Buncombe County Commissioners preview: Budget vote and URTV bailout?

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has a lot on its agenda ahead of its summer break.

At this week’s June 15 meeting, the board will vote on the county’s $327 million budget proposal for the fiscal year 2010-11, consider a plan to allocate $600,000 towards a new Pharmacy School Initiative at UNC Asheville, and review a report on the status of the WNC Community Media Center, which operates public-access station URTV.

Unless additional funding is received, the Media Center has announced that it will cease operations in September. Several URTV producers spoke out on behalf of the struggling station at the commissioners’ last meeting, and Executive Director Pat Garlinghouse predicts that they’ll come out in even more force to ask the commissioners for help on June 15.

“The producers are probably going to be at the next meeting; they’re going to be a little upset,” she says.

For more on the URTV situation, see “Broke” in the June 9 issue of Xpress.

The commissioners will also consider granting a 0 percent interest loan of $192,000 to a work force housing project, which is meant to go towards providing affordable housing to low to moderate income families.

The commissioners also plan to present Buncombe Green Awards to several local businesses who demonstrate sustainable practices, including Rosetta’s Kitchen, Advantage Printing and Astral Buoyancy Company.

The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 15, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 30 Valley St. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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