Fayetteville City Council recap: Aug. 15, 2017

File photo

On the agenda

An architecture contract for the Fayetteville Public Library expansion.
Condemnation of land needed for the extension of Rupple Road.
Approval of the 2018 Employee Benefits Package.
Adding holiday time for city employees.
Selling 0.92 acres of city land at 833 N. Crossover Road.
A resolution in support of a Stormwater Utility Program.

A meeting of the Fayetteville City Council began at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 inside room 219 of City Hall, located at 113 W. Mountain St. in Fayetteville.

Listed below are the items up for approval and links to PDF documents with detailed information on each item of business.

Roll Call

Present: Adella Gray, Sarah Marsh, Mark Kinion, Matthew Petty, Mayor Lioneld Jordan, Justin Tennant, Sarah Bunch, John La Tour, Alan Long
Absent: None

» View current attendance records

Consent

Consent items are approved in a single, all-inclusive vote unless pulled by an alderman.

1. Approval of the Aug. 1, 2017 City Council Meeting Minutes
– Pass 8-0

2. Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) (Details): A resolution to approve a budget adjustment recognizing funding from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in the amount of $135,024.00 for the Police Department.
– Pass 8-0

3. Jett Aircraft, LLC and M.K. Rockwell Investments, LLC Lease Agreement (Details): A resolution to approve a three-year lease agreement with Jett Aircraft, LLC and M.K. Rockwell Investments, LLC for the hangar located at 4568 S. School Avenue and office space in the Airport Terminal Building in the amount of $4,200.00 per month.
– Pass 8-0

4. Arkansas Department of Aeronautics-A&P Facility Roof Rehabilitation (Details): A resolution to approve a budget adjustment in the amount of $29,968.00 recognizing grant funds received from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics for the rehabilitation of the A&P facility roof at Drake Field.
– Pass 8-0

5. Arkansas Department of Aeronautics-Wings Avionics Corporate Hangar Roof Rehabilitation (Details): A resolution to approve a budget adjustment in the amount of $33,939.00 recognizing grant funds received from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics for the rehabilitation of the Wings Avionics corporate hangar roof at Drake Field.
– Pass 8-0

6. 2017 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (Details): A resolution to approve the 2017 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan, and to authorize the mayor to execute the DCBG agreement for 2017 in the amount of $612,164.00 when received.
– Pass 8-0

7. Community Resources Division and Community Development Block Grant Program Donations (Details): A resolution to approve a budget adjustment in the total amount of $7,147.00 representing donations to the Community Resources Division and Community Development Block Grant program income received from a housing lien payoff and the sale of CDBG – purchased kitchen equipment.
– Pass 8-0

8. Bid #17-40 WWJD, Inc. (Details): A resolution to award Bid #17-40 and authorize a one-year contract with WWJD, Inc. d/b/a BBB Septic and Portable Toilets with automatic renewals for up to four additional one-year terms in an amount not to exceed $10.00 per 100 gallons for leachate hauling from the former C&L Landfill, and to approve a budget adjustment.
– Pass 8-0

9. Destruction of Certain Records (Details): A resolution to authorize the destruction of certain records shown on the attached affidavit pursuant to relevant sections of the Arkansas Code related to maintenance and destruction of accounting and other city records.
– Pass 8-0

10. Amend Resolution No. 17-71 (Details): A resolution to amend Resolution No. 17-71 by approving payment of an additional $5,000.00 to Grant Thornton, LLP as reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.
– Pass 8-0

Unfinished Business

None

Public Hearing

1. James L. & Judith A. Hazen Condemnation and Possession (Details): A resolution to authorize the city attorney to seek condemnation and possession of certain lands owned by the Links at Fayetteville, a limited partnership, and James L. & Judith A. Hazen needed for the extension of Rupple Road from West Starry Night View to Mount Comfort Road.
– Pass 7-1

Notes: Staff said a property acquisition plan must be in place by Aug. 31 or else the city could be in jeopardy of losing a portion of its $5.8 million in federal-aid funds for the projects.

La Tour voted against. He did not say why.

New Business

1. Skydive Fayetteville, LLC Lease Agreement (Details): A resolution to approve a one-year lease agreement with Skydive Fayetteville, LLC for office space in the Airport Terminal Building in the amount of $241.00 per month.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Staff said the space has not been rented, possibly ever before. A skydiving company plans to use the room to pack parachutes.

2. Skydive Fayetteville, LLC Additional Office Space (Details): A resolution to approve a one-year lease agreement with Skydive Fayetteville, LLC for additional office space in the Airport Terminal Building in the amount of $160.00 per month.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Staff said this area is smaller than the previous space and doesn’t have access to a bathroom, so its rental fee is less. The room was previously used as storage, and will now be used for parachute packing by a skydiving company.

3. Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. (Details): A resolution to authorize the mayor to sign a contract with Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. and the Fayetteville Public Library for professional architectural services for the Library Expansion Renovation Project in the total amount not to exceed $3,770,857.00 with the city’s portion of the fees not to exceed $2,639,599.90, and to approve a project contingency in the amount of $377,086.00.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Read more about the library expansion on our topic page.

4. 2018 Employee Benefits Package (Details): A resolution to approve the 2018 Employee Benefits Package.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: The plan includes the addition of telemedicine, the remote delivery of health care services and clinical information using telecommunications technology.

5. Additional Personal Holiday Time (Details): A resolution to add eight (8) additional hours of personal holiday time for all city employees for 2018.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Alderman Long said there is a holiday that city employees do not currently receive time off for (he didn’t say which holiday), which is why he brought this item forward.

6. VAC 17-5868 (2615 N. Charleston Crossing/Lot 6-Savannah Estates) (Details): An ordinance to approve VAC 17-5868 for property located at 2615 N. Charleston Crossing to vacate a portion of a general utility easement.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: This proposal includes two conditions of approval:

Any relocation or damage to utilities of existing facilities shall be at the owner/developer’s expense.
A 7.5-foot general utility easement is retained along the west side of the existing Ozarks Electric utility line.

7. Dixie Landing, LLC (Details): An ordinance to waive the requirements of formal competitive bidding and approve a cost-share agreement with Dixie Landing, LLC for the extension of a water main along a portion of Freshwater Avenue between East Township Street and Marks Mill Lane with the city’s portion of the cost not to exceed $32,285.00, and to approve a project contingency in the amount of $6,457.00.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: The applicant has requested that the city share in the cost of extending an 8-inch waterline for about 540 feet along Freshwater Avenue so that water can be provided to lots in the Summit Place Subdivision. Alderman Kinion, who is chair of the council’s Water & Sewer Committee, said the additional line will create a “loop” that will benefit both the neighborhood and the city in multiple ways, such as improved hydraulics, maintenance and fire flow capacities).

8. University of Arkansas Master Agreement (Details): A resolution to authorize the mayor to sign a master agreement with the University of Arkansas regarding the placement of utilities within public rights of way and utility easements.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Staff said the UA is designing a fiber optic line to run between the Harmon Parking Deck area and the new Arts District area on Hill Street south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. During the review of this project, staff said the need for an agreement to occupy public rights of way and easements was made apparent. Since the school is not covered under any existing franchise utility agreements, a separate agreement is necessary to accommodate the fiber optic line and associated conduits. Also, the UA anticipates additional dedicated private utility lines in the future. Therefore the city and UA have collaborated to create a master agreement for these situations so that future projects can be reviewed and approved administratively.

9. North Crossover Road Public Sale (Details): A resolution to authorize the mayor to offer for public sale approximately 0.92 acres and improvements located at 833 N. Crossover Road for the appraised value of $162,000.00.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: According to a staff memo, it was determined that it would be cheaper to sell this property and move the Fire Marshals to an existing fire department property at the airport on South School Avenue. The property was appraised at $162,000.

10. Stormwater Utility Study Intent (Details): A resolution to express the City Council’s intent to fund a study to evaluate the feasibility of creating a Stormwater Utility Program in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00, and to approve a budget adjustment.
– Pass 8-0

Notes: Staff said Fayetteville has experienced several problems with stormwater runoff that stem from many sources. In recent years, funding for stormwater issues has been inadequate to comprehensively address the problems, so staff are asking for approval to study the issues and develop a plan.

It’s estimated that $15 million is needed to make improvements, which will likely come in part from a raise in residential and commercial water bills.

11. Internet/Online Sales Tax Support (Details): A resolution to support federal and state legislation to ensure the proper assessment and collection of sales tax from all internet/online sales thereby creating a fair and free market for all businesses and consumers regardless of the location of the business from which the purchase was made.
– Pass 7-1

Notes: The mayor said he’s proud to support collection of online sales tax because it creates a more level playing field for local businesses and area chains who are competing against online retailers who don’t have a physical footprint in Arkansas and therefore don’t pay sales tax.

Chung Tan, director of economic development for the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favor of the resolution. She said some cities have had a 40 percent increase in sales tax revenue since Amazon began collecting sales tax this summer.

La Tour voted against. He said online tax is difficult to collect because it must be reported as a use tax, which is something companies don’t often do.

Announcements

– The final Gulley Park Summer Concert Series event is this Thursday at 7 p.m. with the U.S. Navy’s music group The Cruisers.
– The Lib Horn Animal Shelter in Fayetteville will offer $10 adoptions on Saturday, Aug. 19 as part of the nationwide Clear the Shelters initiative that seeks to help families find and adopt homeless pets.

Adjourned

This meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

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