City staff had been informed of a “high probability” of a closed valve located on a main water line Jan. 10, 2022, nearly a year before the outage.
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City staff had been informed of a “high probability” of a closed valve located on a main water line Jan. 10, 2022, nearly a year before the outage.
An earlier version of the resolution, which was made public during the May 23 meeting, was withdrawn due to disagreement about its contents.
The red-clad advocates filled the commission chambers and two overflow rooms, with about 25 speaking during the county’s budget hearing. They said the 10.3% increase for both Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools in the proposed $423.6 million fiscal year 2023-24 budget was far below the level needed to meet local education’s needs.
Shared concerns about crime and an understaffed Asheville Police Department fostered an unusual alliance in today’s partisan times. An advocacy group called Asheville Coalition for Public Safety formed in October, bringing together community members of all political stripes who are concerned about crime, mental health, drug use and the unhoused population.
The meeting represents the public’s last opportunity to speak directly to commissioners about the $423.6 million general fund budget proposed for fiscal year 2023-24.
Part 11 of Asheville Watchdog’s “Down Town” series looks at how other cities have confronted mental health issues — with greater success.
As we conclude the “Down Town” series, our Watchdog reporters turn their attention to other cities that have had some success in addressing the challenges we have in common.
Small-business owners recognize that they not only add value but are a driving force behind the popularity of this quirky city.
There’s usually not much time for breaks between calls to step outside or use the bathroom, so workers in the windowless, dark call center basically stay glued to their chairs.
The hearing will offer residents the chance to weigh in on the spending plan, first unveiled May 9.
The $423.6 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2023-24, as presented by County Manager Avril Pinder during the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting May 16, represents a roughly 6.4% increase over the budget adopted last year.
“Here’s the way I look at Asheville: Every 10 years they want to rebuild the wheel,” says downtown resident Kim MacQueen. “It’s a town that’s really comfortable with charrettes.”
In her proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-24, City Manager Debra Campbell wants to give the Asheville Police Department a bump of almost $4 million — an increase of more than 13% over current funding levels.
A study commissioned for the TDA by the Huddle Up Group, a Phoenix-based sports consulting firm, recommends consolidating the sports commission into the tourism body. The TDA already funds the bulk of the commission’s work, at roughly $230,000 per year. (The city of Asheville and Buncombe County each pitch in about $45,000 annually, while UNC Asheville offers its facilities as in-kind contributions.)
The measure had first been discussed publicly by the commissioners in February; at an April meeting, Commissioner Terri Wells said she’d floated the proposal to county staff after hearing complaints from Cherokee County residents about noise and pollution created by the facilities.
With N.C. Republicans in the supermajority, lawmakers from Western North Carolina predict a wave of controversial bills to make their way through the legislature.
According to a presentation available prior to the meeting, the county plans to use a point system to score eligible projects. Points will be awarded for work that would protect a scenic viewshed, preserve water quality and conserve working forests, among other criteria.
If the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners take the BCTDA’s recommendation, owner Dean Whiteford still will owe almost $6,000 in late fees in what was the largest waiver request several board members could remember seeing during their board tenure.
A core group of people are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crimes in and around downtown and the cycle continues because local and state governments have failed to adequately invest in treatment, housing and alternatives to arrest.
The decision comes after an extended back-and-forth between Council and staffers on whether the city could freeze rates for residential customers while still generating the revenue needed for water infrastructure maintenance and other expenses.
Together the projects would bring 281 units of affordable housing online.