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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-24 - Minutes - TOWN AND GOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE July 24, 2023 | 3:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting Via Zoom Members: CITY COUNCIL & COMMUNITY MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVES • Teresa Turk City Council Member • Brandon Gibbons U of A Student - Off Campus • Jack Avery Community Citizen at Large • Annie Dowling Community Citizen at Large • Alan Wilbourn Exec. Dir. Of Communications, Fayetteville Public Schools CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE STAFF REPRESENTATIVES • Susan Norton Chief of Staff Committee Co-Chair • Lisa Thurber Director of Communications and Marketing • Jonathan Curth Director of Development Services STAFF RESOURCES WILL BE CALLED UPON AS NEEDED UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS REPRESENTATIVES • Laura Jacobs Chief of Staff/Committee Co- Chair • Mark Rushing Associate Vice Chancellor, University Relations • Scott Turley Associate Vice Chancellor, Facilities • Cael Losenegger President, Associated Student Government • Kolade Olatunde President, Graduate Professional Student Congress Meeting Video: http://reflect-fayetteville-ar.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/7474?site=1 1. Call to Order Jacobs called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. 2. Roll Call In attendance: Teresa Turk, Brandon Gibbons, Annie Dowling, Alan Wilbourn, Susan Norton, Lisa Thurber, Jonathan Curth, Laura Jacobs, Mark Rushing, Scott Turley, Cale Losenegger, Kolade Olatunde, Jack Avery Absent: none 3. Approval of Minutes Turk asked to have minutes edited to include a discussion about a University property purchase. (Note: Thurber confirmed with Turk offline that this discussion point had been appropriately included in the existing minutes as presented on April 24, so no edits were made to the document). Turley moved and Turk seconded approval of the April 24, 2023 meeting minutes. The minutes were unanimo usly approved. 4. Approval of Meeting Agenda Turk moved and Dowling seconded approval of the July 24, 2023 meeting agenda. Gibbons requested adding a Town and Gown committee to the University of Arkansas Student Government meeting body, which was determined to be out of scope for this MEETING MINUTES 2 meeting body and did not receive a second. Jacobs called for another motion and second on the committee’s July 24 agenda, which was provided by Gibbons and Olatunde, respectively. 5. Old Business: None 6. New Business a. Introduce Kolade Olatunde and Cael Losenegger, new student government representatives to Town and Gown committee - Jacobs Jacobs welcomed the representatives to the committee; Olat unde and Losenegger briefly addressed the group. b. Introduce Alan Wilbourn, Fayetteville Public Schools representative – Norton Norton welcomed Wilbourn, who replaced former FPS representative Duncan on the committee. Wilbourn briefly addressed the group. c. Committee member term expirations and application process - Norton Norton advised that Gibbons’ and Dowling’s terms expire in September 2023 and gave an overview of the application and nomination processes. Dowling noted her intent to reapply for the committee, citing pedestrian safety awareness and general safety on streets and around Wilson Park as motivating factors for her interest in reapplying. d. Center/Harmon street improvements project update – Matt Casey, Engineering Design Manager, City of Fayetteville Casey indicated that the project continues but is behind schedule, citing utility issues as one obstacle to completion. He said paving should begin mid -August, to be followed closely after by striping. No date is set for the traffic signal installation, but the intersection can be opened and used while awaiting signalization. Dowling asked why projects like these are scheduled to happen as University classes are resuming; Casey responded that this project began more than a year ago with the intention of completing as much as possible before the beginning of the 2022/23 school year, which did not happen because of delays regarding workers, supply chain concerns and other issues. Wilbourn asked about an ETA for work on Center/West; Casey did not have those details on hand, and Thurber indicated that the intersection work is part of The Ramble project, for which details are available on the City website. e. 2023/24 School Year: 1. FPS first day of classes – Wilbourn Wilbourn said teachers will be back beginning Aug. 7 with the first day of school set for Aug. 14. He suggested viewing the new John L. Colbert Middle School. Norton asked for more information about the new FPS Superintendent; Wilbourn shared 3 that several events are scheduled throughout Fall 2023 for Dr. Mulford to meet students, parents and community members. 