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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-17 - Minutes - City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 1 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov City of Fayetteville Arkansas City Council Meeting June 17, 2025 A meeting of the Fayetteville City Council was held on June 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 219 of the City Administration Building located at 113 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mayor Molly Rawn called the meeting to order. PRESENT: Council Members Robert B. Stafford, D’Andre Jones DHA, Sarah Moore, Mike Wiederkehr, Scott Berna, Sarah Bunch, Teresa Turk, Minister Monique Jones, Mayor Molly Rawn, City Attorney Kit Williams, City Clerk Treasurer Kara Paxton, Interim Chief of Staff Keith Macedo, Chief Financial Officer Steven Dotson, Staff, Press and Audience. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor’s Announcements, Proclamations and Recognitions: Mayor Molly Rawn stated that Council Member Dr. Jones would be bringing forward a motion to table item C. 7, Establishment of Fayetteville Renters Council, immediately upon the first reading and would not move to public comment. City Council Meeting Presentations, Reports, and Discussion Items: Nominating Committee Report – Committee Chair Council Member Stafford read the Nominating Committee report and recommended the nominations as presented. Council Member Scott Berna Ward 3 Position 1 Council Member Sarah Bunch Ward 3 Position 2 Council Member Teresa Turk Ward 4 Position 1 Council Member Min. Monique Jones Ward 4 Position 2 Mayor Molly Rawn City Attorney Kit Williams City Clerk Treasurer Kara Paxton Council Member Robert B. Stafford Ward 1 Position 1 Council Member Dr. D’Andre Jones Ward 1 Position 2 Council Member Sarah Moore Ward 2 Position 1 Council Member Mike Wiederkehr Ward 2 Position 2 City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 2 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Council Member Bunch moved to approve the Nominating Committee Report. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion unanimously. Agenda Additions: None Consent: Approval of the May 20, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes. APPROVED. Approval of the June 3, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes. APPROVED. Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism: A resolution to authorize an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism for an Outdoor Recreation Grant Program in the amount of $150,000.00 as a 50/50 matching grant for improvements to Walker Community Park and to approve a budget adjustment. Resolution 140-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Amend the Rules of Order and Procedure: A resolution to amend the Rules of Order and Procedure of the Fayetteville City Council E.1.A. Standing City Council Committees, to remove the reference to an Equipment Committee. Resolution 141-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Fayetteville Area Community Foundation: A resolution to authorize acceptance of a grant from the Fayetteville Area Community Foundation in the amount of $1,500.00 to purchase items needed for the kitchen space at the Yvonne Richardson Community Center, and to approve a budget adjustment. Resolution 142-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Milestone Construction Company, LLC: A resolution to award Bid #25-34 and authorize a contract with Milestone Construction Company, LLC for construction projects not exceeding $50,000.00 on an on-call basis for one year with four automatic one-year renewals. Resolution 143-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Watershed Conservation Resource Center: A resolution to award RFQ #25-01, Selection #6, and authorize a Professional Engineering Services Agreement with the Watershed Conservation City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 3 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Resource Center in an amount not to exceed $102,025.00 for Streambank Erosion Assessment and restoration activities along the upper Clear Creek Basin, and to approve a budget adjustment. Resolution 144-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Washington Water Authority: A resolution to approve a service agreement between the Washington Water Authority and the City of Fayetteville for a water service boundary adjustment. Resolution 145-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Addition of a Chief Housing Officer Position: A resolution to authorize the Mayor to hire a Chief Housing Officer, and to approve a budget adjustment Resolution 146-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Council Member Bunch moved to accept the Consent Agenda as read. Council Member Berna seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. Unfinished Business: Disclosure of Rental Fees and Costs (Ordinance): An ordinance to enact § 120.03 Disclosure of Rental Fees and Costs for Leased Residential Properties in the City Of Fayetteville. For item history between March 4, 2025 and April 1, 2025, please contact the Office of the City Clerk Treasurer. At the May 6, 2025 City Council Meeting was left on the second reading and tabled to the June 17, 2025 City Council Meeting. Council Member Moore thanked Mayor Molly Rawn, Director of Economic Development Devin Howland and Economic Equity and Mobility Project Manager Marlee Stark for their work on the ordinance. She thanked both renters and landlords for meeting with a focus group about the ordinance. She proceeded to give a brief presentation about the ordinance. She was available for questions. Council Member Turk thanked Council Member Moore for the template for landlords and for the work that went into developing it. City Attorney Kit Williams asked Council Member Moore if she wanted to amend to the revised version of the rental fee disclosure template she presented. Council Member Moore moved to amend to match language included with attachment #10 Rental Fee Disclosure Ordinance – Amendments from EconDev Focus Group. