Fayetteville City Council recap: Aug. 16, 2022

Background:
City officials would like to purchase a vacant apartment complex so it can be torn down and turned into green space as part of an effort to address flooding on the west side of town.

The proposal would authorize an offer to be made to purchase the West End apartments off Wedington Drive just east of Interstate 49. The plan, according to city staff, would be to tear the complex down and convert it into an open area.

The 50-unit complex is located in a floodway near Hamestring Creek, and tends to flood during heavy rainfall. The most recent flood in May led to nearly 30 West End residents being evacuated by emergency crews. Many of the residents lost the majority of their belongings, and some people’s vehicles were totaled. Once the water receded, the residents were all relocated to other areas, and the owner listed the property for sale.

The complex is currently under contract with another buyer, so even if the City Council agrees to the plan, the city’s purchase would be contingent on the current offer not being completed.

» Read more in our Aug. 7 story

Vacant units of the West End apartment complex make up four structures on West End Avenue off Wedington Drive just east of Interstate 49 in Fayetteville. (Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer)

Floodplain and floodway location:

Discussion:
One person who spoke during public comment asked what would happen to the residents of the complex. City staff said the complex is vacant, and there are no residents living in it. Another said if the city ever sells the property for future development, it would be nice if it were sold to a nonprofit that could build some low-income housing.

Two people who spoke said the neighbors in the area are in full support of the resolution because it could help alleviate some of the flooding that occurs at their homes.

Two former council members spoke, including Kyle Smith and Sarah Lewis.

Smith said West End is known as a last-chance option for affordable housing, and the city should continue working on projects that encourage more affordable housing options.

Lewis said she hopes the city can use the spirit of this proposal to help guide plans for the future. For example, she said acquiring undeveloped land could both save money and help the city stay one step ahead of flooding issues.

Scroggin said he’s advocated for the purchase of the complex since 2017, so he will support this proposal.

Turk said she agrees with Sarah Lewis, and she’ll also support the authorization.

Wiederkehr said he’ll advocate for not just a detention facility in the property, but something that is more attractive and engaging similar to what the city of Tulsa did at its Centennial Park.

Decision:
The council voted 8-0 to approve the resolution.

Background:
This proposal would add one new school resource officer, while also committing to adding two new officers annually until each School District campus has a full-time officer on duty every school day.

The measure is sponsored by Councilmember Holly Hertzberg who said she wants to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty and staff, but also because she believes the local school district should follow the recommendations of the state’s school safety commission.

A recent report by the Arkansas School Safety Commission recommends that every school have an armed police presence at all times during classes or major extracurricular activities.

The city currently has six school resource officers assigned to the district, which operates 15 campuses and next year will open a new middle school in west Fayetteville.

The proposal would add one new officer this year, and would express the council’s intent to add two more officers each year beginning in 2023.

The city shares the cost of paying for school resource officers with the district. Adding a new officer this year would cost $40,000. The district would reimburse the city for $23,400 of the officer’s salary, and the city would pay the remaining $16,600.

Discussion:
Police Chief Mike Reynolds gave a report with citation and arrest data from the past few years.

Last school year there were three arrests by SROs and 18 citations issued, according to the data. Of those, 62% were initiated by school officials, with 33% being initiated by an officer who witnessed a fight or another criminal act inside the school. Reynolds said 5% of the incidents were initiated after a complaint from a parent, student or other witness.

The data shows the 21 incidents during last school year was a decrease in recent years. There were 50 incidents in 2019-20, and 68 in 2018-19. Data from 2020-21 was omitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report also shows the race of those cited or arrested last year. Among the incidents, nine students were Black, eight were white, two were Hispanic and two were listed as “other.”

Reynolds showed body cam footage of Fayetteville officers responding to a shooting incident near Dickson Street in which they quickly located and apprehended a suspect without incident. He also showed footage of officers responding to the murder of officer Stephen Carr.

“As you can see, they run to the gunfire,” Reynolds said. “They don’t hide. They’re brave and their actions save lives, and they are ready to protect students and faculty in the city’s school system.”

Cheryl May, director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Arkansas, said training SROs is extremely important. She said the state has made great strides in recent years to ensure officers in Arkansas are properly prepared to work with students.

