2026-09-22 - City Council

00:02All right. Good evening, everyone. Uh,

00:04welcome to the Asheville City Council

00:06meeting.

00:08It's very um cheery in the chamber

00:10tonight, like a like a dinner party. Um,

00:12if everyone could just take a moment to

00:14silence their cell phones.

00:17Um, uh, if you haven't already signed up

00:20to speak, you can do so at any time by

00:22going out in the hall and, uh, talking

00:24to our assistant clerk, and they will

00:27sign you up to speak on tonight's

00:28agenda.

00:30Um, if you would please rise for the

00:32pledge of allegiance.

00:39>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

00:42United States of America and to the

00:45republic for which it stands, one nation

00:48under God, indivisible, with liberty and

00:52justice for all.

00:54Tonight,

00:57uh, our councilwoman Maggie Olman is in

01:00New York City for climate week, uh,

01:02where she is participating in the

01:05conferences that are happening up there.

01:06So, she is not able to join us tonight.

01:09All right. Um, tonight we don't have any

01:12proclamations on our agenda. We do have

01:15a consent agenda. And before I

01:19move to the consent agenda, I will read

01:21our chamber decorum statement. Members

01:24of the public attending council meetings

01:26or addressing the council shall abide by

01:28the following rules. Everyone shall

01:30follow the instructions of the mayor or

01:31any other presiding officer or official

01:34and shall refrain from impeding or

01:36interrupting the conduct of business.

01:38This shall include but not be limited to

01:40clapping, yelling, or other audio

01:41expressions of approval or disapproval

01:43of comments made during the meeting.

01:45Persons addressing the council are

01:47expected to observe the decorum of the

01:49chamber, to be respectful of the council

01:51and the public, to refrain to refrain

01:53from the use of profanity or foul

01:55language, to refrain from personal

01:57attacks and commentary on candidates for

01:59political office, and to refrain from

02:02making disclosures prohibited by the

02:03Personnel Privacy Act with respect to

02:05any city employee. Failure to abide by

02:08these rules may subject you to removal

02:10from the council chambers.

02:13All right, council. Um, do I have a

02:15motion to adopt the consent agenda?

02:18>> So moved.

02:19>> Second.

02:19>> All right, I have a motion and second. I

02:21don't have anyone signed up to speak

02:22under the consent agenda. Any questions?

02:25If not, all those in favor, please say

02:27I. Any opposed? All right, that is a six

02:31to zero approval of the consent agenda.

02:35>> Next, we have um presentations and

02:37reports, and I'll turn it over to the

02:38city manager, DK Wesley, for that.

02:41>> Thank you, mayor. Um, tonight in

02:43remembrance of uh, Tropical Storm Helen,

02:47which impacted our community on

02:50September 27th, 2024,

02:53uh, we're going to veer away from our

02:55normal quarterly update and we're going

02:57to have a video for you all.

02:59>> Uh, so Dan will get that set up.

03:06It's hard to believe it's been 2 years

03:08already and I think there's been a lot

03:10of of healing and rebuilding and growth

03:14in that that time. As we move forward

03:17together from Helen, the voices of our

03:19community guide our recovery and future

03:21resilience. Two years later, we honor

03:24the community and spirit that guides us

03:26on our shared path.

03:28I think the [music] city's openness to

03:30really try to hear the stories to hear

03:32what the lessons were, the things that

03:34both are in the purview of the city and

03:37[music] what city the city can directly

03:39address and their role as part of this

03:41beautiful community. It's easier [music]

03:43to want someone else to do it for us.

03:45But I think what we learned from Helen

03:47is that there are times where we have to

03:48operate in partnership with local

03:50government. [music] City Council

03:52appointed Helen Recovery Boards composed

03:54of community members with diverse

03:56experience were established soon after

03:58the storm as a way to continuously

03:59[music] gather community feedback and

04:01participation essential to our recovery.

04:04>> I think what a lot of these recovery

04:05boards are able to do is [music] to dive

04:07deeper into these issues in a public

04:10format. Get feedback from the public

04:13really on how do we make some [music] of

04:16these hard decisions. Helen's

04:18devastation to our city's economy,

04:20infrastructure, housing, environment,

04:22and people was [music] clear. But what

04:24became even more clear is Asheville's

04:26determination to turn tragedy into

04:28opportunity. We've had [music] to

04:30balance the speed and urgency of

04:33recovering from a catastrophic event

04:36with the need to be thoughtful and

04:38intentional [music] about how we spend

04:39money. While folks can feel some fatigue

04:42around the reality of like how much work

04:45it takes, I think people are [music]

04:47still wanting to be really thoughtful

04:49about how they think about the road

04:51forward. Infrastructure investment

04:53[music]

04:54lays the foundation for our resilience

04:55and recovery. 55 infrastructure

04:58projects, including everything from

04:59parks [music] to roadways and water

05:01lines, are in progress as we repair and

05:03rebuild.

05:05This September, our [music] vital

05:07spillway fuse gate was fully restored

05:09and returned to service, allowing our

05:11reservoir to safely reach full capacity.

05:14And the removal of more than 6,500 tons

05:17of natural debris from the wershed

05:19around North Fork Reservoir [music]

05:21further improves water quality as

05:23essential investment in our water system

05:25continues.

05:26>> Massive investments [music]

05:27going to be made at the water treatment

05:28facility at Northfork and William de

05:30Brule. Specifically, they're going to

05:34eliminate the super turbid water through

05:36treatment plant [music] improvements.

05:39Secondly, we are going to lay a new

05:41[music] alternate transmission main from

05:43North Fork outside of the river valley.

05:49Road recovery [music]

05:50following over 135 infrastructure damage

05:53assessments includes repairs of roads

05:56and bridges, installation [music] of

05:57guardrails, sidewalk repair, road

06:00striping, and sign and [music] light

06:01installations to help us move more

06:03safely around the city. While we push

06:05forward [music] with citywide repairs to

06:07address storm water infrastructure and

06:09landslide damage, our city parks

06:12continue to serve residents as we

06:14reimagine our shared outdoor spaces to

06:16ensure [music] they're enjoyable and

06:18resilient for years to come.

06:20>> We have some incredible teams that are

06:22working on the planning [music] and

06:23design. And I think what we're going to

06:25see as these parks are rejuvenated is

06:28something way beyond what we saw before

06:31that will be a legacy and a benefit to

06:33[music] the entire community for

06:34generations to come.

06:36>> We also continue to build on the legacy

06:38[music] of neighbors helping neighbors.