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the amendment passed unanimously. Council Member Berna and Council Member Moore discussed compliance regarding the Rental Fee Disclosure Form. Council Member Moore confirmed the form would keep landlords who do not use a website in compliance. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 4 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Council Member Min. Jones moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. The City Council received 17 public comments regarding this ordinance. During public comments, Citizen Cecilia Hit asked if the ordinance would apply to low-income housing tax credit complexes. City Attorney Kit Williams stated that the ordinance would not apply to the state or federal government. Council Member Dr. Jones and Council Member Moore discussed which organizations were included in the discussion regarding the ordinance. Council Member Stafford and City Attorney Kit Williams discussed legal penalties for not following the ordinance. Council Member Berna stated originally, he was against the ordinance because it was too broad and only took in one side of the issue, which was the renters. He pushed for the item to be tabled so both renters and landlords could work together on the issue and find a compromise. He was now in favor of the ordinance and would vote for it. Council Member Wiederkehr confirmed that City Council would not require or restrict any fees. The intent was to have the true costs disclosed up front so citizens could make the choice to submit the application. He stated this item would be helping citizens make that choice more clearly for their families. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Council Member Moore moved to approve the ordinance. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the ordinance passed unanimously. Ordinance 6883 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Vacation-2025-0013: (3661 W. Wedington Dr.): An ordinance to approve VAC-25-13 for property located at 3661 West Wedington Drive in Ward 4 to vacate 0.95 acres of Tree Preservation. At the May 6, 2025 City Council Meeting this ordinance was left on the first reading. At the May 20, 2025 City Council Meeting this ordinance was left on the first reading and tabled to the June 17, 2025 City Council Meeting. Mayor Molly Rawn stated the applicant requested to table the item. Willa Thomason, Urban Forester requested the ordinance be tabled to the July 1, 2025 City Council Meeting per the applicant’s request. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 5 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Council Member Stafford and Willa Thomason had a conversation regarding the Urban Forestry Advisory Boards opinion on the Ordinance. Willa stated the Urban Forestry Advisory Board was in favor of the conditions. Council Member Moore moved to table the ordinance to the July 1, 2025 City Council meeting. Council Member Turk seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. 2026-2030 Capital Improvements Plan: A resolution to adopt the 2026-2030 five year Capital Improvements Plan. At the June 3, 2025 City Council Meeting, this resolution tabled to the June 17, 2025 City Council Meeting. Chief Financial Officer Steven Dotson gave a brief description of the resolution. He stated this was a proposed investment in the public infrastructure for years 2026 – 2030. He added that the revisions that were mentioned at the June 10, 2025, City Council Agenda session were added to the most current version of the Capital Improvements Plan. He did not have any new information to add but was available for any questions. Council Member Wiederkehr moved to approve the resolution. Council Member Berna seconded the motion. Upon roll call the resolution passed unanimously. Resolution 147-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk New Business: Enact New Zoning District (CCR): An ordinance to enact § 161.38 District CCR, Conservation, Cultural, and Recreation as a New Zoning District to Conserve, Preserve, Protect and Enhance Natural Resources of Fayetteville. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Britin Bostick, Long Range Planning Special Projects Manager gave a brief description of the ordinance. She explained the difference between the Planning Commission’s and Environmental Action Committee’s recommendations. The Planning Commission included use units 3 and 36 as conditional uses, while the Environmental Action Committee expressed concern that such uses could undermine conservation efforts. Staff supported the original version of the proposal without these additional uses and acknowledged potential costs and responsibilities tied to conservation easements, including city maintenance. She was available for questions. Council Member Min. Jones and Britin Bostick had a conversation regarding how the Planning Commission voted on the item. Britin Bostick stated there was one Planning Commissioner who was in opposition. The City Council received 2 public comments regarding this ordinance. