Fayetteville Long Range Planning Committee members spent the July 24 meeting reviewing options for how a future unified development code (UDC) rewrite might be delivered, hosted and maintained, and agreed to begin preparatory work so the city is ready when Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funding for a consultant becomes available in about two years.

Staff reviewed several code-hosting and presentation approaches used by other cities, including traditional Municode-hosted codified text (Municode is now owned by CivicPlus), PDF/FlippingBook presentations, and more interactive platforms that combine maps, diagrams and hotlinks. Staff said some municipalities use software that prioritizes site selection or map integration (examples discussed included GRIDX, CodeHub, Encode, and other commercial offerings) and emphasized trade-offs: visual illustrated guides can better communicate intent to the public but can mislead if illustrations are interpreted as regulatory requirements.

Staff noted the clerk's office remains the official steward of codified ordinances and that different hosting choices carry different long-term maintenance and budget implications. Committee members and staff discussed accessibility features, searchability, whether hyperlinks should open in new windows, the role of simple technical diagrams versus more illustrative renderings, and the pros and cons of allowing in-house updates versus outsourcing maintenance to a vendor.

On process, staff proposed early, focused public engagement to set values and goals concurrent with stakeholder-centered technical drafting later. The committee discussed forming a special subcommittee to help guide the rewrite; legal guidance cited at the meeting said any committee formed by the planning commission and chaired by a commissioner will have to hold public meetings under bylaws changes going into effect Aug. 5. Staff recommended using pilot projects or 'test cases' to beta-test draft code before final adoption and suggested recruiting volunteer architects to identify loopholes prior to adoption.

No formal motions were recorded. The committee asked staff to do preparatory work on scope, desired technology features, public-engagement structure and potential pilot projects so the group and future consultants can begin quickly once funding is available through the city's CIP process.