance

• Assistant City Attorney Randolph presented a new loitering ordinance to fill gaps in the current ordinance, particularly for city parking decks, school grounds, and commercial private places. Key additions include a warning requirement, constitutional safeguards, and a focus on unauthorized presence without a legitimate purpose.
• Councilmember Benavente raised concerns about Section A’s broad “general loitering” language, arguing it could shift the burden of proof to citizens and lead to over‑policing. Other members supported the ordinance as a necessary public‑safety tool. The council debated the probable‑cause standard and enforcement procedures.
• Motion passed to introduce and adopt the ordinance (first reading; second reading will be required for final adoption).

Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update

• City Manager Hewitt and Parks Director Michael Gibson presented an opportunity to use federal ECD funds to resurface tennis courts at Tokay Park and convert some to pickleball. Council discussion centered on whether to convert all six tennis courts (producing 24 pickleball courts) or retain half for tennis.
• Mayor Pro Tem advocated for full conversion to create a tournament‑ready pickleball complex, citing economic development. Other members wanted to preserve tennis capacity on the north side, arguing that citizens should have accessible courts. A motion for full conversion failed. Subsequently, a motion passed to resurface the Tokay courts with half as pickleball (3 courts) and half as tennis (3 courts). Staff will sequence the work so that the new Mazarick Tennis Center and Mazarick 1 resurfacing are completed before Tokay is converted, avoiding a gap in tennis availability.
• Council also requested a broader parks master plan update covering Glenville Lake, trails, and other deferred projects, with budget details.

Speed Limit Reduction Requests

• Seabrook Road (Councilman Haire): Requested a 25 mph limit from Langdon Street to Jasper Street. The road passes homes, schools, and churches. Motion passed to reduce the speed to 25 mph and place the item on the next regular agenda for final adoption.
• W Rowan Street (Councilman Davis): Requested a 25 mph limit due to active speeding near the skate park and a residential/walking area. Motion passed similarly.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved (6‑0).
• Consensus given to advance Cross Creek Channel Improvements to preliminary 15% design.
• Proposed Loitering Ordinance approved on first reading; second reading scheduled for a future meeting.
• Tokay Park tennis courts to be resurfaced; half converted to pickleball (3 pickleball, 3 tennis). Staff to provide a detailed timeline for all court projects and a comprehensive parks master plan update.
• Speed limit on Seabrook Road reduced to 25 mph (Langdon to Jasper).
• Speed limit on W Rowan Street reduced to 25 mph.
• Staff directed to report back on the master plan update, budgets, and sequencing of parks projects.