06:40>> After Helen, we heard people being able

06:44to tell these amazing stories of being

06:46completely connected to being able to

06:48bring their best to the community and

06:50their unique [music] skills and

06:51strengths. The city of Asheville is

06:53investing more than 2 million federal

06:55disaster recovery [music] dollars in a

06:57community hub network supporting a

06:59system of trusted places, programs, and

07:02strategies that will bring Asheville

07:03together in emergencies and [music]

07:05beyond. It's how we now are oriented to

07:08do things uh going forward. And [music]

07:10that's out of that destruction has kind

07:14of emerged a creativity and an

07:16inspiration to approach how we [music]

07:19are together really differently. Those

07:21connections are evident in the small

07:23business support program [music] making

07:25$15.5 million available to businesses

07:28that help define and employ Asheville.

07:31Acting quickly early was very important

07:33[music]

07:33to sustaining the business community

07:36because in the absence of that we could

07:39have lost a lot of the [music] small

07:40business fabric of the Asheville

07:42community. businesses like Asheville's

07:45own [music] Second Gear, one of 70 small

07:47businesses to get relief support.

07:49>> The funding and support that we [music]

07:51received right after the storm and then

07:53ongoing was absolutely essential. We

07:55would not have been able to return

07:57without it.

07:58>> Russ and his team were not only able to

08:00stay in [music] business, but to provide

08:02jobs and an economic lifeline for their

08:04employees and patrons.

08:06>> We didn't lose [music] any staff. that

08:08was really important to give them a

08:09place to come back to and to give them

08:12an opportunity to continue to [music]

08:13earn and grow.

08:14>> As we're recognizing two years, seeing

08:17just [music] how many of our businesses

08:19are back open is incredible and is

08:22really a testament to those business

08:24owners and the support that our

08:26community has for our small businesses.

08:28[music]

08:28>> And while that support helps make

08:30Asheville strong, it is our people that

08:32remain [music] our greatest strength.

08:35Nearly $18 million of disaster [music]

08:37relief funds allocated to three major

08:39multif family developments will mean

08:41that more than 330 Asheville families

08:44will be able to secure affordable

08:45[music] housing. With over 22 million

08:48disaster relief fund dollars allocated

08:50to [music] single family home repair,

08:52more than 50 families like Velma Chapman

08:55will be able to continue to call

08:56Asheville home.

08:58>> Gratefulness [music] is what I feel

09:01that all of this came about.

09:04And I'm in the same neighborhood that I

09:06was in before,

09:08just in a new house. I love my

09:12neighborhood. I love my neighbors. I

09:14have neighbors that are concerned

09:16[music] about me, check on me. We check

09:19on each other. I'm [music] just grateful

09:22to be in this neighborhood. Asheville

09:24continues to demonstrate grit,

09:26determination, creativity, and community

09:29as we meet [music] the challenges of

09:30recovering with compassion and

09:32intention. We continue [music] to trust

09:35each other and have transparency and

09:37communication. [music] And so I'm really

09:40hopeful um for the future of Asheville

09:43because of the the bonds that we've

09:45formed having shared that experience

09:47>> and to actually come out the other side

09:50and see that we can make the city even

09:52stronger, [music] our community even

09:54more cohesive has been really impactful

09:56and a joy to witness and be a part of.

10:11>> [applause]

10:15>> We need to recognize Dan for his and his

10:17team for this work.

10:20>> Yeah. So, um we decided uh only a few

10:24days ago that we would do this in lie of

10:26a a presentation. So, staff really

10:28really worked to pull it together and

10:29our community members who uh supported

10:32creating this. We want to show

10:33appreciation to them as well. Thank you.

10:39>> Okay, so that concludes the manager's

10:41report.

10:43Um, all right. We have one public

10:46hearing on our agenda for tonight and

10:47that is a public hearing on the

10:49substantial amendment to the home ARP

10:51allocation plan and we're going to hear

10:53from James Shelton.

11:03Good evening, Mayor, City Council, City

11:05Man. Good to see y'all. Uh, this is a

11:07public hearing on the proposed

11:10substantial amendment to our home art

11:13allocation plan. Um, am I driving? May.

11:17>> Yes.

11:17>> Great. Thank you. Um, so let's talk a

11:20little bit of remind ourselves what is

11:21the home ARC program? And I'm sorry I'm

11:24still up in a little bit of my feels

11:25from the presentation a minute ago. was

11:27a lot that we've been through in the

11:29last two years. Um, this program, not

11:33dissimilar to our recovery efforts from

11:35Helen, was allocated to the city for our

11:38recovery efforts from COVID, the prior

11:41national emergency we were dealing with.

11:44It was appropriated from Congress in

11:462021 as part of a $5 billion

11:48appropriation to the home investment

11:51partnerships program American Rescue

11:53[clears throat] Plan program to address

11:55the need for homelessness assistance and

11:57supportive services. I want to remind us

11:59that this is not ARPA. ARPA funds were

12:02very different than this though they

12:04were appropriated as part of the same

12:06congressional action. These funds were

12:09attached to the vehicle that is the home

12:11program and the city of Asheville is the

12:13lead entity for the Asheville Regional

12:15Housing Consortium who is our governing

12:17body uh for the home program which is an

12:20affordable housing investment program.

12:21We get about a million dollars each year

12:23uh through that program. The the ARHC

12:26the consortium consists of counties and

12:29municipalities across our four county

12:31area which is Madison, Bunkham,

12:32Henderson and Transennsylvania counties.

12:35and we received that $1 million through

12:37the city of Asheville and we allocate

12:38that to projects across that entire

12:41area.

12:43Back in 2021, we received a one-time

12:45$4.7 million allocation through the home

12:48ARC program and those funds must be

12:51fully invested by August 2030. That is a

12:54long time timeline. It's even longer

12:57than the CDBGDR program. Um, I think the

13:00reason that that timeline is longer than

13:02the DR program, which is six years to

13:05spend the funds down, this was a new

13:08program that was never really been done

13:10before to attach a supportive emergency

13:13response funding mechanism on top of the

13:15home program vehicle. So, HUD understood

13:18that it was going to take communities a

13:19long time to get this thing moving. And

13:21here we are about 5 years later looking

13:23to amend our plan given the change in

13:26our housing environment over the last

13:28few years particularly following Helen

13:30as we just talked about

13:33per the approved Asheville Regional

13:35Housing Consortium Home ARP allocation

13:38plan. The funds were allocated as

13:40follows. A little more than $3 million

13:42would were put towards the development

13:44of affordable rental housing, which

13:46consists of funding for construction

13:49acquisition or rehabilitation for

13:51affordable rental housing units.

13:54And a $1 million was allocated for

13:56supportive services to help with case

13:58management, mental health support

14:01services, and substance abuse services.

14:06Rental and financial assistance is an

14:07eligible activity that I list here.

14:09However, that was not included in our

14:11original allocation plan as a target of

14:13the supportive services program. What

14:15we'll be talking tonight is amending our

14:17plan to include rental and financial

14:19assistance in the supportive services

14:21bucket.

14:23And then the remaining portion was put

14:24for uh administration and planning a

14:27little over 700,000.