2. UA move-in schedule – Rushing Rushing said the first day of classes were set for four week s from today (July 24), with early drop-off beginning about a week later, followed by early move -in around Aug. 9. Sorority recruitment activities will take place around the same time. General move in is Aug. 12 and continues through Aug. 19. Rushing noted that a calendar is available at http://www.movein.uark.edu. Jacobs reminded the group that Dowling helped inform neighbors about Bid Day activities in the previous school year; Dowling recommended contacting Parice Bowser via gogreek@uark.edu for help with parking or other issues in the Wilson Park area related to sorority recruitment activities. f. City/UA code compliance coordination for returning off -campus UA students – Melissa Harwood-Rom, Dean of Students – UA Jacobs introduced Harwood-Rom, and Norton added that re-education about City code compliance with students is an annual need because of new students arriving in the community. Turk said that she receives calls beginning early August related to parties, drinking and illegal parking, and that proactive communication to students and neighbors helps with these issues and reduces calls to the police and city representatives. Harwood-Rom said that students are advised that the University does have jurisdiction of off-campus violations of the Code of Student Life. The Code specifies that violation of a civil law can results in a conduct case being opened. Harwood-Rom said that reports of conduct issues should be reported immediately via report@uark.edu. Harwood-Rom indicated that generally, educational conversations with students via her office or UA Cares are sufficient for bringing students into compliance, but where needed a case will be opened, and a student can be censured/reprimanded. Harwood-Rom mentioned Parice Bowser for reports on Greek events and UAPD for reports at locations adjacent to campus. Traffic issues on city streets should be reported to Fayetteville Police (FPD), who will share the report with the University. The Fayetteville Police non-emergency number is 479-575-3555. Harwood-Rom shared http://handbook.uark.edu as an online resource for policies, codes and expectations for students. For behavior that is not a violation of the Code of Student Life, reports can be sent to report@uark.edu and her office will have conversations with students about the reports. Turk asked for clarification of whether to call UAPD or FPD for repeated violations of city code; H arwood-Rom clarified that reports close to campus can be reported to UAPD by calling 575 -2222 while reports away from campus can be reported to FPD by calling 575 -3555. Harwood-Rom added that if a violation isn’t serious or repeated, she recommends contacting UAPD, while repeated, serious violations should be reported to FPD. Identifying features and other identifying detail is helpful to whatever group is responding to the violation. 4 Jacobs reiterated use of the http://report.uark.edu portal for sending in reports to the appropriate office. g. Update on University Heights property purchase by UA; property Plans – Turley Turley shared that the purchase of this property happened quickly and there are no plans for development at this time. The purchase was attractive because opportunities to purchase undeveloped land adjacent to existing UA property are infrequent. Turley indicated that similar properties may be on the market soon, and UA will consider those as well from a strategic, long -term perspective. He said UA is pursuing three different studies related to growth: a housing study; a transit/parking study; and a space inventory. These are just beginning and may be complete at the end of Q1 2024. Turk noted that the University Heights area near the recent UA land purchase is very active and concerned about future development plans being compatible with the existing neighborhood . Turley said that those concerns would be communicated during property use discussions. Curth said he has received questions about whether a community input aspect would be included in a future UA housing plan; Turley said that community outreach is generally part of such a process, and he offered to share the scope of work, once developed, with this committee for feedback. Jacobs added that the Fall 2023 incoming is the second -largest class of first-year students, and that UA is intentionally looking at ways to control growth. 7. Public Comment/Other Discussion: Gibbons shared his appreciation for NWA Pride events held in Fayetteville, as well as the Weekend Starts programs offered by the City. Dowling noted that the next committee meeting will take place during Pedestrian Safety Month and asked that collaboration with the City and UA continue for promoting events and awareness. Gibbons welcomed the new ASG and GPSC representatives to the committee. 8. Next Meeting and Adjourn The Q4 2023 Town and Gown Committee meeting will take place on Oct. 23, 2023, via Zoom. The meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.