Fayetteville City Council Work Session – March 2, 2026

The Fayetteville City Council held a work session on Monday, March 2, 2026, beginning at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included a recess at 5:00 PM, resuming at 6:15 PM for announcements, recognitions, and a public forum. Key topics included a construction management division update, a transit feasibility study, an emergency operations plan, policy changes for naming city property, and several council member agenda requests. The council also approved an FTA grant for new buses and recognized city employees, Girl Scouts, and transit drivers.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved unanimously by those present.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Arlene Fields (District 1 resident): Expressed disappointment that the council denied Councilmember McMillan’s motion to direct staff to research data center policy, citing concerns about enormous water and electricity demands, few jobs, and rapid chip obsolescence (18 months to 3 years). She referenced a December 2025 CNN article noting $400 billion in AI-related capital expenditures and growing corporate skepticism about AI returns.
• Joseph Schwab: Offered three transparency suggestions: (1) update the city website to clearly label work sessions as regular meetings and list start times for public forum and recognitions; (2) ensure public forum is streamed with video (not just audio) to capture body language, which he noted is 55% of communication; (3) make pre-meeting dinner discussions between the mayor, council, and staff fully transparent, as they are currently not streamed yet shape decisions.

Discussion Items

• 6.01 Construction Management Division Update (Freese & Nichols) – Dan Lemontane presented the program’s progress, including unified dashboards, standardized templates, and a transition plan. City Manager Hewitt noted the division has only one full-time employee (on medical leave) and a new project manager; Freese & Nichols provides the operational backbone. Council questioned the process for identifying subpar construction work. The update was received without a formal vote.
• 6.03 FAST Transit Feasibility Study – Transit Director Tiffany Neo presented the study, which analyzed commuting patterns: 1.3 million daily trips within Cumberland County, 90% staying inside the county. Six express route alternatives were outlined, with baseline annual operating costs of $141,000 (3 days/week) to $244,000 (5 days/week) per route. A secondary facility on the west side (districts 6, 7, 8) is needed, with 180 potential parcels. Capital costs for a bus range from $725,000 (29-foot diesel) to $1.5 million (battery electric). Councilmember McMillan moved to receive the report, approve the feasibility study, authorize staff to continue collaborations with community partners, and seek competitive grants for a secondary facility in West Fayetteville. The motion passed unanimously.
• 6.04 FTA Grant NC-2026-008 – Council accepted and appropriated an $8.3 million federal grant to purchase five hybrid buses (replacing four battery electric buses with one battery electric and four hybrids). The council temporarily suspended work session rules to take a formal vote; the motion passed unanimously.
• 6.05 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – Laura Smith, Emergency Management Coordinator, presented the updated plan, which now uses an Emergency Support Function (ESF) structure aligned with federal, state, and local standards. The plan covers 15 functions, including mass care (partnering with the county and Red Cross). Councilmember Hondros noted the city’s organizational chart omitted the citizens at the top; staff confirmed the website version includes citizens. The report was received unanimously.
• 6.06 Policy 155.4 – Naming of City Property – Councilmember Hare, chair of the policy committee, presented a proposal to allow naming for living or deceased individuals, including former council members (but not current members). The committee could not reach consensus on a five-year waiting period for former council members. After debate, Councilmember Hare moved to amend the policy to allow living former members, remove the five-year waiting period, and direct staff to bring back criteria (including a morality clause). The motion passed 6-4.
• 6.07 Corridors of Opportunity – Mayor Colvin requested staff develop a tiered incentive program for corridor redevelopment (e.g., facade grants larger than $25,000, scaled for small, medium, and large projects), modeled after Charlotte’s program. Council consensus supported the direction, with referral to the Economic Development Commission and relevant committees.
• 6.08 North Street Baseball Field – Councilmember Davis requested naming the baseball field at North Street Park after Coach Donald Bennett, who is still living. The council unanimously sent the request to the Parks and Recreation Committee.
• 6.09 Data Center Policy – Councilmember McMillan moved to direct staff to research data center development policy options and return with recommendations. He cited statistics: a single hyperscale data center can use electricity equivalent to 80,000 homes, consume 17.4 billion gallons of water nationally in 2023, and create few permanent jobs (e.g., 28 positions for a $130 million facility). The motion received no second and died for lack of a second.

Key Outcomes

• FAST Feasibility Study – Approved unanimously; staff directed to implement recommendations, including pilot program development and grant applications for a secondary facility.
• FTA Grant – Accepted and appropriated ($8.3 million for five hybrid buses) via formal vote after suspending work session rules; unanimous.
• Emergency Operations Plan – Received unanimously.
• Naming Policy – Amended to allow living former council members, remove five-year waiting period, and staff to return with criteria (including a morality clause). Passed 6-4.
• Corridors of Opportunity – Consensus to move forward with staff and committee work.
• North Street Baseball Field – Referred to Parks and Recreation Committee unanimously.
• Data Center Policy – Motion failed for lack of a second.

Note: The meeting recessed from 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM for evening recognitions and public forum. Recognitions included Girl Scout Day (proclamation for March 12, 2026), Transit Driver Appreciation Day (March 18, 2026), Severe Weather Preparedness Week (March 1–7, 2026), and Excellence in Action awards to three city employees.