While current city ordinances place some restrictions on panhandling, in most instances it is a legal means of making money. Bill Davis, spokesperson for Asheville Police Department, says police had received 95 calls for panhandling this year as of Aug. 17, the majority of which were requests for wellness checks out of concern for those in need.
Before the noise ordinance was passed last September, most noise complaints were called in to the Asheville Police Department nonemergency line. While APD still handles nighttime noise complaints and those that might come with safety risks, the city’s Development Services Department resolved 71% of complaints over the past year.
This installment of WTF explains what regional councils are and what they do by exploring the impact of Western North Carolina’s Land of Sky Regional Council on the area.
Rural northern Buncombe County is the first area in the county to see the result of the American Rescue Plan Act’s quest to expand reliable broadband access. Buncombe is one of 81 NC counties that have received state funding to improve internet service.
The event, hosted by Explore Asheville, featured presentations on the tensions between the cost and benefits of Asheville’s increased visitations.
Buncombe behavioral health manager Victoria Reichard noted that the county has received roughly $2 million of a more than $16 million lawsuit settlement, negotiated with pharmaceutical companies over their role in the opioid epidemic, this fiscal year. Of those funds, a county team has recommended about $518,000 in immediate spending.
Xpress takes stock of the current school boards and examines the challenges that lie ahead for their future representatives
Federal Treasury data shows that about half of the American Rescue Plan Act funds spent in WNC counties has been used on staff salaries. Nearly $98 million is still available to be allocated.
More than a year after the waters have receded, less than half of state funds assigned to help those in need have been allocated for specific work. That’s according to a presentation by the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management slated to come before the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Sept. 20.
The lanes are slated to be installed along sections of College Street and Patton Avenue, with both routes terminating at Pritchard Park. The city is prepared to accept bids for the project, which should be ready for installation later in the month.
The funding represents the final amount needed for the $30 million project, which has been under development since 2011. The money will go toward constructing 5 miles of greenway along the French Broad River and Beaverdam Creek, as well as park facilities and a wave feature for whitewater enthusiasts.
On top of the $1.3 million Asheville paid to sponsor the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the public tourism board spent more than $70,000 in expenses that included catering and travel for their staff, board members and guests, nearly $25,000 on Asheville-branded beer coozies, and more than $1,000 on floral arrangements.
The forum, hosted by the Council of Independent Business Owners, gave the candidates the opportunity to stake out their positions on a range of issues central to Buncombe County residents.
About 100 people attended the Sept. 8 event — the first of its kind hosted by the Asheville Area Riverfront Redevelopment Commission — at New Belgium Brewing Co. The gathering was prompted by recent reports on the French Broad River’s economic importance and bacterial contamination.
The county may offer reduced monthly parking passes in its Coxe Avenue parking deck, cutting the monthly cost to rent a space in that garage from $85 to $40 for employees who work within about a mile of Pack Square.
The U.S. Open winds to a close this weekend in New York, and among those attending in the luxury suites at the tennis Grand Slam event will be more than two dozen Buncombe County VIPs – courtesy of the public tourism board and $1.3 million in local tax money.
The NC-11 race is heating up as Republican State Sen. Chuck Edwards and Democratic challenger Jasmine Beach-Ferrara head into the fall election.
Mayor Esther Manheimer and climate change consultant Maggie Ullman Berthiaume have raised the most campaign funds so far in this year’s race for Asheville city government positions, according to reports filed by candidates’ campaigns. Manheimer had raised $19,550 as of mid-July, while Berthiaume had taken $29,442 in donations.
Six years after a 196-unit development on the Elk Mountain ridgeline in Woodfin was abandoned following public dissent, a new project on the same site will likely come before the Woodfin planning board Tuesday, Oct. 4.
The presentation, available on the Board of Commissioners agenda prior to the Sept. 6 meeting, focuses on the nearly $3.75 million awarded from the county’s early childhood education fund in fiscal year 2021-2022. Across 21 funded projects, according to the presentation, 71% of goals were met, with most shortfalls coming in enrollment, attendance and staffing targets.
According to the city’s website, the plan, being drafted by Winston-Salem-based consultant AECOM for $95,000, “will incorporate all new additions of policies and resolutions while creating a roadmap on how to accomplish adopted goals” for sustainability and climate through 2030.
