Asheville City Council
May 12, 2026
Regular meeting: City Council Meeting (In-Person)
Other City businessWaterBudget and taxesStreets and transitHelene recoveryHousing
What it did
- Authorizes the negotiation of an Installment Financing Contract and providing for certain other related matters thereto.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Lets the City Manager execute on behalf of the City of Asheville a contract with Axon Enterprises, Inc to bundle all existing…Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
- Motion to authorize the award of CDBG-DR Multi-Family Housing Program funds to Mountain Housing Opportunities/South Creek Development (Terrace at River Hills) died without…Failed.
- Rezones 1116 Sweeten Creek Rd, with conditions, from Commercial Industrial (CI) and Residential Multi-family High Density (RM-16) to Residential Expansion - Conditional Zone (RES EXP-CZ).Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Votes recorded
- 17
- Voted on separately
- 8
- Routine items, one vote
- 9
- Votes that split
- 1
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
Jump to a part of the meeting (16 times listed by the City)
These times and titles are the City's own, copied from the video description.
Everything on the agenda
From the minutes, in the order the City lists them. Each item's first lines are the minutes' own words.
Consent Agenda
9 routine items, passed together in one vote.
Public Hearings
Public hearing and adoption of the preliminary resolution authorizing the issuance of 2026 Interim Limited Obligation Bonds
“The City has been utilizing a multi-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Debt Model since fiscal year 2013-14.”
- Vote: Authorizes the negotiation of an Installment Financing Contract and providing for certain other related matters thereto.
- Vote: Asks for the Release of Property from a Deed of Trust related to Limited Obligation Bonds.
- Vote: Permanently close a portion of unopened right-of-way on the western edge of Saint Dunstan’s Road, between 159…
- Vote: Denies conditional zoning for 99999 Caribou Rd.
- Vote: Rezones 1116 Sweeten Creek Rd, with conditions, from Commercial Industrial (CI) and Residential Multi-family High Density (RM-16) to Residential Expansion - Conditional Zone (RES EXP-CZ).
New Business
Resolution Number. 26-96 - Resolution authorizing the award of Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery multi-family housing funds to Mountain Housing Opportunities/South Creek Development (Terrace at River Hills),…
“Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery Project Manager Elma King said that this is the consideration of a resolution authorizing the award of Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) multi-family housing funds to Mountain Housing Opportunities/South Creek…”
- Vote: Authorizes the award of CDBG-DR Multi-Family Housing Program funds to Commonwealth Development Corporation (District East Commons), and Laurel Street (319B Biltmore).
- Vote: Motion to authorize the award of CDBG-DR Multi-Family Housing Program funds to Mountain Housing Opportunities/South Creek Development (Terrace at River Hills) died without…
Declaration of Policy for Public Safety Tools, Asheville Police Department Grant Award, Budget Amendment, and Axon Contract
“Mayor Manheimer said that public comment on the consideration of the resolution to declare and reaffirm the protection of civil liberties of all residents and visitors; the Community Project Funding Award, the budget amendment, and the Axon contract would be combined; however, a separate vote will…”
Informal Discussion and Public Comment
Public comment
- concerned that Council did not let everyone speak
- need to pay the City employees a living wage
- certain rights at public meetings
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Staff is seeking Council approval of the initial resolution authorizing the installment financing and related issuance of 2026 Interim Limited Obligation Bonds (LOBs) in an amount not to exceed $40,000,000.”
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
More from the minutes
- “Supporters often rely on emotionally charged examples, such as stories about missing children being found through RTCCs, to justify their expansion.”
Failed.
More from the minutes
- “Mr. Powell Howell felt we should use these funds for repairing and restoring our homes first.”
- “President and CEO of Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) Geoffrey Barton understood Council’s concern of high costs per unit.”
- “He did feel this was an opportunity to get a significant number of affordable housing, noting that multi-family rental is critical.”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The proposed project would result in a total impervious area of 50%.”
- “Overall Project Proposal New building construction includes one 4-story multi-family building, one 3-story multi-family building, totalling 126 affordable housing units, as well as an outdoor pavilion.”
- “The pavilion is proposed in the central section of the site with additional outdoor amenities.”
- “The two multi-family buildings are proposed as a larger L-shaped 4-story structure with 96 units along the north and western sides of the developed area and a rectangular 3 story building along the southern side with 30 units.”
Denies conditional zoning for 99999 Caribou Rd.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- “the site, or a rate of 20% of the site if the project meets the incentive requirements for either enhanced stormwater or affordable housing.”
- “Open space can be further reduced to 15% if the proposed open space meets certain design and operational standards.”
- “The project proposes 20% open space as required based on their stormwater plan, which equals 1.9 acres.”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This award funds the second phase of a project on a City-owned property, with the first phase (109 workforce + affordable units) already fully funded with City support.”
- “The application for the CDBG-DR Affordable Multi-Family Housing Construction funding opportunity closed on February 25, with the volume of submissions signaling significant demand for multifamily housing construction.”
- “To proceed, the City Council must authorize agreements between the City and developers and award CDBG-DR funds for the construction of Affordable Multi-Family Housing within the City of Asheville.”
- “The projects are also time-sensitive to meet the community's recovery needs, quickly initiate much-needed affordable multifamily housing construction, and activate CDBG-DR funds.”
Asks for the Release of Property from a Deed of Trust related to Limited Obligation Bonds.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- “Instead, this excess unopened portion of the right-of-way area has served as driveway access to the parcels/homes there, and until recently the property owners were unaware that their properties did not access Saint Dunstan's Road.”
- “The closure will allow these homes to construct driveways that will connect to the legal public right-of-way of Saint Dunstan’s Road.”
- “This excess unopened portion of the right-of-way has served as driveway access to the parcels/homes.”
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.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “In January 2026, City Council adopted a resolution providing staff with authorization to enter into a contract with TP Howard Plumbing, Inc, including contingency, totaling $8,948,500 for the Neighborhood Enhancement Project (NEP) Area 8 - Water Distribution.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a budget amendment in the amount of $1,400,000 to the HCCA operating fund to reflect updated fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) revenue and expenditure projections.”
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 authorizing the City Manager to execute a multi-year Agreement with the Mills River Partnership, Inc., for the Mills River Watershed Best Management Practices project for a not-to-exceed amount of $180,000.00 over three (3) fiscal years contingent upon funding each year.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This amendment will adjust the contract to include both parts and labor when addressing warranty coverage of the controls equipment of the HVAC system at the facility.”
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
- What the minutes say it will do: “This project will construct around 1 mile of sidewalk along Johnston Boulevard (S.R. 1319) between Patton Avenue (U.S. 19) and Iona Circle, near the Johnston Elementary School in Buncombe County.”
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.