TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Adam Lindsay, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Jeffery Yates, Assistant City Manager
Sheila Thomas-Ambat, Public Services Director
Alicia Lanier, Stormwater Project Manager Special Projects
DATE: August 11, 2025
RE:
Title
Adopt CPO 2026-29 and amend CPOA 2026-40 (CPO 2020-1) to Re-Appropriate $534,050 of available funds from the FY20 Stormwater Improvement Project to the Cross Creek Channel Improvements Project and to Approve City Manager to execute the contract for the Cross Creek Channel Improvements Preliminary Design.end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
2
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Supports Goal 3: City Investment in Today and Tomorrow, through the Strategic Objective 3.1: To enhance City street connectivity, traffic flow, and stormwater systems.
Executive Summary:
The Cross Creek watershed, particularly in the downtown area, has experienced recurring and significant flooding, resulting in property damage and disruption to economic and community activity. As part of the City’s Watershed Master Planning Program, Hazen and Sawyer identified the most effective and feasible long-term mitigation strategy to be the Cross Creek Channel Improvements project.
As discussed during the August 4th City Council Work Session, this project proposes to regrade the stream channel from MLK Freeway to Green Street, creating a defined channel and flood corridor to significantly increase capacity. It also includes the replacement of undersized bridges and culverts. The preliminary construction cost is estimated at $50 million, with specific property and easement needs to be refined through conceptual design.
To move the project forward, staff recommends initiating 15% design services to further develop the concept, evaluate alternatives, perform hydraulic modeling, and prepare preliminary engineering plans along with a strategic communications and public engagement framework.
The cost of this design phase is $534,050, which staff recommends funding through available Stormwater Enterprise Funds from completed capital projects. These funds are ratepayer-supported and restricted to stormwater system use, with no impact to the General Fund.
Staff recommends approval of the budget amendment to advance this high-priority flood mitigation project to the next stage of design.
Background:
The City of Fayetteville previously engaged Hazen and Sawyer (Hazen) to conduct a comprehensive study of the Cross Creek watershed as part of the City’s Watershed Master Planning Program. This study identified that the primary drainage system-Cross Creek-experiences significant flooding within the downtown area. Historic flood events have resulted in substantial property damage and recurring disruption to economic and community activities.
As part of the Cross Creek Watershed Master Plan, Hazen evaluated a range of flood mitigation strategies, including detention, diversion, floodplain buyouts, and increased system capacity. Of these alternatives, increasing the channel’s conveyance capacity-by modifying the channel and floodplain geometry-was identified as the most feasible and effective solution for addressing downtown flooding. This concept was recommended to advance to conceptual design.
On September 5, 2023, Hazen presented the findings to City Council, summarizing the flooding concerns and outlining the advantages and limitations of each mitigation strategy. The analysis showed that both the proposed Rose Lake concept and the Cross Creek channel improvements would reduce flooding along the corridor, with the channel improvements having a particularly beneficial impact on the downtown area. The presentation further demonstrated that implementing both projects in tandem would offer the greatest flood reduction benefit.
Following the presentation, Council reached a consensus to pursue funding opportunities for both the Rose Lake and channel improvement concepts. City staff subsequently requested that Hazen provide scopes of work to advance both efforts. While the scope for the Rose Lake preliminary design has been submitted separately, this agenda item pertains to the conceptual design scope for the Cross Creek Channel Improvements.
The proposed scope includes supplemental survey and data collection, development of alternative channel improvement concepts, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, benefit-cost analysis, and a preliminary engineering report with 15% design plans. Additionally, a key element of this phase will be the development of a strategic communications framework, including project branding, briefing materials for City staff and Council, and a public engagement plan.
These preliminary design services are anticipated to be completed within 11 months following the Notice to Proceed.
Staff is recommending the re-appropriation of $534,050 from the FY20 Stormwater Improvements project for the new Cross Creek Channel Improvements project. These funds are restricted to the Stormwater Enterprise Fund and have no impact on the General Fund.
Issues/Analysis:
The Cross Creek Channel Improvements Project is the most impactful project from the Watershed Master Plan program. The high cost, long duration, and impact will necessitate careful planning and coordination. The contract for preliminary design continues to move this project forward.
Budget Impact:
Staff recommends the re-appropriation of $534,050 of available balance from FY20 Stormwater Improvement project to support the Cross Creek Channel Improvements. This allocation will fund supplemental survey and data collection, alternatives development, hydraulic modeling, benefit-cost analysis, preliminary engineering (15% design), and strategic communications planning.
Options:
1. Council approves Capital Project Ordinance Amendment (CPOA) 2026-40, Capital Project Ordinance (CPO) 2026-29 and the City Manager to execute the Cross Creek Channel Improvements Preliminary Design Contract.
2. Council does not approve CPOA 2026-40 CPO 2026-29 or the approval of the Cross Creek Channel Improvements Preliminary Design Contract and remands back to staff with additional guidance.
Recommended Action:
Council approve CPOA 2026-29, CPO 2026-40, and the City Manager to execute the Cross Creek Channel Improvements Preliminary Design Contract.
Attachments:
Capital Project Ordinance Amendment (CPOA) 2026-40
Capital Project Ordinance (CPO) 2026-29
Cross Creek Channel Improvements Preliminary Design Contract