14:32So similar to our home program, this

14:34funding was placed into that vehicle of

14:36the home program which targets all of

14:38its investments for lowincome housing

14:42investments. So it look can look like

14:44rental assistance, can look like new

14:45construction, down payment assistance,

14:47home repair, targeted to folks who

14:49mostly make 60% AMI area immediate

14:52income or less. Additionally, home art

14:55came with an a further qualification

14:58that it was targeted for qualifying

15:01populations.

15:03Those four qualifying populations are

15:05those experiencing homelessness, those

15:07at risk of homelessness, those fleeing

15:10or attempting to flee domestic violence,

15:11dating violence, sexual assault,

15:14stalking, or human trafficking, and

15:16other populations at greatest risk of

15:18housing instability. That fourth one

15:20sounds very broad. There's a very fine

15:23definition of what that means. Typically

15:24what we mean is folks who are paying a

15:27lot of their income toward rent. So

15:29folks who are extremely rich, paying 50,

15:3160, 70, maybe even more percent of their

15:33income toward rent. Those are we would

15:35who we would see as being housing

15:37instable.

15:39So communities that received this grant

15:41were allowed but were not required to

15:44select a preference for one of these

15:46qualifying populations in their plan.

15:50The ARC chose not to set that preference

15:52with the original allocation plan which

15:54meant that when we did a weight list for

15:56supportive services for example there

15:58would be no preference for those

16:00experiencing homelessness or domestic

16:02violence we would do just first come

16:04first served.

16:07Now I'd like to discuss the proposed

16:09amendments to the plan.

16:12The first is on expanding the supportive

16:14services program to broaden the list of

16:17eligible activities that we would

16:18support. The original focus was on

16:20substance abuse and mental health

16:22services. Our recommendation in the

16:24amended plan is to add short to

16:27medium-term rental assistance and

16:28comprehensive case management to create

16:30a holistic approach that addresses both

16:32housing and stabilization needs. This

16:35aligns with the rapid rehousing as a

16:37core strategy identified for expansion

16:39in the COC's strategic plan, ensuring

16:42consistency with our regional goals.

16:45It also enhances program impact by

16:47incorporating financial assistance and

16:49supportive services under a rapid

16:50rehousing model that accelerates housing

16:53placement and improves long-term

16:54outcomes for qualifying populations.

16:59I will say one thing on the the

17:01broadening of supportive services that

17:03is not intended to be long-term rental

17:05assistance. Keep in mind that we're

17:06talking about short-term addressing an

17:08acute situation and getting into a rapid

17:11rehousing model.

17:15The second um item that we're proposing

17:17to amend in the plan is to set a

17:19preference. Um, as I mentioned, there's

17:21qualifying four different qualifying

17:22populations that we're targeting these

17:24funds for, and we can have no

17:26preference, which is how we have it now.

17:28We're now recommending to set a

17:30preference um for individuals and

17:33families experiencing homelessness,

17:35particularly individuals and families

17:37that experience their first episode of

17:38homelessness after Helen.

17:41Um, this does not exclude other

17:43qualifying populations from receiving

17:46assistance under this program, but it

17:48means that they would be served in

17:49accordance with this preference that we

17:50would set on any weight list that would

17:52be managed via coordinated entry, which

17:55we'll talk about in just a second.

18:01The last piece that we're proposing to

18:03amend is the referral method. Home AARP

18:05allows for three types of referral

18:07methods and requires a description of

18:09how coordinated entry systems will be

18:11used in the process if at all. Our

18:13original allocation plan did not

18:15identify use of the coordinated entry

18:16system. Our recommendation is to add a

18:19referral method um to use the

18:21coordinated entry system since those

18:23experience experiencing homelessness

18:25will be receiving a preference in

18:27selection if we amend the plan to set

18:28that preference for homelessness. Um,

18:31coordinated entry and other referral

18:32methods will allow the coordinated entry

18:34system in both Asheville Bunkham and the

18:36balance of state COC to play a role in

18:39referrals to home art projects.

18:41Remember, this is not just a city of

18:42Asheville program. This is a

18:44consortiumwide program. So, we have the

18:46Asheville Bunkham COC, which is the

18:49governing body for our area here in

18:50Asheville, but there is also the balance

18:52of state COC uh for the other areas in

18:55our consortium that will be managing

18:57projects outside of our area.

19:00The allocation plan will include

19:01language to reiterate home program

19:03requirements when prioritizing weight

19:05lists and how the applicant selection

19:07will work to reduce audit findings for

19:09the applicant selection process.

19:14So since this is a substantial amendment

19:17to our allocation plan um we are

19:19required to follow our citizen

19:21participation plan uh which in

19:23accordance with that plan will be taking

19:25public comment from August 31st which

19:27we've already noticed in our uh

19:29Asheville Citizen Times paper as well as

19:30on our web page and through our

19:32community development uh listerve email

19:35blast. That comment period is open from

19:37August 31st until October 2nd. Uh we've

19:40published that notice in the Citizen

19:42Times and on our web page. You can view

19:43the amended draft plan on our web page

19:46at that link. Comments can be submitted

19:48to the email address here, community

19:50development.gov.

19:52You can also provide comment at the

19:54public hearing tonight. You can also

19:56send us a message via mail if you'd like

19:58to PO Box 7148

20:02address for city hall.

20:06Key takeaways are that we again are the

20:08lead entity for the Asheville Regional

20:09Housing Consortium and we administer

20:11this program on behalf of that group. We

20:13got this large allocation in 2021 and we

20:16are now moving to invest these funds um

20:20in accordance with the plan but with an

20:22amended option to expand scope of

20:24supporting services to include

20:26short-term rental assistance to set a

20:28preference for those experiencing

20:29homelessness particularly those

20:30experiencing homelessness for the first

20:31time after Halloween and then electing

20:33to use the coordinated entry system as

20:35the referral method for managing

20:37beneficiary and tenant selection.

20:40With that, I'll be happy to take any

20:41questions from council and would ask

20:43that you open a public hearing for

20:44comment.

20:48>> Um, do you think it's confusing to call

20:50it short-term rental assistance?

20:52>> That's my first question.

20:55>> Since most people think of short-term

20:56rental as a vacation rental.

20:58>> Ah, I see what you mean. I can see why

21:01that would be confusing. So, we don't

21:03mean

21:04>> maybe temporary short-term temporary

21:07rental system. I don't something that

21:09makes sure that we're not subsidizing

21:10short-term rentals.

21:12>> We are not subsidizing short-term

21:13rentals. That is correct.

21:15>> Temporary.

21:16>> We mean rental assistance for a

21:17short-term period of time.

21:19>> Thank you for We'll make sure that

21:20that's clear.

21:21>> Temporary.

21:22>> Temporary.

21:25>> Do you have a [laughter]

21:28>> You get the point.

21:28>> Yeah.

