Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting – August 11, 2025
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Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting – August 11, 2025
The Fayetteville City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included recognitions, a public forum with 19 speakers, a consent agenda with 27 items (one pulled for public hearing), a staff report on the FY2025 year-end strategic performance, and referral of three administrative reports to a future work session. Key highlights included the proclamation of Zion’s Day, the presentation of the Key to the City to Tony Brown, and a vote to extend the public forum.
Announcements & Recognitions
- Proclamations and Awards: The Council proclaimed June 7, 2025, as “Zion’s Day” in memory of seven-year-old Zion Gibbs, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2024. Tony Brown received the Key to the City for his community service. Retired Sheriff Enos Wright was recognized for 31 years of law enforcement service.
- ICON Interns: Summer interns from the city’s Innovative Career Opportunities Now (ICON) program were recognized.
- Community Events: Councilmembers announced upcoming events: Yemoja Festival (Aug 23), NAACP Family Fun Day (Aug 16), and a Veterans Legislative Town Hall (Aug 16).
Consent Calendar
- Approved as a block (with one pull): The Council approved 26 consent items, including minutes, rezoning requests (P25-35, P25-36, P25-37), speed ordinance revisions for Seabrook Road and West Rowan Street, budget amendments, grants, loan commitments, and PWC equipment purchases.
- Item Pulled: Councilmember Jensen pulled Item 8.0A8 (relating to a stormwater project – CPO 2026-29 amendment) and requested a public hearing at the August 25 meeting. The motion to pull passed 9–1 (Councilmember Mahondros opposed). Note: Several public commenters had asked to remove a rezoning item for a 7-Eleven in College Lakes, but the pulled consent item pertained to a different stormwater project; the discrepancy was not addressed on the record.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carmella McKeller (Region 6 Project Inc.): Expressed support for BIPOC arts and cultural space at 100 Hay Street, asked the city for financial support and partnership.
- Tosqualizy (Outlaw Horse Club): Thanked the Council for a microgrant that allowed a community event with 320 attendees; positive feedback.
- Sean McMillan (District 8): Opposed city policies including youth curfew, ShotSpotter, no-camping and no-loitering ordinances, arguing they enable authoritarianism and harm civil liberties.
- Dr. Dion Felice: Supported a new YMCA building, citing health benefits and the need for a modern facility; requested collaboration rather than direct funding.
- Bernard McCoy: Advocated for the HEAR program (Inflation Reduction Act) to bring $208 million in energy-efficiency funding to Cumberland County; asked for contractor training and proactive engagement.
- Keosha McCoy Brown (Talented Tenth Properties): Urged affordable housing solutions, noting a 54% increase in median home prices (to $239,000) while median income is $56,395; requested incentives for affordable units and down payment assistance.
- Eugene Balogun: Alleged mistreatment by Fayetteville Police Department regarding a fraud case; requested reinvestigation and case reopening.
- Justin Chase (YMCA of the Sand Hills): Supported YMCA expansion, noting the current building is 55 years old and failing.
- Arlene Fields (College Lakes resident): Requested removal of a rezoning item for a 7-Eleven from consent agenda and scheduling a public hearing; cited limited notification and concerns about traffic, safety, and quality of life. Several other residents echoed similar concerns.
- Jacob Davis: Proposed eliminating parking minimums in city code to promote walkability and sustainable development, citing examples from other North Carolina cities.
- Catherine Goldblatt (District 5): Raised pedestrian safety concerns at intersections near Haymont and Terry Sanford neighborhoods, noting missing crosswalks and ADA compliance issues.
- Donna Johnson: Demanded action on health, safety, and traffic concerns regarding the College Lakes rezoning.
- Reverend Bernard Hayes: Supported YMCA as a community asset for youth and seniors.
- The Council voted (8–0) to extend the public forum by eight minutes to accommodate all speakers.
Discussion Items
- Staff Report – FY2025 Year-End Strategic Performance: Presented by Chris Lowry and Andrew Brayboy. Key metrics: 14% reduction in violent crime; 261 individuals accessed mental health services through police liaison; 72 blighted structures removed using only 8.3% of the general fund demolition budget; 45 new jobs created (nine times the target); 10 city-owned lots awarded for affordable housing; 1.17 million website visits; social media impressions exceeded 11 million. Councilmembers discussed youth engagement (late-night rec center events), brand perception, and satisfaction rates (64% positive quality of life rating). The Council received and accepted the report.
- Administrative Reports (Items 10.01, 10.02, 10.03): Reports on Catalyst Site 1 MOU with FSU, Downtown Municipal Service District quarterly report, and City Manager’s update on agenda item requests were referred to a future work session without formal action.
Key Outcomes
- Vote to Approve Agenda with Addition: Unanimously approved adding PWC annexation resolution as Item 8.0A28.
- Vote to Extend Public Forum: Motion to extend by eight minutes passed (seconded by Councilmember Davis).
- Vote on Consent Agenda: All consent items approved except Item 8.0A8, which was pulled for public hearing (vote 9–1).
- Vote to Accept Strategic Performance Report: Unanimously accepted.
- Referral of Administrative Reports: The three admin reports will be placed on a future work session agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everyone. We'd like to call our August 11th, 2025 Federal City Council meeting to order. Welcome all those who are joining us in the audience, those who are joining us virtually. We welcome you to the start of tonight's meeting. At this time, we will begin with the prayer, the invocation. We'll ask the senior pastor Reginald Johnson, my father's house church. If Pastor Johnson will come, we ask it all. Please stand for the prayer. Pastor, how are you? Good to see you. Doing well. Yes. I give an honor to God who's the head of my life and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And also give an honor to the mayor of our city, Mayor Coven, Mayor Pro Tim, Miss Jensen, all the count council members, all the city officials. Let us pray. Father, I come to you in prayer in the name of Jesus, thanking you for this day that you have made. Father, I rejoice and I'm glad in it. I thank you, Father, that you are the all-knowing God. And being the all-knowing God, I pray that you will open the minds of these council members, that they will know what's best for this city, Lord. I thank you, Lord, that you see all things. I pray that you will open their eyes to give them vision, Lord, a vision that will outlast them, Lord, and their tenure. I thank you, Father, that you are all embracing God, that you open your arms and you love us, Lord. And I pray that you will open their arms, that they will embrace one another on the council, even if they have differences, and that they will embrace those who are in their districts. And Father, I thank you that you have spoken by your word, and I pray that you will open their mouths, that they will speak up for this city, speak up for their districts, speak of the things that concern this city, speak concerning the complaints and the concerns. Thank you, Father, for blessing this city. Thank you for peace in this council, Lord. In Jesus' name, 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. So y'all do it the right way for us. All right. So I'll turn it over to you all to the Scout Masters. And to the Republic for which it stands. Let's get him a round of applause. So, Pastor Johnson, I know you well. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your ministry. Yes, it's good to be here, and I pastored my father's house Christian church right here in the great city of Fedville. And I've been pastoring over 22 years. And what's big with our church is outreach ministry. We have an outreach ministry that we've been doing since 2008, and we have apartments where we help guys who get out of prison and we house them and we give them classes to get them back on their feet. And so we still do that ministry today where we're helping guys and now we we're helping uh women also. We started by helping guys because we were in an all-male prison, but now our women's ministry we're helping women too. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you for the good work. Let's give him a round of applause. Yes, sir. Uh thank you.
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