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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Fayetteville City Council met Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers for the monthly work session to discuss matters relevant to the city.
The meeting was CALLED TO ORDER at 2:06 p.m. followed by the invocation offered by Councilmember Lynne Greene and the Pledge of Allegiance lead by Mayor Mitch Colvin.
City Manager Douglas J. Hewett brought forward Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Yates during the CITY MANAGER’S REPORT.The report included a brief update on the School Resource Officer agreements.
Councilmember D.J. Haire announced he had a death in his family and will be away from the city of Fayetteville for a short period of time.
Councilmember Haire moved to APPROVE THE AGENDA.This was seconded by Councilmember Deno Hondros. The motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY (10-0).
Eight OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS were discussed during the work session.
The first item of business was the discussion of Driving Equity Laws.Councilmember Mario Benavente moved that the City Council’s Public Safety Committee continue to pursue partnership and working towards driving equality laws in Fayetteville. This was seconded by Councilmember Courtney Banks-McLaughlin. Discussion ensued. The motion was withdrawn. The information will be taken back to the Public Safety Committee for further discussion. You can learn more about this item here.
The next item of business was the Discussion of a Report by PB Mares of the Audit and Financial Results for the Year Ended June 30, 2024.Councilmember Derrick Thompson moved to receive the report from PB Mares. Councilmember Haire seconded this motion. This motion GAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
The third item discussed was theARPA Portfolio Update and Obligation Strategy for FY24: Progress, Planning, and Next Steps.The city of Fayetteville was allocated $40,400,000 of ARPA funding to aid recovery efforts and support transformative projects following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the initiation of the ARPA funding, the City has allocated significant resources to projects aligned with the Council's strategic priorities, focusing on economic development, housing and community livability, infrastructure, and public safety.
Fayetteville is on track to meet the Dec. 31, 2024, federal obligation deadline and has implemented a comprehensive obligation strategy to ensure compliance with ARPA guidelines while maximizing the impact of funds for the Fayetteville community. This update highlights portfolio progress, key milestones, and the strategic steps being undertaken to complete the portfolio's obligations. Councilmember Haire moved to receive the report. Councilmember Malik Davis seconded this motion. This motion GAINED CONSENSUS. You can learn more about this item here.
The next item was a Review of Special Use Permit Processes of Peer Cities and Text Amendment Recommendations.This report proposes amendments to Fayetteville's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to enhance the efficiency of the Special Use Permit (SUP) process. Through a comprehensive analysis of current SUP requirements, past City Council decisions, and a comparative study with peer cities, the report advocates for reducing the number of uses necessitating SUPs. This strategy aims to balance developmental demands with community preservation while improving procedural efficiency.
Key findings indicate a high approval rate for SUP applications, suggesting opportunities for reclassification. The analysis of peer cities uncovered diverse approaches to SUP management, offering valuable insights for potential enhancements.
The proposed amendments categorize SUP removals based on potential impact, stressing the importance of careful evaluation for uses with moderate to high impact. The recommended course of action is to endorse staff suggestions and initiate the development of a text amendment for submission to the Planning Commission. Councilmember Hondros moved to move forward as quickly as possible with the staff recommendations, seconded by Councilmember Thompson. This motionGAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
The next item was the discussion on a Proposed Text Amendments to Chapter 30 - Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Fall 2024.Generally, twice per year, the Development Services Department proposes a batch of text amendments to adjust the UDO and other city codes. The aim of these amendments is to ensure that the City’s regulations reflect modern development standards and community preferences. These suggested amendments are the result of issues identified through ordinance cleanup, the development community’s suggestions, and case law implications. The reason to limit the potential amendments is a combination of staff and City Council time spent on the items to fully vet items for consideration.
According to section 160D-301 of the North Carolina General Statutes:
(a) Composition. - A local government may by ordinance provide for the appointment and compensation of a planning board or may designate one or more boards or commissions to perform the duties of a planning board. A planning board established pursuant to this section may include, but shall not be limited to, one or more of the following:
(b) Duties. - A planning board may be assigned the following powers and duties:
(3) To develop and recommend policies, ordinances, development regulations, administrative procedures, and other means for carrying out plans in a coordinated and efficient manner.
Development Services Staff proposed five code areas to be amended:
1. Amend Historic Resources Commission’s requirements for a quorum to exclude vacant positions in the calculation.
2. Amend standards for Wireless Communications Towers to include new standards for Aviation Hazards.
3. Amend Use Table to clarify uses in the DT-2 zone that are only allowed on certain streets.
4. Add specialty eating establishments to the list of uses allowed to have a drive-throughs in the DT-2.
5. Amend the Clear-Cutting Permit standards to include an exception for sites of 1 acre or less to provide only a 10-foot buffer along property lines and a 15-foot buffer along rights-of-way.
Councilmember Haire moved to accept items #1-4 be amended and take to the Planning Commission, seconded by Councilmember Hondros. This motion GAINED CONSENSUS.
Councilmember Hondros moved to change #5 to a 20-foot buffer and take to the Planning Commission, seconded by Councilmember Thompson. This motion GAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
The next item discussed was the Paid Parking Program Update.This report and presentation discussed the parking agreement between Fayetteville and a consultant, program operations, the previous Downtown Parking Study, and recent activity surrounding the parking program.
At the June 3, 2024, Council Work Session, council requested to review the Paid Parking Program and contracts at a future work session. At the same Council Work Session, and at the June 24, 2024, Regular Council Session the Downtown Paid Parking hours were revised from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Councilmember Davis moved to table this discussion until the Jan. 6 work session, seconded by Councilmember Greene. This motion GAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
The following item was the Review the Residential Traffic Management Program.This presentation reviews the administrative report provided to the City Council on June 24, which addressed comments from a previous work session regarding traffic calming measures. It outlines the Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP) and the ongoing Safe Streets and Roadways For All (SS4A) project, which aims to recommend improvements to the RTMP based on a peer review of similar programs in other cities.Councilmember Haire moved to revise the RTMP to adopt a ballot process signature collection process through mailers as outlined in the presentation and not to allow HOA boards to approve in place of 70% signature thresholds. This GAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
One council request was heard during the meeting. Councilmember Courtney Banks-McLaughlin proposed to City Council that a resolution be prepared and sent to state and federal partners supporting the regulation of ‘ghost guns’. This GAINED CONSENSUS.You can learn more about this item here.
The meeting ADJOURNED at 6:18 p.m.
The next City Council Regular Meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.in Council Chambers in City Hall. Meetings also air live on Spectrum Channel 7, at FayTV.net and on the FayTV app available on your streaming device. Meeting agendas, supporting documentation and minutes are publicly available here. For more information about the Fayetteville City Council, please visit fayettevillenc.gov/citycouncil.
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