Fayetteville City Work Session Recap – April 7, 2025

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -  The Fayetteville City Council met April 7, 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 Council member Malik Davis and the Pledge of Allegiance lead by the Mayor and City Council. 

Council member Lynne Greene moved to APPROVE THE AGENDA. This was seconded by Council member Davis. The motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0). 

After the approval of the agenda, City Council went into a closed session for an Economic Development purpose.  

There were eight OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS discussed during the work session. 

6.01: The first item presented to the City Council was a Presentation on College Lake Dam and Proposed Solutions for Carvers Creek Watershed. During this presentation, Stormwater staff and consultants provided an overview of the Watershed Studies, a summary of up-to-date proposed solutions that are council-approved, an analysis and recommended solutions for College Lake Dam and proposed solutions for Carvers Creek Watershed. Staff was seeking concurrence from City Council to approve staff to program the following two items into the annual Capital Improvement Plan prioritization process and pursue grants as applicable - the College Lake Dam redesign and the proposed solutions from the Carvers Creek Watershed Study.  

College Lake is a city-maintained and currently drained facility. Its existing spillway has been modified to function as a culvert, preventing water from impounding with the facility. College Lake experienced damage from Hurricane Florence in 2018. For the redesigned dam, a conceptual spillway configuration for College Lake Dam was developed to meet the NC Dam Safety requirements. The downstream area was evaluated for the proposed dam through the same metrics as the fully breached dam alternatives. An estimated planning-level cost was also developed for the proposed dam based on preliminary geotechnical boring results. Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen moved to approve redesigning College Lake Dam and pursuing applicable funding sources. It was seconded by Council member Deno Hondros. The motion gained consensus.  

The Carvers Creek Watershed Study identifies 18 proposed solutions with majority of the solutions for this including pipe upsizing. The prioritization of proposed solutions takes into consideration many factors before recommending them to Council for project development.  Solutions are sorted on Concern Area Score (“Worst First”) and efficacy.  Staff then targeted an equitable distribution between watersheds as well as strategic selections, such as a project’s ability to be considered for grant funding or a project’s proximity to other construction related activities (i.e. NCDOT improvements or resurfacing). Council member Hondros moved to approve the 18 proposed solutions to enable staff to program them into the annual CIP prioritization process and pursue grants as applicable. Mayor Pro Tem Jesen seconded the motion; it gained consensus. Your can read more about both of these items here here. 

6.02: The second item presented to the City Council was the Stormwater Impervious Area Analysis & Tiered Rate Study. With the adoption of the FY24 budget, City Council appropriated stormwater enterprise funds for an impervious area analysis and tiered utility rate study. The goal of the project was to evaluate the current utility rate structure and develop recommendations for a fair and equitable tiered rate structure that would generate sufficient revenue to support program goals and mimic a rate structure that is comparable to other North Carolina Phase 1 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program communities. As part of this study, five similar utilities in the southeast were evaluated to benchmark the City’s utility. The Cities included in this benchmarking were Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Columbia, SC. These communities were selected because of location, similarity in size by population and area served, Phase 1 status, and related services. Although Columbia is not in North Carolina, it is included based on its similarities with Fayetteville and its location adjacent to a large military installation. The final report included details of the benchmarking exercise. The primary difference noted in the benchmarking is that Fayetteville has a flat rate for residential rate payers vs. various tiered rates for peer communities. Staff was seeking Council consensus to provide guidance on which tiered structure, if any, to move forward with developing for FY26. There is no proposed rate increase per ERU, however depending on the tiered structure selected, varying increases in revenue may be realized by the equitable billing of residential properties. Council member Hondros moved to table this item and move it to a budget work session to determine the best tier structure and add an educational component.  The consensus motion also approved to change to a tiered structure and move forward with updating the County impervious database. This motion was seconded by Council member Lynne Greene. The motion gained consensus. You can read more about these items here.  

6.03: Next item discussed was the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funding Opportunity for Structure Elevation or Buyout of Damaged Properties. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is a FEMA-funded program designed to reduce or eliminate future damage and loss following a disaster. HMGP is federally funded but managed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management. The City has previously been successful in receiving HMGP funding for both infrastructure improvements (Neville Street Drainage Improvements) and property acquisition & elevation (post-Hurricane Matthew). The North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management has recently released two Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the grant program.  Mitigation projects that are eligible for this grant include the acquisition or elevation of residential and non-residential properties that experience flood damage. Currently, there are 44 repetitive loss structures in Fayetteville that staff feel could benefit from receiving mitigation assistance. A repetitive loss structure can be defined as an NFIP-insured structure that has had at least two paid flood losses of more than $1,000 each in any 10-year period. Council provided consensus to move forward with pursuing Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for repetitive loss structures in Fayetteville. Council member Davis moved that staff pursue the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for repetitive loss structures in Fayetteville. It was seconded by Council member Mario Benavente. The motion gained consensus. You can read more about this item here. 