21:30>> Anybody have any other questions? No.

21:32>> Okay. Um,

21:34>> what is the co co-coordinated like entry

21:37system look like? Like if I needed help,

21:40right? And what what does that look

21:42like? What does that mean?

21:43>> That's a really great question. Um, and

21:45I'll do my best to answer it. Um, our

21:48homeless strategy division is really

21:49great at understanding that that

21:51methodology. So, the coordinated entry

21:53system works as a central entry point

21:56for folks who are experiencing

21:57homelessness to seek services. Um, I

22:00believe Homerbound is our lead entity

22:02and they work in collaboration with

22:04several other organizations in our

22:06community to act as a coordinated body

22:09so that folks who are experiencing

22:10homelessness don't have to seek out

22:12services at 20 different locations. They

22:15can go to a single point and been be

22:18directed to the right place for them to

22:20get housing support, mental health

22:22support, substance abuse support. um so

22:24that they don't have to go to seven or

22:27eight different places knocking on seven

22:28or eight different doors calling 20

22:30different people. They can go through

22:31the coordinated entry system create that

22:34case through that system where they can

22:36then be directed to the right services

22:39that they need.

22:40>> Okay.

22:40>> And the Asheville Bunkham COC is the

22:42lead entity for that working with those

22:43partner agencies and then the balance of

22:45state does that with other agencies

22:47outside the city of Asheville.

22:50So, I guess I'm wondering what if you

22:52didn't know Homeword Bound existed and

22:54you were at some other

22:57agency, would they know to I guess refer

23:00to Homewardbound?

23:02>> Correct.

23:02>> And then so we're going to they are

23:04handling all of this.

23:05>> Correct.

23:07>> Okay. Um back under the home ARP program

23:11funding

23:12um there's three buckets. the affordable

23:16housing, the supportive services, the

23:18administration and planning. We have a

23:20million dollars for the funding for case

23:23management, mental health, substance

23:24use, rental, and financial assistance.

23:27And then there's 704,000. And under that

23:30it says staff salaries.

23:33So,

23:37do you know how much of the 1 million or

23:39maybe it's under the 704,000, but how

23:42much of the 1 million is going to go to

23:45hiring, let's say, a case manager at

23:50$55,000 a year, which then takes that

23:55money out from concrete resources. Cuz

23:59right now I'm getting a little skeptical

24:00of all this money that we're giving out

24:02to nonprofits because I want to see

24:04really concrete

24:07resources that they have like help with

24:10deposits, AC units, help with

24:12application fees, food boxes, food

24:15cards, uh help with co-pays, assistance

24:19getting into a treatment center, not

24:22just a case manager to tell them they

24:24need to go into a treatment center. So,

24:26we don't need to hire more staff because

24:28that's what we could do. So, how much of

24:29that 1 million is going to go to

24:31concrete resources on the ground to help

24:34people move to the next level so they're

24:36not homeless anymore?

24:39>> Thank you for your question. So, on the

24:41administration and planning line, what

24:43we refer to staff salaries is city

24:45staff. So, that pays for a portion of my

24:47time that I put into the program. It

24:49pays for a portion of my staff's time

24:52that they've put into the program. So

24:54when we request reimbursement for our

24:57staff time that gets paid out of the

24:59city's general fund, we get reimbursed

25:01for that time that we put into this

25:02program from this and makes it a budget

25:04neutral program to the city.

25:06Additionally, when you talk about case

25:08management, that's a separate line item

25:10that we would allocate to a partner

25:12agency to expand their capacity to

25:15provide case management to people who

25:17would need those services. So when they

25:20would hire or expand their capacity,

25:22yes, we would need to see that is that

25:25position, what is the position

25:26description? Who are the people that

25:27benefit from that and how is that

25:29documented? Um, we've got a very good

25:32muscle memory of doing this with our

25:33other programs across the city. And so

25:36we have this information cuz that's what

25:37I asked for at our meeting cuz I I think

25:40council needs to see and the taxpayers

25:44need to see where and exactly how our

25:46nonprofits because what I'm hearing from

25:49my constituents is the problem is

25:51getting worse, but yet we keep throwing

25:53all this money at these folks. So I want

25:55to see what they're spending the money

25:57on. I don't want another $60,000 case

26:00manager. We can hire staff. What we

26:03can't do is provide concrete resources

26:05for people in the city who need them

26:08directly and in a timely manner. That's

26:12the difference.

26:13>> So, Councilman has maybe Go ahead.

26:16>> I was going to say we can follow up and

26:18um share the breakdown of that 1

26:20million. So, you'll have that

26:21information. Some of it may already be

26:23programmed out, but we'll make sure you

26:25understand the how that's broken out.

26:27Okay. Just to clarify, that will not be

26:29broken out until we actually select

26:31partner organizations to administer

26:33programs and services on our behalf. So

26:36when they apply to us, we want to see

26:38that what they're putting towards

26:39salaries and services is reasonable and

26:42allocable to this program and it's

26:44eligible to be reimbursed under the

26:46restrictions of the program. And

26:47>> and so is council going to get an update

26:50on that because you're I guess you're

26:51asking us to vote on this before we have

26:54an idea.

26:54>> We're giving you information. So here's

26:56okay. I chair the home consortium. We

26:58are a larger body of many

27:01municipalities, planners, electeds,

27:0420some of us, and we meet to more

27:08regularly deal with other types of

27:11funding. However, the consortium was

27:13awarded this especially as a result of

27:15COVID. What we are doing is trying to

27:18ratify and add more detail to the

27:20criteria ahead of an application cycle

27:23at which point we will elicit partners

27:25to seek this funding under said

27:28criteria. So as the chair I'm happy to

27:30share some of the things you're sharing

27:31tonight. One of the things that came up

27:33in our meeting as we were discussing how

27:35to evolve and get better applications

27:37and move programming forward um was

27:40unique. You heard it actually in the

27:41presentation was this idea that rental

27:44assistance would be for those who are

27:46recently homeless because we're

27:48recognizing a difference between chronic

27:50homelessness and the amount of assets

27:53and management and time and cost to

27:55resolving that whereas we are trying to

27:58deal with some that are more immediately

28:00recently unhoused. So there's a

28:02difference there and so that was

28:03something the group came up with. It's

28:05not I don't know that it's an exact

28:06criteria spelled out. more of the

28:08conversation around how are we moving

28:10things forward, how are we working with

28:12partner agencies, who's getting help,

28:14etc. So, I can I can share more in the

28:17meetings about it. If you want to share

28:19more thoughts for me to take to the

28:21meeting, too, [cough] I'm happy to. And

28:22then it will come back.

28:23>> Yeah.

28:24>> But the the body itself will see

28:27recommendations from staff and then vote

28:30and there's a little committee that's

28:32going to weigh applications and so on.

28:34So, there's a more formal process ahead.

