Later today: Commissioners deliberate on funding for YMCA, Mountain Mobility

County commissioners will convene today, Oct. 21, to consider two financial decisions related to county and city institutions.

The first concerns the Buncombe County Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Western North Carolina, which is seeking financial assistance for various upgrades and improvement projects, by way of Wisconsin: The organization is seeking the proceeds of a bond issuance by the State of Wisconsin’s Public Finance Authority, a “unit of government and a body corporate and politic of the State of Wisconsin,” whose issuance will not exceed $10,300,000 dollars. Commissioners have to approve the bonds for the local YMCA to benefit from them.

The YMCA is planning to use the funds to, among other things, “finance and refinance the costs of constructing, equipping and improving recreational facilities located at 30 Woodfin St. in Asheville,” “refund the outstanding principal amount of The Buncombe County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority Tax-Exempt Adjustable Mode Recreational Facilities Revenue Bonds,” “refinance certain existing indebtedness of the YMCA,” “finance a portion of the cost of interest for the Bonds,” and “pay certain expenses in connection with the issuance of the Bonds by the Authority.”

The bonds won’t create a debt for Buncombe County or North Carolina; their issuance in such a case, however, has to be approved “by the governing body or highest ranking executive or administrator of the political jurisdiction within whose boundaries a project is located” — in this case, the Buncombe County commissioners — to comply with Wisconsin State statutes.

The second item concerns a grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rural Operating Assistance Program (ROAP) funds. The grant provides funding to Mountain Mobility, Buncombe County’s community transport system. The proposal foresees a 14 percent drop in funding due to state cutbacks, which is equivalent to approximately 10,000 trips, according to county documents.

A public hearing, scheduled for today, invites local input regarding the proposed use of these grant funds for transportation. ROAP funds accounted for over 404,000 dollars of transportation costs, for a variety of uses, as listed here. This year’s proposed funding level is just under 300,000 dollars.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

Commissioners will also be considering two rezoning applications. The first is for a parcel on Old Haywood Road, which would be rezoned from Residential to Commercial Service.

The second concerns a parcel owned by Keith Roberts, who owned the miszoned piece of property that was a point of contention at the Sept. 16 meeting.  Roberts, whose property is in the formerly Weaverville Extraterritorial Jurisdiction, which the county now has authority over, applied for a rezoning with Weaverville in January. However, this recent change was not relayed to county officials. He asked for the zoning to be changed at commissioners’ Sept. 16 meeting due to a $2.5 million sale contract that might have been jeopardized. But on advice from county attorneys and planners, commissioners denied the request, saying that the problem could be pushed through the Planning and Zoning Commission very quickly and resolved at the next commissioners meeting. The P&Z commission will convene today, Oct. 20, to consider the request.

In “New Business,” commissioners will be deliberating on a funding request from Pisgah Legal Services, and possibly approving extended hours for the Register of Deeds office. Commissioners will also be making appointments to the Regional Airport Authority, the Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee, the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee, the County Board of Adjustment and the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board.

Commissioners will meet at 4:30 pm at 200 College St., Room 326.