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N.C. history center, gunshot technology, PWC appointment on City Council agenda

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park project and downtown social district part of Monday’s discussions.

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The Fayetteville City Council has a meaty agenda scheduled for Monday with topics that include the N.C. History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation and Reconstruction, execution of a contract for gunshot technology and the potential appointment of a Fayetteville Public Works Commission member. 

“We’ve been working through stuff,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said Thursday. “We're trying to push them on. We’re trying to clear the plate before the end of the year when we break for winter.” 

The regular monthly meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall. 

In a consent item, the City Council will consider authorization to execute a memorandum of understanding with the history center foundation and adoption of a budget ordinance amendment 2023-7. 

“We gave consensus for the manager, if certain conditions are met, to sign an agreement to fund it like a memorandum of agreement,” Colvin said. “It could be to vote to officially do that. I think we did that in a work session. It will appropriate the money with the passage of it but not disperse it until the conditions are met.” 

Council voted 9-0 on Oct, 24 to allocate $6.6 million to the center, contingent on stipulations.  

Another consent item involves approval of an interlocal agreement between the city and Cumberland County regarding the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park project. 

The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $2.5 million to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Committee, a nonprofit corporation, “as partial funding for a project to construct a memorial spire in a circular, stone meditation plaza” in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park owned by the city, meeting materials state. 

 Gunshot technology, PWC appointment 

 When it comes to the gunshot detection technology services, the awarding of the contract could be forthcoming when the council reconsiders the execution of the transaction. 

“(We’re) trying to give authorization to sign a contract if certain conditions are met,” Colvin said when asked what he anticipated would take place regarding a potential contract with the gunshot technology company ShotSpotter. “And some of the council’s concerns were public engagement meetings and just one or two other points to the proposed contract. That was something I brought to the council because it was stuck in limbo. Now it’s moved back to the table for official vote. Either pass it or not.” 

Council members also are expected to make an appointment to the Fayetteville PWC. 

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Downtown social district 

In other business, the City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the adoption of Fayetteville’s proposed Downtown Social District. 

Last year, the General Assembly enacted legislation allowing municipalities to designate social districts within their jurisdiction to allow alcoholic beverages sold by licensed premises to be consumed within the district, outside of the establishment where the beverage was purchased. 

The city and the Cool Spring Downtown District, according to agenda materials, have worked together to propose a social district in the downtown area. Those two entities “believe that a social district is a valuable tool to increase economic activity and the vibrancy of downtown Fayetteville …” 

As recommended by staff, the days and hours of operation for the city’s planned social district would be Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. 

Only alcoholic beverages purchased from a permittee located in or contiguous to the social district may be possessed and consumed, the proposed ordinance states. 

 

Cape Fear River Park 

 

A Cape Fear River Park update also is listed on the agenda for council discussion. 

Based on meeting materials, the project area consists of about 13 acres of city-owned property between Grove and Person streets along the west bank of the Cape Fear River. More than 1,000 feet of riverbank is included in the project. 

 

Michael Futch covers Fayetteville and education for CityView. He can be reached at mfutch@cityviewnc.com.

Fayetteville, City Council, N.C. history center, PWC, downtown social district

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