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Here in America’s Can-Do City which we are building together, the best ideas start with conversations and the past couple of weeks, you have showed up.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Chief Bryan’s Community Meet & Greet at the Police Training Center and for our Fayetteville OutFront session held in the beautiful Senior Center East. Both gatherings had the same goal: open doors, open dialogue, and open pathways to solutions.
At Chief Bryan’s event, residents asked thoughtful questions, shared neighborhood insights, and took the opportunity to build relationships with the people who serve them every day.
At Fayetteville OutFront, we took a plain-language look at permitting—what’s required, why certain steps exist, and where we can streamline. Our team listened closely to feedback from homeowners, business owners, and contractors. These informal conversations often surface the small fixes that lead to big improvements. When you bring us your challenges, we can connect you to the right people and get you clearer answers, sooner.
Providing informal opportunities is one more way for voices to be heard and issues to be resolved. Please keep showing up, keep asking questions, and keep holding us to a high standard. We’ll keep bringing the right staff to the table and following up on what we hear.
I encourage you that whenever you see an opportunity like these, to come talk with City staff, our senior leadership team, and me. Your experiences help us spot trends, remove barriers, and respond faster and better. I hope to see you at our next community events.
As we observe Labor Day, I invite all of Fayetteville to reflect on the people whose work keeps our community strong. Everyone from public servants, small-business owners, tradespeople, educators, healthcare workers, and so many others. This holiday, first celebrated by unions in 1882 and established as a federal holiday in 1894, honors the dignity of work and the labor movement’s enduring contributions; an eight-hour workday, safer workplaces, weekends, child-labor limits, overtime pay, and the right to organize.
It’s also a reminder of today’s priorities: fair pay, safe conditions, skills training, and pathways to good jobs. Over the long weekend, I hope you’ll find time to rest and recharge with family and friends, support local businesses when you can, and return ready to keep building “America’s Can-Do City” together.
Have a safe and restful weekend and we’ll see you on Tuesday.
Best,
Dr. Douglas J. Hewett
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