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 6 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Council Member Turk advocated for the Conservation District and stated that it was purely voluntary. She thanked staff and the Environmental Action Committee and was available for questions. Council Member Stafford and Britin Bostick spoke on split zone properties. Council Member Wiederkehr and City Attorney Kit Williams discussed the City’s rights regarding condemnation. Council Member Moore noted that if certain use units were still allowed as Conditional Use Permits, a future council could revisit the decision and approve additional uses. Britin Bostin stated that the Environmental Action Committed created easement clauses in the ordinance to prevent future zoning changes. Council Member Stafford moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Turk stated she also had a motion to amend to remove use unit’s 3 and 36. Mayor Molly Rawn clarified that first the City Council would need to vote on Council Member Stafford’s motion and then Council Member Turk’s. Council Member Stafford moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed 7-1. Council Member Min. Jones, Stafford, Dr. Jones, Moore, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted yes. Council Member Turk voted no. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Council Member Turk moved to amend to remove use unit #3 & #36. Council Member Stafford and Britin Bostick spoke on the differences between use unit #3 and #36. He then asked if staff was against it. Mayor Molly Rawn responded that staff’s position was as it was presented in the packet. Council Member Moore stated she was leaning towards keeping the use units in the item. Council Member Turk asked City Attorney Kit Williams if the use units would address underlying infrastructure. City Attorney Kit Williams deferred to Jessica Masters, Planning Director. Jessica Masters said the City would always have a route for condemnation if it was necessary. She stated keeping use unit 3 could ease confusion down the line if these services were needed. Council Member Wiederkehr seconded Council Member Turk’s motion to amend. Council Member Stafford asked if he could make a friendly amendment to Council Member Turk’s amendment. He wanted to restrict unit 36 but not unit 3. Mayor Molly Rawn responded that if Council Member Stafford did not approve Council Member Turk’s amendment in full that he had the option to vote no and then bring forth his own amendment. Council Member Turk moved to amend to remove use unit #3 & #36. Council Member Wiederkehr seconded Council Member Turk’s motion to amend. Upon roll call Council the City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 7 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov amendment failed 3-5. Council Member Turk, Min. Jones and Dr. Jones voted yes. Council Member Stafford, Moore, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted no. Council Member Stafford moved to amend to remove use unit #36. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the amendment passed unanimously. Mayor Molly Rawn asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed 7-0. Council Member Turk, Stafford, Dr. Jones, Moore, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted yes. Council Member Min. Jones was absent for the vote. Ordinance 6884 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Rezoning (1230 W. Hendrix St/Reagor Homes LLC, 404): An ordinance to rezone the property described in Rezoning Petition RZN 2025-16 for approximately 0.50 acres located at 1230 West Hendrix Street in Ward 2 from RSF-4, Residential Single-Family, four units per acre to RI-12, Residential Intermediate, 12 units per acre. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Jessica Master, Planning Director provided a brief explanation of the ordinance. The applicant did not submit any associated development plans with the request. She explained that the property had an infill score of 7. There was no public comment received on the item and the Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of the request with a recommendation of approval. She and the applicant, Will Kellstrom of Watkins Law Office, were available for questions. Council Member Wiederkehr moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Mayor Molly Rawn asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed unanimously. Ordinance 6885 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Rezoning (1312 E. Zion Rd/Burgas Realty LLC, 136): An ordinance to rezone the property described in Rezoning Petition RZN 2025-17 for approximately 4.61 acres located at 1312 East Zion Road in Ward 3 From R-A, Residential- Agricultural to CS, Community Services. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Jessica Masters, Planning Director briefly described the ordinance. There was no associated development plans submitted along with the request. She explained that there were challenges City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 8 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov noted for future development, including limited access and connectivity, as the site was largely landlocked. Topographic challenges also existed, mentioning the gully on the eastern half of the property, and there was no existing sewer service. She stated there was one public comment received in opposition to the ordinance and the Planning Commission voted unanimously to forward the ordinance with a recommendation of approval. She was available for questions. Council Member Turk and Jessica Masters discussed the sewer capacity for the area. Council Member Bunch stated that she and Council Member Berna had not received any public comment about the ordinance. Robert Rhoads of Hall Estill Attorneys at Law spoke on behalf of the applicant. He stated the comment in opposition to the project concerned the east side of the project and the applicants were both doctors who intended to build a science center. He did not think the topography would be an issue. He was available for questions. Council Member Dr. Jones asked what kind of science center the applicant planned to build. Robert Rhoads did not know. Council Member Bunch questioned what the City Council could consider when reviewing the request. City Attorney Kit Williams stated that plans to plant or remove trees were not appropriate to consider for rezoning decisions. Council Member Stafford stated the zoning was going to require more trees because Residential Agriculture Zoning required more trees than Community Services Zoning. Jessica Masters confirmed that Residential Agriculture Zoning requires 25% minimum canopy and Community Services Zoning required 20%. Council Member Stafford asked the applicant how many trees would need to be kept on the property and if the applicant planned to maintain a row. Robert Rhoads responded that there would be more trees than what would be required. The City Council received 1 public comment regarding this ordinance. Council Member Berna moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Mayor Molly Rawn asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed unanimously. Ordinance 6886 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Rezoning (2330 N. Raven Ln/Siemek & Bates, 324): An ordinance to rezone the property described in Rezoning Petition RZN 2025-13 for approximately 0.40 acres located at 2330 North City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 9 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Raven Lane in Ward 4 from R-A, Residential- Agricultural to RI-12, Residential Intermediate, 12 units per acre. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Jessica Masters, Planning Director briefly described the ordinance. The applicant stated in their request letter that they planned to develop a tandem lot although they did not submit any development plans. There were two public comments received in opposition with concerns that it would negatively impact the character of the neighborhood. She stated the Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation of approval unanimously. She was available for questions. Council Member Turk and Jessica Masters discussed Residential Single Family-4 requirements and what the property was currently labeled as. Council Member Stafford and Jessica Masters then discussed the maximum number of units that could be done on the property. Wesley Bates and Konrad Siemek, the applicants stated their plan was to do a tandem lot on the property. He stated he did not build Accessory Dwelling Units due to financing, but the tandem lot configurations would make it easier for homeowners. The City Council received 1 public comment regarding this ordinance. Council Member Turk and Jessica Masters discussed requirements for tandem lots and what could be built on them. Council Member Min. Jones moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. Mayor Molly Rawn asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed unanimously. Ordinance 6887 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Safe Camping Initiative: A resolution to commit to a one-year safe camping initiative as an interim strategy to address the housing crisis, and to approve a budget adjustment in the amount of $630,000.00 to fund the program. Due to technical difficulties, Mayor Rawn recessed the meeting for 3 minutes. Council Member Moore highlighted the fact that the City Council had voted to declare a housing crisis in 2024. She went on to explain her vision of a comprehensive strategy that included community input. Council Member Moore listed the funds and actions taken by the City of Fayetteville and other local organizations that had helped individuals who have experienced housing insecurity over the years. Warming shelters, CDBG grants, partnership with 7Hills, and ARPA funds were among her lists. She cited several strategies that have been implemented by the City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 10 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Colorado Village Collaborative in Denver, Colorado. The group had been able to implement temporary shelter locations within church parking lots, the parking lot for the Department of Health and Human Services, and the unused portions of the parking lot for the local Police Department. She went on to explain that people who decided to stay in these locations must follow rules and work to keep the area safe and hygienic. Another example that Council Member Moore cited was in Austin, Texas. The Other Ones Foundation implemented a social contract and rules that individuals were required to follow to stay. She finalized her comments by explaining her request to create the safe camping initiative was over $600,000. She referenced that the City of Fayetteville had already budgeted $300,000 for trash removal for encampments. She went on to say that if the initiative was passed, since individuals would be required to agree to a social contract and follow certain hygiene rules the $300,000 already budgeted could go towards the initiative. Council Member Stafford asked for Council Member Moore to explain what information she used to determine her request of over $600,000 and to provide the number of staff members that would be required. Council Member Moore explained that it would just depend on how it would be structured and organized. Initially her estimate showed that 3 to 5 people would need to be hired. Also, she wanted to keep in mind that food donations and volunteers would assist with mitigating the overall cost. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Dr. Jones, Council Member Moore, and Mayor Molly Rawn. Mayor Molly Rawn explained that the council was allowed to utilize their time to ask staff questions. She further explained that the council could ask questions of other organizations that might be in attendance, but the organizations were not required or obligated to come to the microphone and answer the questions. Council Member Dr. Jones and Council Member Moore had a brief discussion regarding the thoughts and feedback that had been received from local organizations within Fayetteville regarding the topic of the proposed initiative. Council Member Dr. Jones asked Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds to speak about crimes that occurred between August 2020 and September 2021 that were related to the previous safe camp. Chief Mike Reynolds responded with the following data. Chief Reynolds explained the Fayetteville Police Department receives about 50,000 calls per year. He went on to explain that 78 calls were made over the nine-month period that Council Member Jones referenced regarding the previous safe camp. He compared the data to the data collected on calls received from student housing. Based on his findings, student housing complex calls were estimated to be 80 to 85 calls per year. He finalized his comments by explaining the biggest call volume that was received pertained to intoxicated people, disturbances, loitering people that were not supposed to be at the safe camp, a few assaults and batteries, some threats, some thefts, burglaries and a few calls regarding individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Turk and Council Member Moore. Council Member Moore explained that the location of the proposed safe camp had not been decided. Council Member Turk asked about the need for security. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 11 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Chief Mike Reynolds explained his assessment of the security needs of the proposed safe camp. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Bunch and Council Member Moore regarding if the cost of the mobile shower/laundry facility was included within the request. Council Member Moore explained that the mobile unit would be self-contained and that the cost was included within the initial request. Council Member Moore explained that all the details regarding the safe camp initiative had not been finalized. She finalized her comments by explaining the request was to determine a budget and that she planned to make amendments to the request after the task force met. There was a brief discussion regarding the potential amendment and if it had been drafted. City Attorney Kit Williams verified that the amendment had been drafted and was included within the agenda packet for the item. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Berna and City Attorney Kit Williams. Council Member Berna questioned the City’s ability to provide funding to purchase food for the safe camp initiative. City Attorney Williams explained that he was unaware of language within the constitution that would allow or disallow the proposed funds to be used to purchase food. However, City Attorney Williams felt that the purchase of food for the safe camp initiative would be a more problematic expense than the funding being used for housing. A brief discussion occurred between Council Member Berna and Council Member Moore regarding safety and security of the proposed safe camp initiative. Council Member Minister Jones expressed her appreciation of Council Member Moore for bringing the safe camp initiative item forward. She referenced the community in Austin, Texas and explained she had visited that location as well. She went on to explain the strategy, logistics used, and accessibility that the site offered the site’s residents. Chief Mike Reynolds provided additional information regarding the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). He agreed with Council Member Minister Jones that having members of the CIT present would benefit the site’s residents. There was a brief discussion regarding the number of calls the Fayetteville Police Department received for a past safe camping site. Chief Reynolds provided the data that he had shared earlier in the meeting. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Bunch and Council Member Moore regarding the social contract that would need to be implemented should the item be passed. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Berna and Council Member Moore regarding the proposed budget of the project as compared to the budget of the examples provided in other states. Council Member Moore explained that the site in Austin received a lot of money from private donations as well as receiving funds from the City of Austin. She went on to explain that $3 million had been spent to build the Kwanzaa Huts she had referenced. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 12 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov A brief discussion between Council Member Stafford and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dotson regarding funding. CFO Dotson explained the project’s funds would come from the General Fund. A brief discussion between Council Member Stafford and Fire Chief Brad Hardin occurred. Chief Hardin explained that the Fire Department had always logged calls received by what happened and not by housing status. A brief discussion between Council Member Bunch and Council Member Moore occurred regarding potential partnerships with other organizations and the status of the Request for Proposal (RFP). Council Member Moore explained that there had been interest in partnering but she had not received anyone’s full commitment. Council Member Moore provided additional information about future potential projects like creating a Planned Zoning District (PZD), mixed use housing, and affordable housing opportunities. The City Council received 48 public comments regarding this resolution. Council Member Berna spoke about the history of the funding that the City of Fayetteville had provided to local organizations to assist with individuals who are housing insecure. Ultimately, he felt that a more collaborative effort needed to be organized before voting to earmark $630,000 for the safe camping initiative. Council Member Bunch voiced her concerns regarding the initiative. She also felt that more collaborative effort was needed. Council Member Dr. Jones explained that there was an important financial part to be considered and voiced his concern for the wellbeing of all the citizens who were housing insecure. Council Member Stafford explained the term functional zero as well as the research he had been able to complete. He finalized his comments by saying he felt that what had been proposed would cost over $1 million. Council Member Wiederkehr summarized what he felt were the key issues that the council had voiced. He also felt that a more collaborative effort needed to be made by the surrounding cities in NW Arkansas. Council Member Minister Jones spoke about her experiences with individuals in the community. She explained that the proposed safe camp initiative could learn from previous safe camps in other areas. She felt that it was vital to learn from their successes and failures. She finalized her comments by listing the individuals around NW Arkansas that are already assisting in the collaborative effort to assist individuals in need. Council Member Moore expressed recognition of all the comments that had been made. She re- iterated that the plan was not complete and that this item would only earmark the money to go toward the effort of helping individuals who are currently experiencing housing insecurity. She finalized her comments by explaining the level of attention to detail she had committed to reviewing the City’s budget. After completing all her research, she was told that the preferred City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 13 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov method to pay for this initiative was to utilize reserve funds. She also explained that she had been able to identify $1 million dollars within the budget that was typically used to apply for matching grants. Council Member Turk explained that she also felt that a more collaborative effort needed to be made by the surrounding cities in NW Arkansas. She went on to explain that she wanted to see a long-term solution and felt that the proposed plan had too many variables to approve as is. Council Member Stafford summarized what he felt were the key issues that the council had voiced. He felt that a more collaborative effort needed to be made by the surrounding cities in NW Arkansas. Based upon his calculations, the total cost of the initiative would be around $1 million. He finalized his comments by saying he would rather see people housed in a home as opposed to tents and expressed his desire to obtain cost estimates. Council Member Bunch voiced her concerns regarding the cost estimates presented and her inability to support the item due to the lack of verified cost estimates for the initiative. Council Member Dr. Jones moved to amend the resolution to match agenda item attachment number five. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Moore and CFO Steven Dotson regarding the City’s reserve fund. Mr. Dotson explained that the City had a reserve of $13 million. He went on to explain that taking into consideration that the City will be utilizing some of the funds to offset the adopted budget deficit and the required 60-day reserve, the available fund balance was estimated to be $16,288,456. Council Member Moore gave her comments by summarizing her initial presentation. She also identified several areas of the city’s budget that could be revised to move funds that would then be used for the safe camping initiative. There was a brief discussion to clarify the Rules of Order and Procedure. Council Member Moore resumed her final comments by explaining it would not be financially feasible to provide a housing unit for every person who was currently experiencing housing insecurity. She went on to explain that was the reason why she decided to bring the safe camping initiative forward since it was a more feasible option that would provide resources for those experiencing housing insecurity. Council Member Berna gave his final comments and spoke about the fiduciary responsibility of the council. He explained that due to the many unknown variables of the safe camping initiative, he felt that the council needed to be cautious and wait for the task force to collaborate with local organizations. Council Member Dr. Jones moved to approve the resolution. