Push for more restrictiv­e noise rules goes to Council committee today

A push for more restrictive noise rules throughout the city is making its way to Asheville City Council’s Public Safety Committee this afternoon, March 26. One proposal, from a member of the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods, seeks changes to Asheville’s rules, such as designating singing, musical instruments and “noisy parties” after 10 p.m. as potential nuisances.

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)

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.

City staffer received no complaints about newspaper boxes during past year *UPDATED*

According to the results of an open records request from Xpress, Marsha Stickford, the city of Asheville’s neighborhood coordinator, only received one email about the state of newspaper boxes during the past year, and that wasn’t a complaint. At a Feb. 2 meeting with newspaper publishers discussing possible restrictions on the boxes, Stickford claimed that she received numerous complaints, but couldn’t produce them because she deleted the emails.
(photo by Bill Rhodes)

Sunday open thread

Interstate 40 was cleared, Asheville City Council retreated, the downtown Bank of America closed up, the role of religion was fiercely debated at the Buncombe County Board of Education, Shuler bowed out, the city looked at restricting newspaper boxes, Council headed to East Asheville, and a deal over the Occupy Asheville camp remained out of reach. Whew. It was a busy, busy news week in Asheville.

Impasse over Occupy Asheville camp continues

Last night, Occupy Asheville’s coordinating council agreed on a letter asserting its camp in front of City Hall is “a representation of the people’s natural rights.” While not explicitly rejecting a proposal by Asheville City Council to voluntarily decamp, the letter didn’t accept it either, leaving an impasse over the fate of the camp heading into Council’s Feb. 14 meeting.