Asheville City Council returns to remote meetings and here’s how to participate

Press release from the City of Asheville:

For safety and to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, Asheville City Council meetings will return to virtual format and be accessible to the public in accordance with N.C. General Statute § 166A-19.24(f) . This includes the 2:30 p.m. Aug. 24 Council work session on the American Rescue Plan Act and the 5 p.m. Aug. 24 City Council meeting.

Here’s what you need to know to watch/listen and/or to participate in both meetings, which can be accessed through the City’s Virtual Engagement Hub. Please note that public comment is not taken during work sessions.

The agenda is posted at this link.

To watch: You can watch the meeting live through the City’s Virtual Engagement Hub or via the City’s YouTube channel.

By phone: Listen live by calling 855-925-2801, then enter code 2994.

Public comment

Because the upcoming City Council meeting will be a remote participation meeting, and to allow staff time to assist community members in preparing for such a meeting format, persons wishing to speak during the meeting must sign up in advance using this online form, ashevillenc.gov/comments, or call the Clerk’s office at 828-259-5900 no later than 9 a.m. Aug. 24 to add their names to the list of speakers.

Each speaker will need to listen to the meeting through the live phone application by calling 855-925-2801, meeting code 2994. Callers who have signed up to speak should press “*” and then “3” to join the speaker queue during the meeting. To best ensure staff can support you in the case of technical difficulties, we ask that you join the queue no later than the beginning of the agenda item before the agenda item on which you have signed up to speak.

Additionally, if you have joined the speaker queue and need to disconnect before your time to speak, please hit *4 before hanging up. You can then call back in using the same directions listed above and staff will enter you back into the speaker queue if 1) you signed up to speak for the agenda item and 2) public comment is still being accepted for the agenda item.  Each speaker is allotted 3 minutes to speak for up to one hour for each agenda item. The Mayor or presiding officer may, at his/her discretion, increase or decrease this time allocation depending on the number of speakers.

To leave pre-recorded voicemail comments for the agenda (including public hearings) by calling 855-925-2801, enter code 2994.  The deadline to sign up for pre-recorded voicemail comments is 9 a.m. Aug 24.

Email: Please submit written comments for the agenda (including public hearings) by emailing AshevilleCityCouncilAug242021@publicinput.com (*If your email message includes an attachment, please send to this address: ashevillecouncil@ashevillenc.gov and also copy mburleson@ashevillenc.gov).

These remote format City Council meetings are a temporary measure for the health and safety of everyone, as we collectively work through social distancing techniques to prevent the spread of COVID-19, taking into consideration guidance from the CDC, N.C. Department of Health and Human Service and Buncombe County Health and Human Services.

The top priorities are the safety of our community and to slow the spread of COVID-19.

We continue to coordinate City response with Buncombe County and State officials. These actions are all designed with public health in mind, as we pull together to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find a copy of this press release on Asheville City Source.