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion failed 3-5. Council Member Minister Jones, City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 14 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Dr. Jones, and Moore voted yes. Council Member Turk, Stafford, Wiederkehr, Berna, and Bunch voted no. Police Department Grant Application: A resolution to approve an application for a 2025 Cops Hiring Program Matching Grant in the amount of $250,000.00 to fund two school resource officers for a period of four years with the $542,072.00 matching requirement split proportionally between the City and Fayetteville Public Schools. Police Chief Mike Reynolds provided a brief description of the request and explained how if the request were awarded, it would offset the cost of two additional school resource officers for the 2026-2027 school year. He then went on to remind the City Council how Resolution 190-22 had been unanimously approved August 16, 2022, which expressed the City Council’s intent to add two school resource officers every budget year until every campus in the Fayetteville Public School District had a school resource officer present. He briefly explained the costs associated with the request, which had been included within the agenda packet, as well as letters of support. He would be available for any questions. Council Member Min. Jones stated she would like to see data that showed there was no adverse impact on minority, marginalized or underserved community members. She went on to speak of how school resource officers were a direct school to prison pipeline. She then clarified how she was seeking data on how many minorities and underserved children in the schools were being impacted or stopped by school resource officers. Police Chief Mike Reynolds provided a brief description of the 98 encounters through school resource officers that had occurred this past school year. Council Member Min. Jones clarified how she was seeking data around race. Police Chief Mike Reynolds stated that out of 16 arrests and citations, within those encounters had been seven white, seven African American and two other. The data on the victim of the arrests and citations were three white and two African American. Out of the student referrals, 22 were white, 38 were African American, 18 were Hispanic and four other. The data on the victims of the student referrals were 16 white, 18 African American, nine Hispanic and four other. Council Member Moore spoke of how there were typically additional costs associated with these types of requests. She questioned if the officers’ vehicles and uniforms would be an additional $100,000 per officer. Police Chief Mike Reynolds provided a brief description on how the school resource officer vehicles would run approximately $82,000 per vehicle, which the City would pay 100% of. He went on to explain the officers’ startup costs, which would be approximately $25,000 per officer, which the Fayetteville Public School District would pay for. Council Member Moore spoke of how she would be interested in having some kind of public dashboard created that would be updated during the school semesters to show the impact of these City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 15 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov issues. She noted the school initiated referrals and questioned how the schools were working on restorative justice practices and what strategies were being implemented to minimize and improve those numbers. Police Chief Mike Reynolds stated he would defer the question around restorative justice to the School Board or School Administration. He then went on to explain how school resource officers were not disciplinarians, they responded to criminal activity and then worked collaboratively with the school administration to determine course of action. Council Member Dr. Jones spoke of how he believed the topic of restorative justice would be out of the Police Departments scope and would be the school districts issue. There was a brief discussion between the City Council and Police Chief Mike Reynolds regarding whether the request had been budgeted. Police Chief Mike Reynolds explained how the current request for the grant had come forward in May, to try to offset the costs of the two school resource officers for the 2026 budget. He went on to clarify how the item had not been budgeted yet, and that he anticipated to bring that budget forward as the City started the budget process in a few weeks. He stated the total cost for the two school resource officers, not including their vehicles, was $239,045. The Cops Hiring Grant would offset that by $130,000 and the Fayetteville Public Schools would pay 68% of that cost. He stated the cost to the City of Fayetteville in the 2026 budget would be $21,071. Council Member Min. Jones stated the first number he had given earlier was $792,000. Police Chief Mike Reynolds stated that was correct, due to the grant being for four years. He stated the grant would cover three years, and then the City of Fayetteville would have to cover the fourth year. Council Member Min. Jones questioned if the $950,000 amount was for four years. Police Chief Mike Reynolds stated that was correct. There was a brief discussion between Council Member Moore and Police