28:36>> Okay.

28:38Also any contracts for awarding this to

28:41any agency will come before this council

28:43>> with our recommendation from the home

28:44consortium. So there's that. Does that

28:47help?

28:47>> Yes.

28:48>> Okay.

28:48>> But no vote tonight. This is input only,

28:50right?

28:51>> This is input only.

28:52>> Yeah,

28:53>> that's my input.

28:55[laughter]

28:56>> Received.

28:58>> Any other questions before we open it up

29:00for public comment? [clears throat]

29:03Okay, we have one person signed up um

29:05under public comment for this piece. So,

29:07I'll open the public hearing. Uh that

29:09person is Sarah Newberry. Please come

29:11forward, Sarah. [snorts] And you'll have

29:13three minutes to speak. Just watch the

29:16lights on the lectern. Green means go,

29:18orange means get ready, stop, and red

29:19means stop.

29:23>> Well, this is terrifying. I was actually

29:24not planning to talk tonight. Um hi, my

29:27name is Sarah Newberry. Um I started

29:29working at um Homewardbound in June as

29:32the grants director and I just wanted to

29:34thank you um for what you're doing here.

29:36But also just a quick clarifier only

29:39because we came uh the organization came

29:41up that coordinated entry is um

29:44participated in by lots of different

29:46nonprofits and local organizations

29:48including helpmate safe shel shelter and

29:51eleata and so it is a it's a group um

29:53that are working together to help make

29:55sure that people are getting the

29:56assistance they need. That's it.

29:58>> Yep. Appreciate that. Thank you.

30:01>> Coordinated effort

30:03very much. Um I don't have anyone else

30:05signed up to speak under this item. So I

30:07will close the public hearing.

30:12>> We um we are only having the public

30:14hearing on this tonight. And so that is

30:16concluded now. Thank you. All right.

30:19That concludes our printed agenda.

30:23>> This our shortest meeting.

30:24>> It's I mean it's pretty short. Um but we

30:27have a number of folks signed up to

30:28speak under general public comment. So,

30:30we're going to

30:32>> we're going to move to that part of the

30:34agenda. Um, so folks who are speaking

30:36under general public comment, I think

30:38you already heard the instructions.

30:39You'll get three minutes unless you're

30:41group and you'll just watch the lights

30:43on the lectern. Feel like we were really

30:45disappointing news tonight. Sorry about

30:48that. [laughter] Um, so you will

30:52>> we will uh talk about

30:54>> Yeah, we are going to be we uh so please

30:57watch the lights on the lectern. Green

30:58means go. Orange means you're getting

31:00ready to stop and red means stop. Um the

31:03first person to have signed up to speak

31:06uh is ha has 10 minutes because several

31:08people are yielding their time and that

31:11is an Sensa. Did I say it right? Okay.

31:16And those yielding their time, please

31:18just raise your hand when I call your

31:19name. Peggy Wells. Okay. And Diane

31:22McIntyre. All right. And Wally Pearson.

31:26And for good measure, Diane Oor. Okay.

31:28Thank you. All right, you'll have 10

31:30minutes and our clerk will set the time.

31:32>> Okay. Um, good afternoon. My name is

31:35Anne Sensible and I'm a resident of the

31:37Viewpoint subdivision. I'm the immediate

31:40past chairman of the HOA board who

31:43worked with the community during the

31:44first year after Helen.

31:47We are in East Asheville across Aelia

31:50Road from the North Carolina Wildlife

31:52Center and the entrance to the soccer

31:54complex.

31:56viewpoint is a 55 plus community with an

31:59average age of well let's just say um

32:03upper 70s. Uh we are largely retirees.

32:08Most were educators, accountants and

32:11veterans. Most are on fixed incomes.

32:15We experienced extensive damage to our

32:18common property

32:20during Helen

32:22in summation. We are a group of 42

32:25taxpaying citizens

32:27that are struggling with how to mend our

32:29community and our area of the city.

32:33After the storm, we had no power for a

32:36month, no drinkable water for almost

32:38double that time. Our power lines were

32:41strung on trees until this past spring.

32:45We back flushed toilets with the filthy

32:47water dipped out of the Swanoa River and

32:50then handcarried it up the hill to our

32:52homes. The first people to actually help

32:55us after the storm was the World Kitchen

32:58Organization Cinjun Navy Division who

33:01arrived on site the Tuesday after the

33:04storm just as our residents were running

33:07out of food and water.

33:09It was the same group who set up water

33:11stations for us at the Engles at

33:13Riceville Road, which was the only

33:16accessible place for us to get drinking

33:18water. And I only review this ancient

33:21history now since our area of Asheville

33:24has not had the attention that other

33:26areas have had. We were patient. We

33:30realized

33:32that our losses were property related

33:36and we had folks here who have no homes.

33:40We did the right things. We hired

33:43geotechnical and environmental engineers

33:45to help to try to figures out how to fix

33:48our situation.

33:51To date, our own accumulated expense now

33:53exceeds $200,000

33:56paid for by those same 42 taxpay

33:59homeowners for potential remedies.

34:02At this time, the bids to fix our cliff

34:05erosion and landslides range from 3.5 to

34:09$7.8 million.

34:12That means that each homeowner in our

34:14community is facing an assessment

34:16starting at $50,000 plus dollars and

34:20goes to almost $100,000.

34:24We have only asked for your help with

34:26the faltering cliff on Aelia Road where

34:30large rocks and trees continue to fall.

34:33We estimate this cost to be roughly half

34:36of the cost of the entire project. Our

34:39community hired an attorney to help us

34:41figure out what to do. However, we those

34:44same 42 residents were assured by the

34:48attorney that you all already knew the

34:51problem. And although you understood the

34:54situation, you were unwilling to assist

34:57us make the cliff safe for the heavily

34:59traffked area going into the wildlife

35:03center and the soccer complex. In fact,

35:06the city response was, "Well, if

35:09anything fail fails, we'll help you

35:12clean it up."

35:14Brad Stein has spoken with our point of

35:16contact, Wally Pearson, who's here

35:18tonight, at least seven times. Our same

35:21point of contact has doggedly followed

35:24through with every possible help made

35:27from FEMA to the state and federal

35:30governments and anyone, frankly, who

35:32would listen to us.

35:34He has amassed a collection of over

35:361,400 emails,

35:39many asking, "What is the city going to

35:42do to help you?" And even though we know

35:45the city engaged in pile driving and

35:48perhaps blasting in the area somewhere

35:50in 2012 and [snorts]

35:522014, there has been no acknowledgment

35:56by the city that this potentially could

35:58have caused damage. Even though we have

36:01been told by various project managers in

36:03Bunkome County that the city designed

36:06this section of the road knowing full

36:08well that there were potential in issues

36:11of rock falling from the adjoining cliff

36:14which is ours which is now where the

36:16problem exists.

