Counting on Council to do the right thing with appointments

The citizens of Asheville count on City Council, and the people they appoint to boards and commissions, to serve the public interest with fairness and objectivity. While Council members are vetted through the grueling electoral process, members of commissions like Planning and Zoning go through a relatively light screening and merely need four votes to land a seat on a very powerful government body.

This process broke down last month, and Council appointed a person to Planning and Zoning who was later found to have a major conflict of interest that she did not disclose. This conflict involves her husband being a principle investor in the Deal Buick site, a development in north Asheville, that has been and will likely again be a very contentious issue. The Planning and Zoning Commission will play a major role in the zoning and/or review of any future development on that site, as it has in the past. Unfortunately, this applicant failed to disclose this past or current involvement to Council, either in her application or during the interviews.

Even assuming that this was an innocent mistake, it still represents a disturbing turn from the premise that people who have major financial interests hinging on government approvals simply shouldn't be on the very government bodies that do the approving. Planning and Zoning, especially, will likely gain even more authority in development decisions as the Downtown Master Plan is implemented later this year. Given the history of controversial development issues that have divided Asheville, one would hope that City Council would strive to create an atmosphere of trust and accountability on this very important Commission.

City Council can and should revisit this appointment before it takes effect in early April.

— Barry Summers
Asheville

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.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

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.

2 thoughts on “Counting on Council to do the right thing with appointments

  1. Jake

    Hear, hear! I might add that Ms Shriner’s resume provided no indication that she possesses the analytical skills needed by an effective P&Z commissioner. I think Mr. Summers is being kind in the manner that he questions her appointment.

    The City Council has an opportunity to get this right, and I encourage them all to do it, pronto.

  2. Doug Gibson

    I agree with this letter. I don’t think it would hurt anyone to go through the process again. And there’s an enormous benefit to getting it right in terms of transparency and accountability.

Leave a Reply to Doug Gibson ×

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.