Asheville City Council
November 12, 2024
Regular meeting
Other City businessHelene recoveryWaterHousingStreets and transitPublic safetyHomelessness
What it did
- Approves, after the fact, an emergency contract with Tennoca Construction Co.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Changes the budget for Helene disaster recovery and Response expenses, which is anticipated to be funded…Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Approves, after the fact, an emergency contract with Hagerty Consulting Inc. for Recovery Management Services.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Approves, after the fact, an emergency contract with DebrisTech LLC, for providing debris collection monitoring services.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Votes recorded
- 25
- Voted on separately
- 0
- Routine items, one vote
- 25
- 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 October 2024 as “Sister Cities Month”
“Mayor Manheimer read the proclamation proclaiming October, 2024, as "Sister Cities Month" in the City of Asheville.”
CONSENT AGENDA
25 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Manager’s report - Recovery update
“City Manager Campbell said that the Manager’s report tonight will include a presentation from staff with information about a proposed organizational structure for us and the community to respond to the unprecedented conditions we are faced with to recover from this storm.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
- need for affordable housing
- need assistance for service workers
- request to lobby for 11-12-24 Page 37 eviction moratorium
- suggestion to add information on the City’s website to direct people to resources
- need rent freezes and mortgage assistance
- release the remaining $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used for rental assistance
- open up emergency positions with the City for our out of workforce
- use influence to stop the Housing Authority from evicting people
- rebuild Asheville by putting money in local businesses with grants, not loans
- the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority needs to be held accountable and LIFT funds should be used to support affordable housing
- be creative in getting rental assistance out as quickly as possible and incentivize landlords to do the right thing
- don’t use the Enka Candler Commerce Park as a debris site
- encourage and grant permission to fund and build rescue rail tracks that have a solar transportation network throughout the City, with a solar production facility in the area
- don’t develop in our floodplains
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.
Approves, after the fact, an emergency contract with Tennoca Construction Co.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The total cost of this contract is not to exceed $10,000,000, and it is expected that 100% of this expense will be reimbursed by FEMA. Motion:”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of: a budget amendment in the amount of $4.2 million in the City’s Enterprise Funds which is anticipated to be funded with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements.”
- “At the end of September 2024, the City of Asheville experienced large-scale devastation and destruction as a result of Tropical Storm Helene that has affected residents, businesses and city-owned property and infrastructure.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The contract will also assist with the development and implementation of long-term recovery.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The initial total cost of this contract is not to exceed $1,000,000, any future amendments will be made in accordance with applicable City policies.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “A Notice to Proceed was issued to the contractor on September 28th, the day after TS Helene, for an amount of not to exceed (NTE) $500,000 and then a formal contract was executed for the same amount, prior to a debris assessment being performed and knowing that it would need to be amended.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “A Notice to Proceed was issued to the contractor on September 28th, the day after TS Helene, for an amount of not-to-exceed (NTE) $500,000 and then a formal contract was executed for the same amount, prior to a debris assessment being performed and knowing that it would need to be amended. 11-12-24 Page 9”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Under one such contract executed on October 8, 2024, the City engaged Confer and Associates, LLC, to provide prepared meal services to local first responders and partner agencies with an original contract amount not to exceed $300,000.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to amend the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville’s (HCCA) contract with Fiserv by increasing the contract amount by $48,072.00, for a revised amount of $237,911.00, for software subscriptions for the point of sale system.”
- “Contract is increased due to the addition of (6) additional point of sale units and associated software licenses to increase the total number of point of sale locations at shows.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The purpose of the Southside Accessibility Improvements Project is to increase pedestrian safety and create connectivity in Asheville’s multimodal network for recreation and transportation use.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a professional services contract with TranSystems Corporation in the amount not to exceed $210,160.10 plus a project contingency of $31,000 for a total not to exceed contract of $241,160.10.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of resolution authorizing an amendment to the existing contract with Responder Support Services to increase the amount by $84,000.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Approves, after the fact, an emergency contract with T.P. Howard’s Plumbing Co. Inc.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “MSW collection became a high priority after the first week due to loss of electricity throughout the City, leading to large amounts of spoiled food in residential homes.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “The City’s Housing Trust Fund lends affordable housing developers funding to produce additional affordable housing units in the community.”
- “Temporarily reduces operating costs for affordable housing providers impacted by Hurricane Helene.”
- “Affordable Housing Officer Sasha Vrtunski responded to questions from Council regarding the deferral program; what happens if tenants hold vouchers; and how long the suspension or deferral period will last.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Ends the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “Quality Affordable Housing”
Approval of the formal meeting held on october 22, 2024.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “There is also a provision that the DPA loan may be transferred to an income-qualified homebuyer to continue the home as an affordable unit.”
- “Quality Affordable Housing”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This work will allow for the continued operation of critical emergency services located in the Municipal Building.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Signs a contract with Enterprises G Inc. for the Roger Farmer Sports Court Project.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Sells one 2011 Freightliner Dump Truck which is beyond its useful life…
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.