Fay City Council During a 37-minute Fayetteville City Council meeting on Monday, April 25, seven of the 10-member council present unanimously agreed to two significant actions totaling more than $14.8 million in City of Fayetteville improvement projects.

Only six of the 10 council members were physically present at the City Hall meeting. Those present were Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen, who chaired the meeting. Council members present were Antonio Jones, Larry Wright, Johnny Dawkins, Chris Davis, and Yvonne Kinston. Absent were Mayor Mitch Colvin and council members Shakeyla Ingram and D.J. Haire. One council member, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, joined the meeting remotely.

Tucked away in the consent agenda, the City Council voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution accepting American Rescue Plan funding from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for $10,550,000. The money is designated for stormwater infrastructure improvement projects. City staff presented the issue to the Fayetteville City Council during an earlier meeting.

Stormwater improvement projects are slated for Adams Street, North Street, Ray Avenue, Spruce Street and Sunbury Drive.

The North Carolina General Assembly created the fund, administered by the Division of Water Infrastructure, to assist eligible units of local government in paying for water and wastewater infrastructure needs.

In accepting the state money, the City of Fayetteville must meet several obligations and requirements. First, the City must submit a bid and design package for the projects by Aug. 1.

Additionally, the City must:

  • apply for and qualify for all necessary permits as soon as possible
  • have its bid and design package approved by Dec. 1
  • advertise the project, receive bids and have the authority to award contracts by April 3, 2023
  • execute all construction projects by May 1, 2023
  • and submit the last reimbursement for any of the projects by December 21, 2026

The state warned that failure to meet or adhere to any requirements could forfeit the money.

Also, on Monday night’s consent agenda was the adoption of a Capital Project Ordinance to appropriate state grant money for pedestrian safety improvements. The $4,319,350 will be used for 29,880 linear feet or 5.7 miles of sidewalks.

Sidewalk construction includes:

  • McPherson Church Road from Collinwood to Raeford Roads
  • Yadkin Road from Skibo Road to Fort Bragg limits
  • Pamalee Drive from Murchison Road to Bragg Boulevard
  • Brighton Road from Raeford to Belford Roads
  • Old Owen Drive from Raeford Road to Owen Drive
  • Ann Street from Gorham Alley to Gray Street

Proposed projects also include a Person Street round-about at B Street, citywide wheelchair ramps and the plan and design of a sidewalk on Blanton Road from Bragg Boulevard to Pamalee Drive.

In other action, the City Council postponed the Fayetteville Airport Administration report to City Council. City staff on March 7 briefed the City Council on the airport’s operations. That report included a peer comparison with Killeen-Fort Hood, Texas and Albert J. Ellis Airports.

At that meeting, Mayor Mitch Colvin asked for additional peer comparisons with other airports. Recommended peer city airports have demographics equal to or larger than the Fayetteville/Cumberland County area.

The additional comparison airports include Charlotte International Airport, Asheville Regional Airport, Piedmont Triad International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Comparisons include 2021 total passenger enplanements, parking revenue and rental car revenue, among others.

The report states: “As expected,” the comparison data shows that Fayetteville lags in making money compared to larger airports.

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