Tonight, Feb. 13, the Asheville-Buncombe County League of Women Voters hosts a 7-9 p.m.forum to discuss the future of the local water system. See below for a live video feed and dispatches via Twitter from the forum, held from 7-9 p.m. at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (789 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville).
Last year, the North Carolina legislature appointed a study committee that is considering future options for the system. The committee — chaired by Rep. Tim Moffitt, who represents part of southern Buncombe County — has hosted one hearing in Raleigh on the issue and plans to host a local one next week, Thursday, Feb. 23. A coalition of Asheville businesses, City Council members and neighborhood representatives will host a meeting on the issue next Monday, Feb. 20.
According to the League’s press release, “The purpose of the forum is to provide the public with reliable, factual information about the water system, its history, its future options, and the overall legislative process that is guiding its status.”
For more background on the issue, including a short history of the system, see the Mountain Xpress article “Water Torture” (March 23, 2005). For the League’s full press release, click here.
Like all League forums, the Feb. 13 forum will be nonpartisan, free, and open to the public. The forum is cosponsored by the weekly Mountain Xpress and the monthly Urban News newspapers. For more information please contact the League at 828-252-8569.
Live video stream of the event:
Video produced by Davyne Dial and John Blackwell for the Asheville-Buncombe County League of Women Voters
Photos by Jake Frankel shot and posted via iPhone
Wow! What a four star evening. What a fantastic evening for our past and present leadership here in Asheville, N.C. home of grassroots Claxton #3 precinct. We are enjoying now the fruits of their best efforts: our past mayors everyone of them is up to the task of advocating truthfully for our city. Thank you to our Republican neighbor, whom I am beginning, as a yellow dog democrat, to fall in “like” with. I was especially proud of Mayor Bellamy distillation of the issues and her tenacity in returning to the microphone, let’s show some respect here. Mayor Sitnik, as is her trademark , hit the mark squarely when raising the question of the validity, in February 2012, of the Sullivan Act(s) as written in the 1930’s and henceforh amended twice and debated every decade for 70 years. Ofcourse Mayor Martin was stellar in his delivery as the panel enjoyied a supporting cast of participants in a all together brief and dazzling glimpse of an authentic democratic process. For any student or scholar of government, civics, local mountain history, our Water Authority, WNC’s economic potential and future growth attendance at forthcoming meetings covering these issues of local and immediate consequence is a must. Did you know that the REPUBLICAN state legisllator from Henderson County is a card carrying member of The Sierra Club? And, he didn’t burst into flames standing aside State Senator Martin Nesbitt. Perhaps tonight portends a good omen, that We The People can work together LOCALLY , and remedy the problems which are of our making, by ourselves. Thank You League Of Women Voters!
You’re quite welcome. I’ll have a link to better quality video of the whole forum for folks to view on demand, in a day or two. Will post follow up links.