Asheville City Council
September 12, 2023
Regular meeting
Other City businessPublic safetyBudget and taxesHomelessness
What it did
- Changes the budget for the short term shelters.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Lets the City Manager utilize City of Asheville ARPA funding for short term shelters; enter into an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County…Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Adopts the proposed amendments to the City’s public solicitation ordinances, specifically Sections 11-5 and 11-14, in accordance with the changes represented…Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Signs a contract with Schnabel Engineering South for bee treet dam assessment services.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Votes recorded
- 10
- Voted on separately
- 3
- Routine items, one vote
- 7
- Votes that split
- 0
Why it matters
Regular meetings are where Council votes on laws, the budget, contracts and zoning. Routine items pass together in one vote, called the consent agenda.
The recording
Everything on the agenda
From the minutes, in the order the City lists them. Each item's first lines are the minutes' own words.
PROCLAMATIONS
Proclamation proclaiming September 12, 2023, as “MANNA Foodbank Day”
“Councilwoman Turner read the proclamation proclaiming September 12, 2023, as "MANNA Foodbank Day " in the City of Asheville.”
CONSENT AGENDA
7 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Manager’s report
“Pack Square Plaza Visioning Concept Plan Principal at Urban Planning Mitchell Silver said the key takeaways from his presentation are (1) The City and County investment in this planning process resulted in a Vision Plan that can successfully be used for all the purposes originally intended; (2) The…”
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearing to conditionally zone 1 Oak Street from Central Business District to central business expansion district/conditional zone
“Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to conditionally zone 1 Oak Street from Central Business District to Central Business Expansion/Conditional Zone for the purpose of approving a conceptual master plan for the development of several multi-story…”
Public hearing to consider a Conditional Zoning 4 Grandview Place, 2 Grandview Place and 1177 Tunnel Road from RS-8 residential single family high density district and commercial business i district to to commercial business…
“At the request of the applicant, Councilwoman Turner moved to continue this public hearing until September 26, 2023.”
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Second and final reading of an ordinance amending Sections 11-4 and 11-15 of the code of ordinances relating to solicitation, in order to remain compliant with existing federal and state law; to remove ambiguities; and include more…
“Mayor Manheimer said that public comment was taken on the first reading of this ordinance on August 22, 2023, so there will be no additional comment taken.”
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution authorizing the City Manager to (1) utilize City of Asheville American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for short term shelters; (2) enter into an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County to administer their previously approved…
“$875,000 IN ARPA FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT; AND (3) ENTER INTO SERVICE AGREEMENTS WITH THE 9-12-23 Page 18 SALVATION ARMY, SAFE SHELTER, AND HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION TO PRESERVE 45 EXISTING AND CREATE 43 NEW HIGH-ACCESS SHELTER BEDS ORDINANCE NO. 5036 - BUDGET AMENDMENT REGARDING SHORT TERM…”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
- request for Council to adopt a resolution to support Medicare for All
- observance of the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2023, and the International Day of Nonviolence on September 23, 2023
- campaign to lobby the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) for funds to be used for affordable housing and to appoint a service worker to the TDA Committee who will be awarding the funds
- need to broaden the community conversation regarding panhandling and engage those who are actually soliciting or panhandling
- need to cut bushes in front of the Woodfin Apartments
- support for Pack Square Plaza Vision Plan to have no car access
- don’t 9-12-23 Page 21 harm the Black community by action or non-action
- support for renewing City Manager Campbell’s contract
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- “Quality Affordable Housing”
- “In response to Councilwoman Roney, City Attorney Branham said that the funding source for this contract is proposed to come from the ARPA funds.”
Changes the budget for the short term shelters.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
Routine items, passed together
The consent agenda: items Council approves in one vote, without separate discussion. A member can ask to pull an item out for its own vote.
Signs a contract with Schnabel Engineering South for bee treet dam assessment services.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The project will help provide safe and reliable service to our consumers.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign a contract with Schnabel Engineering for $603,603 (includes a 10% contingency of $54,873) for Bee Tree Dam Assessment Services Background:”
- “If approved, the proposed engineering services described here within will be developed into a subcontract under the conditions of the master agreement.”
Signs a contract with Daupler for after-hours/emergency answering services.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The initial contract amount will be $90,000 with a total not to exceed contract amount of $150,000 for the five year term.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution to accept grant funds from the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association for a Parks and Recreation department DEI initiative; to authorize the City Manager to enter into a grant agreement; and approval of the associated budget amendment in the amount of $3,000.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “9999 Hazel Mill Rd, LLC, Owner, petitioned for this closure to develop a five story multi-family dwelling with 23-30 units.”
Monthly municipal property tax refunds or releases per N.C. gen. stat. sec. 105-381.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Changes the dates of Council meetings.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
The plain-language lines are written by fixed rules from each item's official title, which is on each decision's page. Every vote the minutes record is listed; procedural motions, like approving the minutes or adjourning, are left out.