The Fayetteville City Council met on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included an invocation by Rabbi Scott Klein, recognitions, public hearings on street closure, street renaming, a solar farm rezoning, and an economic development incentive, as well as approval of a 911 center architectural agreement and denial of a sewer assessment appeal.
All consent items were approved unanimously, except Item 7.0A4 (781 Richardson Avenue) which was pulled from consent and not further addressed. Approved items include:
Well, good evening, everyone. We'd like to call our Monday, September 22nd, Faithful City Council meeting to order welcome. Thank you all for your patience. As the city council was completing uh some uh close session items and uh put us a little behind on our dinner meeting, but thank you for your patience. Those who are joining us uh in the audience, we welcome you. Those who are joining us remotely, we welcome you. At this time, as with every meeting, we will start with the invocation. Ask that Rabbi Scott Klein, U.S. Army Chaplain. If he could come forward, if everyone could please stand for the prayer. Immediately following the invocation, if we could uh repeat the Pledge of Allegiance in unity. Thank you so much, Mayor, and esteemed uh members of the city council. It is a pleasure to be here, especially on this eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins uh this evening. Uh it means literally the head of the new year, and in our tradition, we begin the year 5786. Rosh Hashanah, by the way, is not just a uh time for celebration, it's the birthday of the world and a period of deep introspection. And for the next 10 days, the Jewish community, which Fayetteville has a very proud and of course diverse community and diverse Jewish community. Uh, we are called to look inward and examine our deeds from the past year and to make resolutions together with our entire community to be better people in the year to come. This period is a time to renew our commitment uh to our families, to our neighbors, and to God. And uh again, finally the theme of Russ Hashanah is reflection, repentance, and renewal. It's universal, it's a call to all people, um, regardless of faith, to seek him better, a more just, a compassionate world. And with that in mind, let's turn our hearts and minds to a moment of prayer for our city and our community. Oh, guardian of all, we stand before you on this solemn eve at the cusp of a new year, 5786 as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah. We're gathered as leaders and citizens of Fayetteville, a city that we cherish, a community we are privileged to serve. At this time of reflection, we're reminded that Russ Hashanah is not just a holiday for the Jewish people. It's a time for all of humanity to pause and to consider our actions as we look and we stand in humble awe before the creator, just as we are called to open the books of our lives to account for our deeds, to recognize our faults, to resolve to do better. So to we as a city stand before you and we ask for your wisdom to see our strengths and our shortcomings with clarity, and we pray for the courage to address the challenges that face us. We pray for the ability to listen with open hearts and minds to all the voices in our city. We pray for our leaders that they be granted insight and integrity. We pray for our citizens that they may find health, safety, and prosperity. We pray for the bonds of our community, Lord, that they be strengthened by our acts of kindness, compassion, and justice. May this year be a year of growth, peace and progress for Fayetteville. May we be inscribed in the book of life, not just as individuals, but as a community, and let us say amen. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for what you've stands. One nation under God, individuals with liberty and justice for all Rabbi. If you could please, we thank you uh for giving us the prayer tonight. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. Absolutely. I'm joined tonight by my wife Ellie. Um, and we are uh originally from Skokie, Illinois, just north of the city of Chicago. Uh, but we are proud to uh to be here as my uh uniform represents. I am here as an Army chaplain. I am one of 12 active duty Jewish chaplains in the United States Army, and very, very privileged that my first assignment as a chaplain is here on Fort Bragg and in Fayetteville. As uh number of uh members of the city council and as members of the staff know, uh immediately got involved in the community, and uh I have a doctorate in educational leadership, uh background in communications and nonprofit management, and uh very passionate about uh uh making this a great place to live, work, and play. So uh privileged to serve as a chaplain of the 82nd Airborne Division. I always say I think I'm the only rabbi in this country that jumps out of airplanes for a living, which is kind of fun. Yeah, and that's it's great to call Fayetteville home. We'll be here for at least the next three, four years. And as you know from uh your boards and commissions, I'm already getting involved. Yes, sir.