“The emphasis is not to get kids in trouble, the emphasis is to help them,” May said.

Megan Duncan, deputy superintendent for Fayetteville Public Schools, agreed and said the district has recently invested heavily in counselors, student support specialists and socials workers to work alongside SROs.

Colbert said SROs are just one piece of the district’s overall approach to keeping students safe, but they are an important part of the plan. He said Fayetteville’s police department is unlike some cities where officers are often criticized for their behavior, especially toward minorities. Officers in Fayetteville, he said, have a reputation for being collaborative and supportive of all residents.

“I know what we stand for here,” Colbert said. “We are different and we are special.”

Councilmember Scroggin suggested amending the resolution to include a $3,000 optional allowance for officers to use if they want to pursue social work certificates or other counseling-related classes that could be useful on the job.

Scroggin said he knows some people believe officers should be required to pursue those types of classes, but his proposed amendment would not include a mandate.

“I don’t want a mandate, I want more opportunities,” Scroggin said.

Scroggin’s amendment was approved 8-0.

During public comment, 16 people spoke in favor of the proposal and nine spoke against.

Those against questioned the effectiveness of officers in schools, and said other options should be considered like reducing class sizes or adding more staff such as counselors or teacher aides.

Others cited studies that show the presence of SROs sometimes leads to increased school punishments, citations or arrests that have disproportionate affects on Black students or those with disabilities.

Several of those in favor were teachers or staff at the school district who said they see first-hand how SROs interact with students in Fayetteville and asked the council to please help add more officers to the ranks.

Councilmember D’Andre Jones said he’s listened to both sides, but plans to vote in favor of the proposal. He said politics seem to play a role in people’s opinions about SROs, but the council should put safety over politics, especially in a city where the police department has a good reputation.

“The responsibility is to provide safety and security for our students, teachers and administrators,” said Jones.

Kinion said it’s evident that the community is engaged in the issue and would like to see more SROs. He said it’s unfortunate that the council didn’t approve a grant two years ago that would’ve funded two new SROs.

“But I think today we can make up for that to a degree,” said Kinion.

Bunch said things have clearly shifted since two years ago when so many people spoke divisively against adding SROs in Fayetteville. She said more people are realizing that there’s a lot more to an SRO than just their presence as a police officer, and that people seem to be more understanding with each other when it comes to discussing SROs.

“It’s something that’s been really enlightening to me,” said Bunch.

Wiederkehr said the shift over the past two years likely comes from seeds that were planted during the first discussion. He said he also agrees with Bunch that Fayetteville’s ability to have a positive debate about difficult topics is refreshing.

“This level of discourse does not happen everywhere,” Wiederkehr said.

Harvey said her concerns two years ago have since been alleviated. She said the direction in which the district wants to move has become more clear now that more time has passed and more people have weighed in.

“What has changed is not only the way we are framing the conversation about school safety, but also the understanding that SROs are a key piece of the puzzle,” Harvey said.

Mayor Jordan said he was in favor of the proposal to add more SROs two years ago and he’s in favor today. He said the atmosphere in the council chambers has improved since the last debate.

“I feel much better about the conversations I heard tonight than those that I heard a couple of years ago,” said Jordan.

Jordan said his support for the proposal stems first from his confidence in the police department.

“I think we have the most outstanding, progressive and best-trained police force and best police chief that anybody could have in this state,” Jordan.

Trust in the school district is also a key factor in his support, Jordan said. “We’ve got the best school system that anybody could have in the state,” he said.

But more important, Jordan said, is the city’s responsibility to do everything possible to ensure the safety of students.

“We’re going to keep the children safe,” Jordan said.

Decision:
The council voted 8-0 to approve the resolution.

Background:
The property is roughly 150 feet northeast of the intersection of Gregg Avenue and Lawson Street. Two lots on the east side of Gregg make up the site which is currently undeveloped, and covered by tree canopy. The property slopes from the east, down towards Gregg at a consistent, approximately 15% grade. About a quarter-acre of the eastern extent of the property lies within the Hillside-Hilltop Overlay District.

Both city staff and the Planning Commission recommend approval of the request.

Location:

Discussion:
There was no public comment.

Decision:
The council advanced the ordinance to the third reading, and voted 8-0 to approve it.