An e-mail exchange released by Asheville City Council member Bill Russell reveals new details about how a proclamation recognizing the Oct. 1 Blue Ridge Pride festival made it onto Council’s agenda for its Sept. 27 meeting. In the exchange, Mayor Terry Bellamy, who has not given the festival a standard mayoral proclamation, notes that she will place it on the new business portion of the agenda. Russell says he hoped for a standard proclamation instead of a contentious vote.
Tag: government
Showing 736-756 of 772 results
Asheville City Council faces showdown over Blue Ridge Pride proclamation
City proclamations aren’t typically a point of controversy, but the Asheville City Council meeting tomorrow, Sept. 27, will see an exception. A proclamation recognizing the Blue Ridge Pride festival is on the New Business portion of the agenda, as Mayor Terry Bellamy refused to endorse it.
Asheville City Council candidate interview: Lael Gray
In the latest installment of our ongoing series of interviews with Asheville City Council candidates, David Forbes talks to Lael Gray about issues ranging from transit to development and police accountability. Audio from the interview included.
Asheville City Council Candidate interview: Mark Cates
In this installment of our ongoing series of interviews with candidates for Asheville City Council, Jake Frankel interviews Mark Cates on issues facing the city. In addition to an edited transcript, this post includes audio of the conversation.
It’s official: New Belgium looking at Asheville expansion
For weeks, Asheville has seen rumors swirl that New Belgium is considering the city for a new brewery and looking for economic development incentives. Today, Sept. 22, City Council member Jan Davis publicly confirmed the rumors at a Council of Independent Business Owners forum. He tells Xpress that while he welcomes the company, he’s skeptical about the need for incentives.
LIVE: Asheville City Council candidates make their pitch to CIBO
Eight candidates for three open seats on the Asheville City Council make their pitch to the Council of Independent Business Owners today, Sept. 22, starting at noon. Follow live dispatches on Twitter at @avlelect.
City Council candidates meet voters at LWV forum
Seven of the eight candidates running for three Asheville City Council seats attended a Sept. 20 meet-and-greet sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County.
Asheville City Council candidate interview: Marc Hunt
Caitlin Byrd interviews Asheville City Council candidate Marc Hunt on issues facing the city.
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.
What the truck?
Proposed rules allowing food trucks downtown once again dominated the agenda during Asheville City Council’s Sept. 13 meeting. After a lengthy public hearing and contentious debate, Council members had narrowly approved the move Aug. 23 on a 4-3 vote. Because of that slim margin, however, the city's development guidelines required a second reading. Proponents of […]
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.
Asheville City Council candidate interview: Saul Chase
In this, the first of an ongoing series, Caitlin Byrd interviews Asheville City Council candidate Saul Chase on issues facing the city. Xpress will run an interview with a different candidate every day this week. UPDATED with audio.
New Belgium, soybeans and a flashback to 1998
I have two pressing questions today: How did I get on the email list of the United Soybean Board, and is a deal with New Belgium Brewing the latest economic-development incentive package being discussed in closed session by both the Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners?
Mountain Xpress multimedia grant proposal
Last month, the City of Asheville issued a request for proposals for Community Media Development Initiatives, with the winning project(s) receiving $120,000 over a three-year period. Xpress was one of nine groups to participate in this process, and was selected earlier this week as one of the two finalists. Here is the complete text of our proposal submission.
Ponderwell, Xpress finalists for city community media proposal ***UPDATED 12:41 p.m.***
The city of Asheville has named two finalists for its request for proposals for community media: Web development-and-design firm Ponderwell and media outlet Mountain Xpress. Here’s all the submitted proposals, including those two.
Postal Service studies cost-cutting measures, regional company concerned
The U.S. Postal Service is studying ways to reduce costs and one of those cuts might mean closing the mail-processing facility on Brevard Road that employs almost 200 people. That and other cuts have a Western North Carolina company — Mail Management Services — worried.
Forrester stands by “cesspool of sin” comment; insults Wilmington, Chapel Hill too
State Sen. James Forrester, one of the main sponsors of the proposed anti-same sex marriage amendment, is standing by his remarks calling Asheville “a cesspool of sin,” according to a report from M2M radio. Forrester also dubbed Asheville, Chapel Hill and Wilmington as competitors for “the worst place in the state.”
Asheville City Council passes rules allowing food trucks downtown 5-2
Back for a second reading before Asheville City Council, new rules allowing food trucks downtown passed 5-2 this evening, Sept. 13. Passage of the new rules clears the way for up to 10 food trucks to begin operating in Asheville’s core district.
Actions taken at the the Sept. 13 meeting of the Buncombe Commissioners
Here’s a list of actions taken at the Sept. 13 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.
LIVE: Follow Asheville City Council’s Sept. 13 meeting at #avlgov
With the second vote on allowing food trucks in downtown Asheville, City Council members have a full agenda for today’s Sept. 13 meeting. For live dispatches from Senior News Reporter David Forbes, look here, or follow #davidforbes or #avlgov on Twitter.