A bill that would’ve originally allowed Buncombe County and its cities to consolidate parks and recreation departments was revised June 26 in the N.C. Senate to exclude municipalities completely.
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Back to the future: Years ago, Asheville rejected big compensation deals but ideas resurface
As Asheville gears up to file a lawsuit against state legislation that gives control of the city’s water system to the Metropolitan Sewage District, some rejected ideas posed by Buncombe County years ago to provide compensation have resurfaced.
Chamber forum highlights education, economy — with a dash of water *Updated with video*
Not surprisingly, jobs and the economy were premiere topics at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forum on Thursday. But in no time at all, education and local government control — the Asheville water system being the prime example — also bobbed to the top.
The Campaign Trail: A look at what happened this week in local politics
A round up of some of this week’s local political news: Meadows spoke in Tampa and the national conventions loomed large; Asheville stuck with its water referendum; a poll showed Ramsey’s ahead; and more.
The Campaign Trail: A look at what happened this week in local politics
A round up of some of this week’s local political news: McHenry and Keever battle over Medicare but agree on beer. Meadows heads to Tampa but Rogers slams him over education policy. The battle continues over N.C. House District 116. And the Buncombe County commission race gets personal over personnel.
Asheville’s big day in Raleigh
Today at 10 a.m., two major local issues will be discussed in Raleigh: the fate of the Asheville Water System and whether Mission Hospital will continue to operate under the only Certificate of Public Advantage in the state.
Asheville Downtown Association releases video presentation about water system
The Asheville Downtown Association has released a video of the presentation Joe Minicozzi gave at the Feb. 20 Mountain Voices Alliance water system forum. The presentation lasts 6 minutes and 19 seconds. Topics include differential water rates, local representation on the Metropolitan Sewerage/Water System Committee, and more.
Flashback: A little history about timbering in local watersheds
In a March 12 Asheville Citizen-Times article, Rep. Moffitt suggests, “Selective timbering under the auspices of a professional arborist is the best thing for a watershed.” Moffitt chairs a state committee that’s considering stripping the city of Asheville of the water system, creating a new regional authority to own and manage the system, handing it off to the Metropolitan Sewerage District, or leaving things the way they are. Here’s a flashback at the controversy over a late-1980s clear-cutting contract in the 21,000-acre North Fork Reservoir watershed.
(A file photo of clear-cut logging at the North Fork Reservoir in the late 1980s.)
Hands off! Residents, officials give legislators an earful over water system
Asheville City Council members and manager talk with a Henderson County commissioner at the WNC Agricultural Center for a Feb. 21 public hearing. (photo by Bill Rhodes)
Public gives legislators an earful on water system
The public weighed in on the fate of the city’s water system today, Feb. 23, with the majority telling a study group of four legislators that the utility should remain in the city’s hands. (In this photo, Asheville City Manager Gary Jackson and City council members Jan Davis, Esther Manheimer and Chris Pelly talk with Henderson County Commissioner Charles Messer. Photo by Bill Rhodes)
LIVE: Coverage of Mountain Voices Alliance water-system forum
Tonight, Feb. 20, Mountain Voices Alliance is hosting an open forum about the future of the Asheville-Buncombe water system from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Jubilee! in downtown Asheville (46 Wall St.). For live dispatches via Twitter, follow staff reporter @MaryCaitlinByrd or #avlh2o or click through for a live feed and streaming video.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Barry Summers (right) and Rep. Tim Moffitt discuss issues during a break at the forum.
Flooded with interest: Water-system forum attracts more than 200 *UPDATED with video*
A sacred topic attracted more than 200 people who crammed into the pews of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church on Monday night: the Asheville water system. Hosted by the Asheville-Buncombe League of Women Voters (and co-sponsored by Mountain Xpress and Urban News), the Feb. 13 forum served as an informational session to the public about the water system, its history and its possible future. These are the highlights.
Water torture
Mere months before the many-headed Hydra that is the Regional Water Agreement is scheduled to expire, the central questions remain: Will Asheville and Buncombe County negotiate a settlement tying up all the loose ends? Will their lawyers wind up duking it out in court? Or will the General Assembly, like some legislative deus ex machina, […]