Council to hear 2020 census update on Nov. 12

Asheville city seal

Planning and Urban Design Director Todd Okolichany will ask members of Asheville City Council to formalize the city’s role in the 2020 census during their meeting of Tuesday, Nov. 12. A resolution authorizing the 2020 Census Partnership would commit the city to working with the U.S. Census Bureau and state officials to raise overall awareness about the once-a-decade population count and encourage Asheville residents to participate.

According to a presentation available before the meeting, the 2020 census will determine the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funding. The presentation also reports that North Carolina is likely to receive an additional U.S. House representative due to population growth — with the possibility of two new representatives, depending on the census response rate.

Because federal funding for many local government programs is tied to population, Buncombe County is projected to miss out on roughly $1,600 annually for each person who goes uncounted. The county had a 76% response rate during the 2010 census, in line with the state average, but Asheville officials will try to raise participation to 80% next year. The city will join Buncombe’s Complete Count Committee to work alongside county government, area schools and universities, nonprofit and faith communities, business leaders and the media to spread information about the count.

Census mailings are scheduled to be delivered in March of next year, and census officials will begin conducting door-to-door distribution of census forms in July. City staff members plan to provide quarterly reports on the census to Council throughout 2020.

In other business

Council will determine interviewees for seats on the following city boards and commissions: the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Crimestoppers Board, Historic Resources Commission, Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee and Soil Erosion/Stormwater Review Committee.

No public hearings are scheduled for the meeting. Council has no other items of new or unfinished business.

Consent agenda

Council’s consent agenda for the meeting contains nine items, which will be approved as a package unless singled out for separate discussion. Highlights include resolutions to:

  • Authorize the city manager to execute $135,419 worth of contracts with Emergency Solutions Grant recipients and the Asheville-Buncombe Homeless Management Information System to cover expenses for homelessness prevention, rehousing and emergency shelter operations.
  • Adopt a budget amendment of $868,014 to support six additional firefighters with the Asheville Fire Department. Of that funding, $535,275 will come from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, while the city will provide $332,739 in matching funds over the grant’s three-year period.
  • Execute a $4,749,345 contract with Candler-based Tennoca Construction Company for the Haywood Streetscape project, which includes sidewalk rehabilitation, street resurfacing and stormwater and sewer improvements. More than $1.7 million of that funding will be reimbursed by the Buncombe County Metropolitan Sewerage District.

Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. in Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 70 Court Plaza, Asheville. The full meeting agenda and supporting documents can be found here.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.