TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Douglas J. Hewett, ICMA-CM, City Manager
FROM: Andrew Mansell, Senior Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: September 28, 2026
RE:Title
Red Light Camera Program: History and Relaunch Status
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
ALL
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 1: Safe and Secure Community
Executive Summary:
The attached administrative report gives Council the history of the City's red light camera program, which operated from 2015 to 2022, and the status of the work to bring it back. The City issued a Request for Proposals, a selection committee scored the proposals received and ranked RedSpeed North Carolina LLC first, and staff is finalizing contract terms. An updated interlocal agreement with the Cumberland County Board of Education is under legal review. Under the current schedule, cameras would go live on July 1, 2027.
Background:
Fayetteville operated red light cameras from August 2015 to November 2022 under Session Law 2014-84 and G.S. 160A-300.1. As state law requires, all civil penalties were paid to Cumberland County Schools, which reimbursed the City for the cost of operating the program. The program ended in 2022 when the vendor contract expired during litigation over the funding structure. The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld that structure in 2024, clearing the way for the relaunch.
Staff selected ten initial intersections using a data-driven process, issued RFP COF1517011 on May 15, 2026, and evaluated the proposals received. The attached report covers the prior program's financial results, the intersection selection method, the RFP and scoring results, the interlocal agreement, school zone speed camera readiness, and the implementation schedule.
Issues/Analysis:
This Administrative report is an update- however, the contract and the interlocal agreement will return to Council for full review and approval at a later meeting. Items still in progress are the final contract terms, City Attorney review of the interlocal agreement and related statutory questions, Board of Education approval, and NCDOT approval of encroachment agreements and camera designs. Details are in the attached report.
Budget Impact:
No appropriation is requested. The program is structured so that penalty revenue covers the vendor fee and the remainder goes to Cumberland County Schools.
Options:
1. Receive the report as information.
2. Request additional discussion at a future work session.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
For information only, no action required unless Council directs staff to include an upcoming City Council Work Session.
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Attachments:
Red-Light Camera Admin Report
Photo Citation (Red-Light Camera) Program Services RFP (COF1517011)Appendix A, Program Intersection List (from RFP)