Chief Mike Reynolds regarding open positions with the Fayetteville Police Department. Police Chief Mike Reynolds stated there were no open school resource officer positions currently, and six patrol officer positions open. They then went on to speak of how the school resource officer positions were typically assigned to a senior officer. He did not currently have information on the costs associated with training someone after turnover was experienced, but he would try to gather that information for Council Member Moore. The City Council received 8 public comments regarding this resolution. Council Member Stafford moved to approve the resolution. Council Member Berna seconded the motion. Upon roll call the resolution passed 7-1. Council Member Turk, Min. Jones, Stafford, Dr. Jones, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted yes. Council Member Moore voted no. After the vote, there was a brief discussion amongst the City Council regarding City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 16 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov their Rules of Order and Procedure. Council Member Min. Jones clarified that she had an additional comment on the item. She went on to explain how she wanted to ensure that all students had access to quality education and that schools were a safe and supportive environment. She went on to clarify that she had voted yes on the item due to it having a financial impact to the City if the City Council did not accept the funds that they had already stated they were going to apply for. Resolution 148-25 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk Establishment of Fayetteville Renters Council: An ordinance to establish the City of Fayetteville Renters’ Council representing the interests of renters located within the City of Fayetteville to advise and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on public policy matters of importance to renters citywide in Chapter 33 of the Fayetteville City Code. Council Member Dr. Jones moved to table the ordinance to the July 15, 2025 City Council meeting. Council Member Berna seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. This ordinance was tabled to the 07/15/2025 City Council meeting. Tree Preservation Amendments: An ordinance to amend § 167.04 (l) Continuing Preservation and protection under approved Tree Preservation Plans and Tree Preservation Easements. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Council Member Moore stated that Council Member Turk had been pursing a similar ordinance change, and therefore she would be okay with tabling the current item. She went on to give a brief description of the request. Council Member Turk stated she would prefer to table the item so they could merge additional information into the request as those details came forward, and work with Development Services and the City Attorney’s Office to make any needed adjustments. She would like to table the item to early August. Council Member Turk moved to table the ordinance to the August 5, 2025 City Council meeting. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. This ordinance was tabled to the 08/05/2025 City Council meeting. Extend Short-Term Rental Sunset Clause: An ordinance to amend Ordinance 6820 passed on December 4, 2024 to extend the Sunset Clause effective date to September 30, 2025 and to declare an emergency. City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 17 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. He then went on to explain how the City Council had indicated at the previous Agenda Session that they would prefer to have the date as November 30, 2025. He stated the City Council would therefore have to motion to amend the item. Council Member Turk moved to amend the Sunset Clause effective date to November 30, 2025. Council Member Dr. Jones seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. Council Member Berna moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and final reading. Council Member Moore seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed unanimously. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Council Member Stafford questioned that if there was a solution before November 30, 2025, could the City Council address the topic before then. City Attorney Kit Williams stated the idea was that the City Council would get their changes done in July or August, and have those changes scheduled to kick in on November 30, 2025. The City Council received 1 public comment regarding this ordinance. Mayor Molly Rawn asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed 7-1. Council Member Turk, Min. Jones, Stafford, Dr. Jones, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted yes. Council Member Moore voted no. Council Member Wiederkehr moved to approve an Emergency Clause. Council Member Turk seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed 7-1. Council Member Turk, Min. Jones, Stafford, Dr. Jones, Wiederkehr, Berna and Bunch voted yes. Council Member Moore voted no. Ordinance 6888 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Announcements: Mayor Molly Rawn announced that City Offices would be closed on Thursday, Juneteenth. City Council Agenda Session Presentations: None City Council Tour: None City Council Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025 Page 18 of 18 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Adjournment: 12:16 A.M. on June 18, 2025 _____________________________ __________________________________ Molly Rawn, Mayor Kara Paxton, City Clerk Treasurer