Commissioners approve funding to extend public transit, get Land of Sky Regional Council update, & more

Press release from Buncombe County Government:

Commissioners received an annual update from the Land of Sky Regional Council that touched on multiple projects. The Council’s goal is to provide creative regional solutions to current and emerging issues in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties. Some highlights of the presentation included: Council staff manage more than 50 state and federal contracts, 5,300 nursing home beds, hundreds of volunteers, and is accountable for over $5 million on an annual basis. Council staff leverage more than 50 state, federal, and foundation grants and local contracts to develop and implement priority programs and services, in collaboration with member governments and partner agencies. Work with multiple agencies and employers to help meet their workforce needs while helping job seekers and youth find rewarding career pathways. You can view the entire report here. Transit extension for Leicester Highway The County will be helping the City of Asheville extend the Leicester Highway bus route and fund another route that services east Buncombe County ending in Black Mountain. Commissioners approved rescinding a $172,915 portion of the suballocated Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 Program grant funds to support the WE1 and Route 170 routes for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. You can learn more here. Lake Eden rezoning A request to rezone one parcel of land in Lake Eden from residential to conference resort district was unanimously approved. The 48.67-acre tract of land is located on Lake Eden Road next to Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain. County Planning staff and the Planning Board found the use to be consistent with the nearby area. You can see a map of the rezoned parcel here and read more about the rezoning here. Rate adjustment for transportation agreement Commissioners approved a shared service mile rate with the City of Asheville of $3.20 per shared service mile. The County provides ADA Complementary Paratransit Services for the City under an automatically renewing agreement. That arrangement currently includes a contract billing rate of $2.38 per shared service mile. The contract allows for this billing rate as it is less than the operating contract rate per mile paid by the County to the operating contractor. You can read more about the agreement here. Board reports Commissioners approved adding a new segment to regular meeting agendas that will allow each member to give a brief report on the County-appointed committees they represent. Each Commissioner will have a three-minute window to share updates from their boards and commissions. The board reports will happen at the end of the Commissioners’ regular meetings. You can read more here.