36:19This action was heavily contested by our

36:21community at that time because of the

36:24fragility of the landscape.

36:26We are at our wit's end and struggling

36:30to put the money together to ensure

36:33public safety in this area of our city.

36:39Is it fair

36:41that we, those same old 42 homeowners,

36:44must bear the weight of responsibility

36:46for ensuring public safety in this area

36:49with no willingness to help from our own

36:51municipality.

36:53Also, we really don't understand how the

36:55new plans for the rebuilt recreation

36:57area, which we love,

37:00may affect what we do, the property of

37:03us.

37:05We have two landslides on the back of

37:07the property that also need to be

37:09addressed that we have not asked you for

37:11any help with.

37:14And most likely though, that new

37:16proposed bridge

37:18is going to abut that very same property

37:21where the landslides are.

37:24Is it right for a community of 42

37:28homeowners to be responsible for the

37:31public safety of passenger cars, school

37:34buses, and pedestrians on a heavily

37:38traveled public road, Aelia Road and

37:42Swanoa River corridor.

37:46To put this in perspective, there are

37:48195,000 visitors to the wildlife center

37:51each year.

37:53And that number does not include the

37:55thousands of children and adults who use

37:58that same road to access the soccer

38:01complex.

38:03I do not think that you can imagine the

38:05upset when our city when our city used

38:09FEMA funds

38:11for other

38:13activities other than helping to heal

38:16damages in these blown apart

38:18communities.

38:22How can you possibly grow a community

38:25until you heal the damages that have

38:27already been incurred?

38:32How can you ignore an area where trees

38:36and rocks are falling daily?

38:40There are no there are not any signs

38:43that even say caution.

38:46This area could be a potential slide

38:48area.

38:50The city rarely cleans up the debris.

38:53The old folks in Viewpoint do. We clean

38:56up the mess. And back to the central

38:58point,

39:00what is more of a priority than the bo

39:04most basic need of public safety?

39:09We have written you. We've asked you for

39:12help. We have been rebuffed at every

39:15turn.

39:17We now ask you to visit the Zelia Road

39:20and look at the crushed guard rails

39:23caused by falling rocks and trees since

39:26the hurricane.

39:28And we ask you to look at those crushed

39:31guard rails and ask yourself if a car, a

39:36person, a child, or a school bus would

39:40survive being hit by that falling that

39:43same falling debris.

39:45Beyond our immediate concerns, East

39:48Asheville needs help. The lack of

39:51cleanup on Swaninoa River Road and

39:54especially around the entrance to the

39:56wildlife center is a constant and

39:58horrible reminder of the misery of

40:01Helen,

40:02of the lives lost and the aftermath of

40:06the struggle that we still are enduring

40:09today.

40:10We need your attention and support. We

40:13need you to try to grasp the magnitude

40:16of what a small community of homeowners

40:18are trying to deal with. And we

40:21respectfully ask that you put your

40:23knowledge and resources into finding

40:26solutions and helping us not but not

40:30just for our community, but for the

40:32hundreds of thousands of families and

40:35children who visit our area of the city.

40:39Daily on the news we hear about

40:43resilience and how Asheville is healing.

40:47Perhaps it is notable that none of these

40:50segments have been filmed in our area of

40:53the city.

40:57That's the end of my comments.

40:59>> Thank you. Um,

41:02I feel like we need to have a follow-up

41:03meeting um about this, but we can't hash

41:07it out tonight. But if we could set

41:09something up, that would be greatly

41:11appreciated. I don't know if you all

41:12have had a chance to meet with the

41:13manager yet or not, but

41:15>> we have not they wouldn't even return

41:17our calls.

41:19>> Um, I also the the following to I mean

41:22public safety, you're exactly correct. I

41:24don't know what my colleagues on public

41:26safety think, but the next meeting maybe

41:28bringing up that area, getting what it

41:29looks like to get some signs um or just,

41:32you know, what that area even looks

41:34like, how we can help.

41:36>> Please go by and look at the guardrail

41:37because that has happened since the

41:39hurricane.

41:40>> Yeah.

41:41>> Yeah.

41:42>> Thank you.

41:43>> Thank you.

41:43>> Thank you,

41:47[applause]

41:50>> DK. if it's helpful. I'm forwarding

41:52Ann's original email from this time last

41:57year it looks like.

41:58>> Right.

41:59>> Yeah, we have. So, you know, just to sus

42:02this out a little bit and just we'll

42:04move on to the next uh commenter, but it

42:07this is a um owners association that has

42:11damage to common area and um and it's

42:15substantial given the size of your

42:17community. And a lot of um subdivisions

42:20uh have experienced millions of dollars

42:22worth of damage as well, but and they've

42:24all handled it in different ways, but

42:27this one also abuts the public right of

42:29way. So, it's a more complex situation.

42:33Um but I'd be um glad to participate in

42:37a discussion about

42:39what what if anything can be done and

42:41kind of understand

42:44what the journey that you've been on

42:45there. So,

42:47um, all right. Well, thank you all for

42:49making the trip down here tonight to

42:50talk to us about this.

42:53Um, we have the next speaker is Liz

42:56Thompson.

43:06Hi. Good evening, mayor and city uh,

43:09council. My name is Liz Thompson and I

43:12live in North Asheville's Beaverdam

43:14Valley. I've lived there for 41 years.

43:18I've seen a lot of change over the last

43:21four decades. And I've watched the human

43:24and bear population grow steadily and

43:28increase with viable and I'm sorry, bear

43:31population steadily increase with little

43:33viable help from the city. Um, we're

43:36talking about the second largest land

43:38mammal on the east coast and we live

43:41daily with them in our yards and around

43:45us. Um, in my opinion, it's past time to

43:49face this only increasing issue of

43:52coexistence with our wildlife.

43:55It's time we step up and update our

43:57response to and for an animal that truly

44:02represents this ancient these ancient

44:05mountains.

44:07Right now, major production teams,

44:09including filmmakers, shooting a global

44:11project for the BBC's natural history

44:14unit are explicitly filming and

44:17documentarying on how Asheville handles

44:21our urban bear population.

44:24This forces us to ask a critical

44:27question.

44:29How do we want to be seen

44:32by our visitors and the rest of the

44:34country?

44:36Are we going to be proud pioneering

44:38conservationists?

44:41Or will we be known as a city that

44:44immediately euthanizes its wildlife

44:46because we failed to provide the

44:49necessary resources,

44:51infrastructure,

44:53and options to handle the issues

44:56humanely.

44:58To change this direct trajectory, we ask

45:02that specific tax monies be put aside to

45:06fund critically needed educational

45:09resources

45:11for short-term visitors, permanent new

45:15residents, and individuals who refuse to

45:18abide by current requests

45:21concerning bears

45:23and and their safety and the bearer

45:26safety. If our messaging is clear and

45:29abundant throughout the city, those who

45:32claim we didn't know the rules will be

45:35greatly reduced.

