HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-136 - Repeal Ordinance 6800 (Ordinance)
CityClerk
From:Clint Schnekloth <perichoresis2002@mac.com>
Sent:Friday, January 31, 2025 10:49 AM
To:Agenda Item Comment
Subject:Profound Disappointment in the Reversal of the Rental Fee Cap Ordinance
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Fayetteville. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize
the sender and know the content is safe.
Clint Schnekloth
3205 E Charing Cross
Fayetteville, AR 72703
479-799-3120
perichoresis2002@me.com
January 31, 2025
City Council Members, Mayor Rawn, and City Attorney Kit Williams
Subject: Profound Disappointment in the Reversal of the Rental Fee Cap Ordinance
Dear Mayor Rawn, City Council Members, and City Attorney Kit Williams,
I write to you today with deep disappointment over the city’s decision to reverse the rental fee cap ordinance, a
move that prioritizes corporate interests over the well-being of our residents. Nothing is a more crystalizing and
clarifying contradiction than the state jumping in to protect landlords and property hoarders, then making it
illegal for communities to democratically cap rent prices. This decision directly undermines the ability of our city
to ensure fair housing practices and protect renters from exploitation.
Housing is a fundamental human right, yet we continue to see policies that prioritize unchecked profit over
people’s ability to live with dignity. Renters in our city already face skyrocketing costs, predatory fees, and
housing insecurity at alarming rates. Instead of providing relief, this reversal exacerbates these challenges,
forcing more families into unstable living situations while reinforcing the disproportionate power landlords hold
over tenants.
This is not just a policy misstep—it is a moral failure. If our city’s leaders cannot take meaningful action to curb
housing injustices, who will? The excuse that the state has tied your hands does not absolve you of
responsibility. If state law is unjust, it is your duty to push back and advocate for our community. Capitulating to
a system that prioritizes property accumulation over people’s basic needs is an abdication of leadership.
While this reversal is a setback, it does not mean the fight for housing justice is over. I urge you to seek out
and implement alternative, legal mechanisms to achieve the same goal—whether through tenant protections,
rental assistance programs, or aggressive enforcement of fair housing laws. Other cities have found ways to
stand up to unjust state laws, and ours should be no different.
I ask you to demonstrate the political courage necessary to resist policies that harm our most vulnerable
residents. The people of this city deserve representatives who will fight for their right to stable, affordable
housing—not ones who will back down when confronted by powerful special interests. We are watching, and
we expect action.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. Clint Schnekloth
1
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Clint Schnekloth
Author of A Guidebook to Progressive Church, https://a.co/d/eYVW0Gt
Pastor
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Fayetteville, AR 72703
phone: 479-521-2113
cell: 479-799-3120
http://goodshepherdnwa.org/
perichoresis2002@me.com
Blog: https://clintschnekloth.substack.com
Twitter: @Schnekloth
Instagram: clintschnekloth
Pronouns: He/him
2