Fryar officially sworn in as commissioners breeze through 2017’s first meeting

Commissioner Mike Fryar was officially sworn in during the commissioners' meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3. His swearing in was delayed due to a recount in his district. Photo by Dan Hesse

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners started 2017 with what will likely be one of its quickest meetings of the year, wrapping up in under 30 minutes on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Before the meeting officially got underway, Commissioner Mike Fryar was sworn in, an action delayed due to a recount in his contest against Nancy Nehls Nelson.

“It’s a totally different commission, and I think we are going to do a lot of different things together the next four years. I’m proud to be here with all of you,” said Fryar. “All I can do is thank the people in District 2 for coming out and voting and having faith in me.”

After that, commissioners attended to the two agenda items: a report from Mountain Valley Resource, Conservation and Development Council and a few board appointments.

Jessica Hocz, executive director of MVRCDC, gave a brief presentation to commissioners outlining some of the work her environmental advocacy nonprofit is involved with throughout the county. She highlighted efforts like Raising Cane at Owen Middle School, an initiative aimed at providing additional resources for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to harvest cane for art projects.

Hocz also talked about the Ivy River Water Project, which is focused on keeping Weaverville’s watershed clean. In 2016, her organization removed 90 tires and 100 bags of trash, along with other efforts to rid the area of pollution, she said.

Hocz stressed that, other than $6,400 provided by eight counties (each giving $800), her organization is completely fueled by grant money. She also pointed out that the board seat appointed by county commissioners is currently open. Hocz said qualifications are basically, “Someone who knows people and might be able to identify projects tied to resource conservation.”

The county will begin advertising for the vacancy. You can see more about the nonprofit’s work in Buncombe County here.

Next, commissioners made the following board appointments, all approved unanimously:

Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) Board — Commissioners Ellen Frost and Robert Pressley

Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee — Nancy Lipscomb

The board of commissioners’ next meeting is Jan. 17.

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Dan Hesse
I grew up outside of Atlanta and moved to WNC in 2001 to attend Montreat College. After college, I worked at NewsRadio 570 WWNC as an anchor/reporter and covered Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners starting in 2004. During that time I also completed WCU's Master of Public Administration program. You can reach me at dhesse@mountainx.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Fryar officially sworn in as commissioners breeze through 2017’s first meeting

  1. boatrocker

    Let’s drain the swamp here in WNC, as in bye bye Tea Party, McCrory and his Koch Bros funding and Art Pope.
    Unless posters don’t care about the next generation of kids.

    Randian $? Gross. Mammon is ready when you are.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.