6.04: The Fayetteville Area System of Transit’s (FAST) Title VI survey and and the associated fare and service equity analysis, including recommendations was then presented. The Title VI survey was conducted to assess the effectiveness and compliance of FAST with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. This survey aimed to gather data from the community members, to evaluate the organization's adherence to non-discrimination principles and identify any potential barriers to equitable access to services. Council member Derrick Thompson made a motion to receive the report and direct staff to implement the recommended changes except the fare increases.  Recommendations includes route and service modifications and introduction to fare media and fare capping. These recommendations would be implemented starting in FY2026 to FY2028. Council member Coutney Banks-McLaughlin seconded the motion. It gained consensus. You can read more about this item here.  

6.05: Staff from the Economic and Community Development (ECD) then presented the proposed 2025-2029 Housing and Urban Development Consolidated Plan, 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan and the updated Citizen Participation Plan to City Council. Every five years, the city must update its Consolidated Plan for the HUD’s Community Planning and Development (CPD) formula block grant programs: CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA. The consolidated plan helps local jurisdictions assess affordable housing and community development needs, evaluate market conditions, and make data-driven, place-based investment decisions. This planning process provides a framework for community-wide dialogue to identify and prioritize housing and development goals. The proposed 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan reflects the city’s current needs, informed by extensive community outreach.  

The city is also required to prepare an Annual Action Plan each year to align with the goals and objectives of the consolidated plan. This plan outlines specific projects, activities, and funding allocations for the upcoming fiscal year, detailing how available federal and non-federal resources will be used to address economic and community development goals. The consolidated plan is implemented through annual action plans, which provide a clear summary of actions and strategies to support the city’s priorities. 

Lastly, the city updated the Citizen Participation Plan to guide the process for engaging residents in community-wide discussions. The plan’s primary goal is to ensure that those most affected by HUD CPD formula block grant programs, particularly low- and moderate-income residents of Fayetteville, have the opportunity to participate in an advisory role. This includes involvement in the planning, implementation, and assessment of programs and projects funded through CPD resources. 

Council member Thompson moved to receive the report. Council member Benavente seconded the motion. The motion gained consensus. You can read more about this item here.  

6.06: Staff from ECD the presented on Proposed Expansion of Down Payment program. In May of 2024, the City Council approved the expansion of the City’s down payment assistance program. As part of the expansion, funding for Low-to-moderate income individuals was changed from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to the HOME Investment Partnership (HOME). This removed the matching requirement of down payment funds. The expansion also included the eligibility for Public Service employees including Cumberland County Government, Cumberland County Schools, and Cape Fear Valley Medical System, to utilize the program with an increased amount of funding of $30,000.  This expansion coincided with the rebranding and relaunch of the Homebuying HERO program on July 1, 2024 which included three (3) separate categorizes and funding amounts: Citizen HERO at up to $20,000, the Public Service HERO at up to $30,000, and the City Employee HERO at $30,000. This expansion has resulted in an increased interest from lenders, realtors, organizations, and homebuyers. ECD staff regularly attends outreach events to better spread the word about the program. Since July 2024, the Homebuying HERO Program has helped nine people become first-time homeowners. The four staff recommendations were:  

1. Add the one (1) year employment requirement for Public Service HEROES;
2. Add the “Meets Expectations” requirement for Public Service HEROES;
3. Remove the guaranteed $30,000 for City Employees HERO;
4. Allow public service and city retirees to be considered Public Service HEROES and eligible for increased funding up to $30,000. 

Council member Greene moved to reject the proposed changes and directed staff to provide alternate recommendations during the May City Council Work Session. Mayor Pro Tem Jensen seconded the motion. Consensus was gained with a 5-4 vote. Those in opposition were Council members Hondros, Benavente, Banks-McLaughlin, and Brenda McNair. You can read more about this item here.  

There were two COUNCIL MEMBER AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS. Both of these items were requested by Mayor Colvin.  

The first item was Proposed Expansion of Down Payment Assistance Program opportunities. He recommended staff to seek opportunities to expand the program to employees who work in Fayetteville’s higher education institutions and reexamine the first-time homebuyer requirements for the program. You can read more about this item here.  

The second item discussed was the requirement for carnivals and large gathers to request special permits. Consensus was gained to have staff research what regulations can be imposed on applicants for special permits not on Fayetteville city property and bring to Council. You can read more about this item here.  

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