Asheville’s Transit Committee has asked that the city’s ordinance banning smoking on city transit buses be amended to include e-cigarettes. The item appears under the consent agenda of the March 10 City Council meeting.
The request comes at the heels of a number of complaints of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette vapors from riders of city buses, according to the city. Since e-cigarettes are not lighted tobacco products, they cannot be regulated the same as traditional cigarettes under Chapter 130A of the North Carolina General Statutes.
If approved under the consent agenda, the Vance Monument will be getting a restoration starting in April. The project includes cleaning the granite, replacing all deteriorated chalk, re-pointing mortar, repairing and cleaning all bronze plaques, and cleaning and painting the iron fence surrounding the monument.
The 26th North Carolina, a nonprofit organization designed to commemorate the lives of North Carolina soldiers and civilians during the period of the American Civil War, has raised $115,000 to support the project. The city will contribute $11,000 to prepare the site for work, repair the wrought iron fence, and remove, preserve and replace the existing time capsule located in the base of the monument.
The work is anticipated to take three to four weeks to complete. According to city staff, a construction fence will surround the base of the monument and scaffolding will extend to the full height of the monument. A re-dedication ceremony is anticipated to be held by the 26th North Carolina following the completion of work on May 16.
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.