The Nov. 1 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will feature a pair of updates on local veterans service providers.
Tag: Buncombe County
Showing 904-924 of 1007 results
Sales-tax hike supporters have big fundraising advantage
Supporters of the referendum to raise Buncombe County’s sales-tax by a quarter-cent to fund capital improvements at A-B Tech have a huge fundraising advantage going into the campaign’s final days.
Buncombe board considers ban of plastic shopping bags
Buncombe County’s Environmental Advisory Board met Friday morning, Oct. 21, to consider the prospects for either reducing or banning the use of plastic shopping bags here, among other initiatives.
Local Matters: Buncombe County Commission tackles ABYSA, CTS
In this edition of the Mountain Xpress’ local news podcast, reporter Jake Frankel talks about the most recent Buncombe County Commission meeting, which saw some contentious public comment and a vote on the lease of several public soccer fields for use by the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association (ABYSA).
Buncombe Commissioners vote to lease soccer fields to ABYSA
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 18 to lease seven soccer fields at the Buncombe County Sports Park in Enka-Candler to the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association.
Local Matters: EPA’s $6.5 million bill for CTS
In this edition of the Mountain Xpress’ local news podcast, Green Scene reporter Susan Andrew discusses the most recent developments at the former site of the CTS plant, including Buncombe County’s decision to postpone demolishing the existing structure and the EPA’s $6.5 million bill for cost incurred thus far.
EPA seeks action, demands CTS and current owners cover costs on proposed Superfund site in Mills Gap
In a letter dated September 13, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency has demanded payment of $6.5 million dollars to cover costs already incurred in its efforts to deal with contaminated ground water and soils near the former CTS of Asheville plant, located on Mills Gap Road in South Asheville. Meanwhile, Buncombe County Commissioners have postponed until November 1 their consideration of a decision to demolish the derelict building at taxpayer expense. Photo: Officials from EPA’s Superfund Branch stand at the gate to the CTS property during a recent sampling trip. Photo by Susan Andrew.
Buncombe County commissioners preview: Playing the field
At its Oct. 18 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider a proposal to lease soccer fields at the Buncombe County Sports Park in Enka-Candler to the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association.
A-B Tech’s quarter-cent sales tax doesn’t sound like much
You know it’s more than just the money we‘re talking about. It’s about making sure we have a healthy local economy. It’s about making sure Buncombe County is a place where business can prosper and people can afford to live. It’s about making sure the leadership in our community is responsive to our needs and […]
Access excess?
What happens when Buncombe County physicians offer free specialty care to uninsured, low-income patients amid a down economy? A deluge. In Buncombe County alone, there were about 38,000 such residents in 2005, according to census data; three years later, that number had swelled to nearly 78,000. And year by year, the county has consistently surpassed […]
CTS property owner appeals condemnation
In an Oct. 6 letter to the Buncombe County Clerk, CTS property owner Mills Gap Road Associates appealed the county’s recent order that the building be demolished, saying that it would continue to cooperate with EPA. That agency is moving to place the property on the National Priorities List, a.k.a. Superfund, which would rank the Mills Gap site among the most contaminated properties in the nation.
Federal trucking safety rules aren’t being enforced, says Jackie Novak
On Oct. 24 last year, an 18-wheeler driven by Rouman Velkov plowed into a line of nine cars on I-26. Jackie Novak lost her son that night, who was in one of those cars. “Jackie Novak’s case is unusual in that it asks the FMCSA to better enforce its own rules and, as an afterthought, [asks it] for money,” writes a trucking-accident attorney.
MSD gives itself high marks in its 2011 performance report
Every day, the Municipal Sewerage District collects and treats — and discharges into the French Broad — an average of 18 million gallons of wastewater, relying on millions of microbes to do what they’ve been doing since the Earth was young: consume organic waste. And every year, the Clean Water Act requires the utility to provide an assessment of how well they’re doing. That report was submitted to DENR August 30; let’s take a look.
Opposition mounts campaign to STOP A-B Tech sales-tax referendum
Opposition is mounting against a Nov. 8 referendum that would pave the way for a 0.25 percent sales-tax increase in Buncombe County to fund $129 million in building improvements at A-B Tech.
Senator says teacher cuts won’t be as bad as predicted; local district doesn’t concur
A state legislator says staff cuts will not be as severe as earlier predictions, but a Buncombe County Schools representative says that view doesn’t jibe with reality.
Buncombe County Register of Deeds responds to WE DO campaign
Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger upheld state law Oct. 3 by denying a marriage license to a number of same-sex couples, including Rev. Kathryn Cartledge and Elizabeth Eve, her partner of 30 years, among others. They were joined by a group of supporters including state House Rep. Patsy Keever and Asheville City Council member Gordon Smith, both of whom Reisinger supported in their respective elections. Later that day, Reisinger posted the following thoughts on his Facebook page
County issues requirements for former CTS facility to escape demolition
The case of the contaminated former CTS facility in Mills Gap has taken a new twist, as Buncombe County last week responded to the property owner’s appeal of its move to demolish the derelict plant building. The county provided property owner Mills Gap Road Associates with a list of measures needed to prevent demolition as scheduled.
CTS owners appeal county decision to condemn derelict plant building in Mills Gap
As Mills Gap residents looked on, an attorney representing the current owner of the former CTS of Asheville plant appealed to local government officials, asking them not to move forward with their plan to demolish the derelict plant building. Attorney Billy Clarke, representing Mills Gap Road Associates, told the presiding officials — County attorneys Kurt Euler and Michael Frue, and County Building Inspector Matt Stone — that the owners want to stabilize the building instead.
Incentive country: Behind an ongoing controversy
With rumors flying about local governments’ closed sessions on economic development (a New Belgium brewery?), government incentives for private business are once again in the news. Whether they’re spat on as “corporate welfare” or lauded as “job creation,” they remain controversial as ever.
Going green
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Sept. 13, 2011 meeting CTS building condemned, demolition planned Grants sought for Mountain Mobility Buncombe County is working to cut energy costs, lower carbon emissions and preserve farmland, various staffers told the Board of Commissioners Sept. 13 in a series of reports on current environmental initiatives. Assistant County Manager Jon […]
Buncombe County government website wins national award
The National Association of Government Webmasters announced its Pinnacle Awards last week, and Buncombe County’s website won the top award.