45:38We could no longer rely on a voluntary

45:41system. The city's gotten too big.

45:45Our current $50 fine for unsecured waste

45:49is an ineffective deterrent.

45:52Asheville must adopt a modernized

45:56approach

45:57modeled after successful other wildlife

46:00programs in peer cities like Boulder and

46:03Colorado Springs.

46:06Neighborhood signage.

46:10>> Thank you.

46:10>> Thank you for listening.

46:12>> Uh Janice Warden

46:24Good evening.

46:26My name is Janice Rearen. I too live in

46:28North Asheville.

46:31Many wildlife,

46:34our wildlife recently has been

46:36destroyed. After repeatedly being fed,

46:39another mama bear, Dolly, has had

46:42firstear cubs trapped and taken from her

46:44earlier this month.

46:47Due to the amazing campaign led and

46:50started by Hannah Virgil to save Dolly,

46:55our wildlife officials have agreed to

46:57spare her life if she is caught

47:00successfully.

47:01However, this is bittersweet because she

47:04will be placed in the North Carolina Zoo

47:07without her last remaining cub.

47:10Although they claim this is temporary,

47:12this is concerning to me. Dolly is a

47:15wild bear living her life and still

47:17breastfeeding this young cub. All they

47:19have is each other. This happens all too

47:22often in Asheville.

47:24Ashley Hobbs from North Carolina

47:26Wildlife has stated onethird of all the

47:30conflicts in the state of North Carolina

47:33happen here in Asheville and Bunkham

47:36County.

47:37We are the problem.

47:41With this, I'm leaving a one-page

47:43proposal here tonight about something I

47:46believe Asheville can do better. Prevent

47:48human bear conflicts before they begin.

47:51I have already emailed a copy to

47:53everyone.

47:55We know what brings many bears into

47:58conflict with people.

48:00So rather than waiting till a bear is

48:02labeled a problem bear, I'm asking

48:05Asheville

48:07to consider designated human bear

48:10conflict zones

48:12in areas experiencing recurring problems

48:16within these areas. We could require

48:18bearer resistant trash containers,

48:21commercial bearer resistant dumpsters.

48:24There are many issues to address.

48:27Other communities have taken stronger

48:29preventative approach approaches.

48:32Asheville can study what has worked

48:34elsewhere and develop a program

48:36appropriate for our own neighbors. I

48:38have outlined some examples on my

48:40proposal.

48:42Our black bears are one of the things

48:45that makes Asheville extraordinary.

48:48People come here hoping to see them,

48:51photograph them, and experience a place

48:54where wildlife still lives amongst us.

48:58There is an old expression about

48:59protecting the goose that laid the

49:01golden egg. Well, Asheville has

49:04something pretty golden of its own.

49:07Let's protect our black bears before we

49:09lose what makes them and Asheville so

49:12special. Thank you.

49:14>> Thank you.

49:14>> And I have that document. Can I give it

49:17to you? Thank you. Thank you,

49:21>> Eric Ensk.

49:38Hey.

49:40Oh, that's the light. All right. Uh, hi.

49:43My name is Eric Insk. Uh, I'm a disabled

49:46veteran and the Purple Heart recipient.

49:49And it really I don't like it that some

49:53people don't respect me or my humanity

49:55until they find that out about me. But I

49:59hate

50:01that the situation that I have dealt

50:04with with mold and Asheville, I would

50:07still be in that situation if it weren't

50:10for the fact that I am those statuses.

50:14Um,

50:15people who aren't that status, I've seen

50:18what they have as far as support in many

50:21of situations and it is as close to zero

50:25as you can get.

50:27>> And you're the you're the city manager.

50:29Uh, Brad, no. Brandon Brown,

50:33the city attorney. City attorney. Sorry.

50:35Uh, I read a quote from you the other

50:38day.

50:38>> If you could direct your comments to

50:39council, please.

50:40>> Oh, yeah.

50:42>> So, all right. I read a quote saying

50:45that the problem that you all are facing

50:49is that there are no set standards for

50:52limits for mold exposure and uh

50:59specifically in mold sampling tests, air

51:02and surface tests and in a document

51:07when when you when you talk of the

51:09things that I'm hearing aren't

51:10necessarily lies, but they're untrue.

51:12true. They're misleading because if you

51:16ask the CDC, the uh EPA, the NIH,

51:22uh the North Carolina Department of

51:24Health and Human Services, they all have

51:26a zero tolerance for indoor mold. And

51:30what's being misqued is

51:33uh I'll read a small sample from one of

51:36their pamphlets. It says, "Sampling for

51:38mold is not usually recommended.

51:41Understanding the results can be

51:42difficult. And no matter what kind of

51:44mold is in your home, you need to clean

51:47it up and fix the moisture problem. They

51:50all agree that there is a zero tolerance

51:53for mold that can be seen or smelled in

51:55the home. And that type of language is

52:00not being put into practice into what is

52:03accessible to people who are dealing

52:05with this. Um, I've had the the city uh

52:09inspectors come out for minimum housing

52:11and what normally they can do is

52:15whatever causes the mold, they can point

52:17to that and request that that be fixed.

52:20But I live in a home that was I rent a

52:23home that was built in 1910. So the

52:25cause of the mold is the design of the

52:27home, which is grandfathered into code.

52:31So there's no law being broken. And

52:34right now I've been having health

52:36problems since May and in July I ended

52:40up in the emergency room. And uh

52:44>> Thank you.

52:45>> Thank you.

52:46>> Thank you,

52:49>> Hannah Fergil.

53:01Good evening. um Hannah for Joelle and

53:04um thank you for making time for me to

53:06be here. I know you're not making time

53:07for me. You're making time for everyone,

53:08but thank you for [snorts] that. Um

53:11so yeah, last two weeks ago I was here

53:14um and kind of beginning a campaign for

53:16Dolly the Bear, which I know was

53:18mentioned earlier. Um and and I was

53:21coming back thinking I'd be back this

53:23week to kind of keep pleading for for

53:26her. But um but as I have felt from the

53:30beginning, this issue that I have put

53:33the microscope over this bear and her

53:35story was really um you know about my

53:38love for wildlife and about my love for

53:40how he coexists in these spaces. But I'm

53:42also a mother of a four-year-old son and

53:45he um is wild and runs down the driveway

53:48to the creek and he runs up the hill

53:50behind our goats and he is um

53:53freeranging.

