At the close of business yesterday, no other company had submitted an upset bid to the city of Asheville, so the Asheville Civic Center will now be named the U.S. Cellular Center. The sale of the center’s naming rights, confirmed in a Nov. 22 City Council vote, was a controversial step.
Tag: City of Asheville
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Job fair brings over 2,000 seeking work
More than 2,000 seekers flooded employers at Biltmore Square Mall for the annual Homecoming Job Fair.
Bothwell proposes moving the city of Asheville’s money to local banks
Council member Cecil Bothwell tells Xpress that he’ll propose that the city of Asheville move its funds to local banks, and push to pass such a measure in the coming year.
Photo by Max Cooper
Pelly seeking new committee, increased role for neighborhoods in city
Asheville City Council member Chris Pelly, a longtime neighborhood activist, has proposed the creation of an advisory committee intended to improve communication between the city of Asheville and neighborhoods. The committee may also play a role in resource allocation and the development process.
Proposal for Neighborhood Advisory Committee
In this document, Asheville City Council member Chris Pelly proposes the creation of a Neighborhood Advisory Committee for the city of Asheville.
List reveals who’s assessing candidates for Asheville’s next police chief
A group of seventeen, primarily made up of law enforcement officials and city of Asheville staff, is in the process of evaluating nine finalists for the Asheville Police Department’s next chief. Here’s who they are.
Asheville City Council preview: Of camps, contracts and apartment complexes
At its meeting tonight, Asheville City Council will consider new ordinances — aimed at Occupy Asheville — banning camping on city property; renewing a contract with First Transit to manage the city’s transit system and approval of the Aventine apartment complex just outside the city.
Council will vote on camping ban, aimed at Occupy Asheville
On Dec. 13, Asheville City Council will vote on an ordinance banning camping, storage and enclosed structures on city property. Occupy Asheville protesters are currently encamped in front of City Hall.
Asheville City Council preview: Who’s going to be Vice Mayor?
Asheville City Council will have a short organizational meeting this evening to swear in new members Marc Hunt and Chris Pelly, welcome back Jan Davis for a third term and bid farewell to Brownie Newman and Bill Russell. They’ll also select a Vice Mayor, a position that could be more important than usual in the coming two years.
Emails shine light on city’s reaction to Occupy Asheville
Xpress has obtained 270 emails from city of Asheville staff concerning Occupy Asheville. The emails reveal law enforcement considering their approach to (and surveillance of) the protests as well as city staff and Occupy representatives debating freedom of assembly, among other things. These emails are available to the public in a searchable database.
photo by Bill Rhodes
Asheville city ordinance doesn’t prohibit handing out political fliers
Earlier this month, the Asheville Police Department arrested Helen Roberts for passing out fliers as part of Occupy Asheville, claiming it violated a city ordinance. The charges against Roberts have since been dropped, and City Attorney Bob Oast tells Xpress that the ordinance she was arrested under only deals with commercial activity — not handing out political fliers in public spaces.
Wells Fargo offers to replant ‘Treasured Trees’ cut on Patton Avenue; enviro groups want more
A property manager for Wells Fargo recently told local environmental groups that the bank would plant three young trees to replace the “Treasured Trees” it cut near its new sign on Patton Avenue. Meanwhile, the city and Asheville Greenworks are looking at some changes that could prevent cases like these from happening in the future.
APD Chief: department takes employee’s Facebook comments on Occupy Asheville “very seriously”
Asheville Police Department Interim Chief Wade Wood has released a statement saying that his department takes Facebook comments made by Lynn Fraser, a forensic technician employed by the APD, “very seriously.” Fraser called Occupy Asheville protesters “dirtasses” and said they needed “a hug … around the neck… with a rope.” Melissa Williams, the city’s public information and social media specialist, who commented on Fraser’s status, has offered her apologies.
CIBO meeting tackles Occupy Asheville and other questions
Aggregated Twitter dispatches from this morning’s Council of Independent Business Owners breakfast, which dealt with Occupy Asheville, among other issues.
Wells Fargo on Patton removes “Treasured Tree” that blocked new sign
Asheville-area citizens stand by their trees, as Shannon Tuch, assistant director at the city’s planning department, can confirm. When a contractor for the new Wells Fargo bank branch at Patton and Louisiana Avenues cut down the mature trees blocking the company’s new sign recently, Tuch started hearing “a lot of outrage from the community” regarding the cutting of a designated ‘Treasured Tree.’ Her office prepared a notice of violation tagged to a $2,900 fine against Wells Fargo — only to revoke it when the N.C. Department of Transportation got involved.
City of Asheville seeks community input on hiring new APD Chief
The city of Asheville will hold a series of community input sessions Sept. 8 and 9, seeking input on the hiring of a new chief for the Asheville Police Department. The office is filled by interim Chief Wade Wood, since Chief Bill Hogan retied in May, amidst controversy about missing evidence and the settlement of a harassment lawsuit involving a (still-employed) APD officer.
Who would you appoint to Planning and Zoning? Take our poll
Changes in the city’s rules have left the city of Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission with more power over development than ever before. Because of that, City Council will hold interviews with nine candidates in City Hall on Aug. 23, looking to fill three open seats. Xpress is inviting readers to look at their applications and let us know your top pick.
ACLU: Asheville must protect free speech rights of street preachers
The city of Asheville needs to be careful in any attempts to regulate street preachers at the Bele Chere festival, and any rules must apply to all groups, Katie Parker, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, says. She adds that the current situation, with vocal showdowns between preachers and their opponents “sounds like it’s already working the way it ought to work.”
Photo by Jerry Nelson
City looks into regulating street preachers
The presence of street preachers (and people opposing or arguing with them) is an annual fixture at the Bele Chere festival. Now, after complaints, the city of Asheville is looking into ways to regulate or curb the activity.
Goldsboro-based street preacher Tony Denson, speaking during Bele Chere 2010. Asheville resident Jeremy Carter, in the background, brandished a rainbow flag in protest of Denson’s remarks. Photo by Michael Muller
Omitted email: City staffer believed Bele Chere head would consult with APD about hip-hop act
Sandra Travis, program director for Asheville’s festivals, has denied consulting with the Asheville Police Department before deciding not to book a hip-hop act for the Bele Chere festival. However, a new email reveals that one of Travis’ staff believed otherwise, asserting her boss would consult with the APD “about community temperament.” The city omitted the email from an earlier release to Xpress.
Contentious planning meeting sees tie vote on food trucks in downtown
After a contentious public hearing, Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission couldn’t come to an agreement about proposed rules allowing food trucks in downtown, splitting 3-3 last night. The new rules still go to City Council (after a stop at Council’s Public Safety Commission), probably on Aug. 23, but with a negative recommendation.