Buncombe Rep. Tim Moffitt has introduced legislation to add female toplessness to the state’s indecent exposure prohibitions. Except for breastfeeding, revealing “the nipple, or any portion of the areola, of the human female breast” would be illegal. Before last year’s Go Topless rally, Asheville City Council signed a letter condemning it and calling for state legislation. Photo by Max Cooper
The local fight over the legislative push to forcibly transfer the city of Asheville’s water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District has helped spur a larger statewide reaction. Last week, the League of Municipalities adopted the defense of local utilities as one of its top priorities, and 40 cities and towns across North Carolina have passed resolutions against state government taking municipal infrastructure.
An assertion by Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell that the city’s ordinance banning firearms on city property should mean an end to gun shows here is unlikely to hinder this weekend’s show at the WNC Agricultural Center. State law restricts localities’ ability to regulate or prohibit gun shows, and city staff are currently looking into the implications of those rules.
At its Dec. 12 meeting, the Metropolitan Sewerage District board voted to offer $57 million over 50 years for the city of Asheville’s water system. Several members expressed doubts about the fairness of the process, but stopped short of a motion formally noting their reservations.
Asheville City Council finally heard long-awaited reports on a possible water system merger today. Council also reaffirmed its unanimous opposition to the state legislature forcing the issue and strengthened the conservation easement on the local watershed.
Opponents of the state legislature forcing Asheville’s water system into a merger with the Metropolitan Sewerage District are rallying downtown this evening.
The city of Asheville has released a report by the Raftellis consulting firm on a possible merger with the Metropolitan Sewerage District. The report claims that an “inter-local agreement” between the two would have the greatest benefit while avoiding the cost of a merger. MSD taking over the city system will, according to the report, cost the city around $3.75 million a year.
***UPDATED 2:37 p.m. Dec. 5: the retreat has been cancelled.*** Asheville City Council’s retreat this Friday will focus on relations with state and county legislators.
It appears that our governmental organizations within North Carolina have decided that they must become a provider to the wealthy at the expense of the average citizen. It appears that more and more governmental units are abandoning their central role of protector of our citizens. We have more and more governmental units at all levels […]
The Metropolitan Sewerage District has proposed a $57 million compensation deal as part of a possible merger with the city of Asheville’s water system. More about what’s in the deal, and what it might mean.
Follow live Twitter coverage of the Nov. 27 Asheville City Council meeting
After the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday shopping frenzies, the city’s own august governing body is back at it on Nov. 27, as Asheville City Council discusses a possible water-system merger, greenway development, and more.
Well, the election is over, and we still have the same players as before. It’s time for “We the People” to do something to help break the gridlock and grease the wheels of our Congress. So here’s the plan. Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform had Republican members of both houses sign a pledge to […]
Yesterday, consultants from Arcadis hired by the Metropolitan Sewerage District unveiled their first report on the possible impacts of merging the city of Asheville’s water system. Here are five important conclusions from the over-200 page document. (photo by Bill Rhodes)
Despite President Barack Obama carrying Buncombe County and winning re-election nationwide, Republicans made gains in tonight’s local elections, winning all the competitive congressional and Statehouse races, while control of the Buncombe County commissioners is possibly headed for a recount. Mark Meadows greets supporters at the Hilton on Long Shoals Road. (Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Follow live Twitter coverage of the Asheville-Buncombe League of Women Voters’ forum here, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This forum focuses on the 114th House District (where Rep. Susan Fisher is running unopposed), and the 1st Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District (where Democrats Holly Jones and Brownie Newman are running against Republican Don Guge).
At a worksession this afternoon, July 30, Asheville City Council directed staff to craft a referendum for November’s ballot asking voters to weigh in on a possible transfer of the Asheville water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District. The city is also communicating with MSD, studying the financial impacts of a merger and trying to arrange a meeting with local legislators. (photo by Max Cooper)
It promises to be a busy meeting for Asheville City Council tonight, as it receives the first public report focusing on the evidence room audit. But that’s not all: allowing skateboarding downtown and state legislation on the possible take-over of the city’s water system are also before Council.
Since 1999, North Carolina has funded tobacco-prevention programs with money from the Master Settlement Agreement between 46 states and the tobacco industry. This money was intended to recover tobacco related health care costs and be spent on tobacco-prevention programs. Unfortunately, last year's budget terminated these programs as of June 30. I recently visited the General […]
Today, the N.C. Child Care Coalition commends Gov. Perdue for restoring $43 million in funding to early childhood programs: $18.2 million restores 48 percent of the Smart Start budget and $25 million will restore 77 percent of the N.C. pre-K budget. In addition, the governor made no cuts to child-care subsidies, the desperately needed funding […]
Do you enjoy our beautiful mountains, clean air and water and wonderful wild places? Me too, so I was shocked to find out that some of our legislators want to severely weaken or totally dismantle North Carolina's Air Toxics Program. The General Assembly claims that environmental protections and safeguards cost jobs and hurt businesses, but […]