53:54And I've had a lot of people ask me how

53:56I care more about a bear than my child's

53:59safety. And I just need to say that all

54:02of this is about safety. And all of what

54:05I'm trying to do is use this story that

54:07was personal to me because of this bear

54:09that has been in my yard for most of the

54:12season um as a way that we generate

54:15focus and movement towards systems that

54:17support Asheville coexisting and Bunkham

54:20County coexisting with the wildlife that

54:21we see and treasure. Um, it's I can only

54:26imagine the being in the in the public

54:28eye for the last two weeks with this

54:30story and the mixed comments I'm getting

54:32from all sides. I can't imagine all the

54:35different ways that you all are managing

54:37to address and consider the complexities

54:40of this issue that we face. um you've

54:43heard more tonight about and I there's a

54:45lot of great ideas out there and I I

54:48guess my goal with moving forward um is

54:52how can we how can I turn over every

54:54rock and learn what I can do and how I

54:57can plug in to support what needs to

54:59happen in our community whether that's

55:01you know continued collaboration with

55:03the wildlife commission who I've you

55:05know been in lots of conversations with

55:06over the last two weeks um with you know

55:08Ashley Hobbs who works here on the

55:10ground trying to support her efforts

55:11because if we don't have real systemic

55:14and infrastructural shifts, I think

55:16we're going to just keep hearing the

55:17same story in Asheville. So, I'm just

55:19here tonight to thank you for, you know,

55:22considering how we can do better and as

55:24a mother of a small child, wanting him

55:26to be safe and and wanting to really um

55:30clarify that that this is about more

55:32than just one for me. And I hope that we

55:34can make some real change in our

55:35community. Thank you.

55:36>> Thank you.

55:39>> [snorts]

55:40>> Um Jake Feldman.

55:50[clears throat] Good evening, Madame

55:51Mayor and City Council. I'm here to

55:54briefly speak about some of the city

55:56social media. I'm a resident here in

55:58East Asheville and a graduate student at

56:00Lenor Bryan. Uh before I did that, I ran

56:03a boutique social media consulting

56:05business is what qualifies me to kind of

56:07look and audit this stuff for

56:09celebrities entertainment um all over

56:11the country and internationally. Um

56:13first off, I want to thank everyone for

56:15their diligent work. I know social media

56:16is not everyone's favorite or most

56:18interesting topic and I know the city

56:20manager and everyone has lots of stuff

56:22going on, but the Instagram just to get

56:25straight to brass and tax um is doesn't

56:28link to your guys' website. you often

56:30don't respond to comments in situations

56:32like that. Even if it was a general

56:34comment, redirecting to the email or

56:36something of that nature would be

56:37totally fine and normal in like a

56:39political sphere. Uh in regards to those

56:42tuning in online, they are unable to

56:44comment which could be perceived as an

56:46accessibility type of issue, right?

56:48Because they can't comment and that

56:49could be, you know, perceived in such a

56:51way such as some of the videos on the

56:54city's YouTube do allow public comment

56:56and some don't. Um, some of the ones

56:59that don't happen to do with like if the

57:01police chief or someone is addressing

57:03the city, the ones that do are like dog

57:05parks and things that are a little bit

57:06of a everyone loves dogs. We all love

57:08our bears here, you know, like I get

57:09that. But, um, it would be as simple as

57:12someone going on TikTok and doing like a

57:14side by side and that wouldn't really be

57:15great, right, for for stuff. Um,

57:19additionally, you know, I can realize

57:21that, uh, for example, I mean, East

57:24Sashel, if someone were to clip, uh, the

57:27elder saying, uh, that, uh, you know,

57:29the elder the woman saying that she was

57:31unable to get a response from city

57:32management, like that 10 seconds would

57:34be kind of robust, right? But obviously,

57:37I appreciate the mayor going and

57:39speaking with her um, afterwards and

57:40like addressing those types of

57:42addressing those types of issues. Uh, I

57:45don't want to like point out a bunch of

57:47problems without potentially a solution,

57:49but simply, um, I'm sure there are some

57:51students at UNCCA that would love like

57:53an internship or something with city

57:55hall, which would be great for their

57:56like building careers and stuff of that

57:58nature that could help address. Um,

58:02a link tree would be really helpful in

58:04the Instagram of the city like profile

58:07so that you guys could track who's

58:08actually visiting what and, you know,

58:10who's interested in these types of

58:12things. Um, I again don't want to

58:15inundate you with social media

58:17information. I know it can be either fun

58:19or not depending on how people do it,

58:21but certainly meeting the city staff and

58:23other things that the Bears that get

58:25public reaction that's positive. I

58:27couldn't recommend enough. But anyway,

58:29thank you for your time and I appreciate

58:32you listening and thank you guys all for

58:33your service for the city of Asheville

58:34which we all love. Thank you.

58:36>> Thank you. Nina Tovish.

58:39>> I

58:41Okay. Sal.

58:52Um, good evening city council members

58:53and city leaders. My name is Sally Growl

58:55and I'm a North Asheville Little League

58:57mom. I'm here to talk about Weaver Park.

59:00You've all heard my thoughts about the

59:02park already, so today I'm going to read

59:04you the comments from community members

59:05that Bring Back Weaver has collected

59:07through our community survey. Here are

59:09some of those comments. The new

59:11playground equipment is quite small. It

59:13is too difficult for my twins to use and

59:15too limited to keep my seven-year-old

59:16interested. We hardly go now. The

59:18playground, as is inadequate. My husband

59:21and I spoke to Parks and Wreck well

59:23before the renovation began and offered

59:24to donate several thousand to help

59:26support a really robust new playground.

59:28We were never able to get any follow-up

59:30from anyone and were not able to donate

59:32to the project in any capacity even

59:34though we very much wanted to. To see

59:36what they ended up doing is really

59:38disappointing for me and my three kids

59:40ages 1 to six. The old play structure

59:42allowed children of all ages to play

59:44together in many ways from climbing to

59:46interactive imaginative play. This new

59:48structure is unsafe and allows only a

59:50few children to access at a time. My

59:52child finds it boring. Please take this

59:55seriously and listen to the community.

59:57We love raising our family here and we

59:59want to know we live in a city that

1:00:00cares about what we have to say. Very

1:00:03disappointed in the outcome. I don't

1:00:04understand how something like this

1:00:06happens. Our communities and children

1:00:07deserve better. I'm extremely

1:00:10disappointed in how the funds were used

1:00:11for rebuilding this playground. It was

1:00:13such a community meeting spot for kids

1:00:15of all ages with parents throughout the

1:00:17day. It was one of my favorite reasons

1:00:19for living in the neighborhood. The play

1:00:21structure that is there now feels unsafe

1:00:23and is very small. I'm really at a loss

1:00:26to understand who thought that this was

1:00:27a good idea and how out of touch they

1:00:29were with the community they were

1:00:30building it for.

1:00:32I'm not usually one that rejects change

1:00:34at all, but I've truly grieved the loss

1:00:36of this community meeting place and how

1:00:38it used to feel for my children.

1:00:41This is why we are fighting to bring

1:00:43back Weaver. We need these community

1:00:45meeting places because they keep the

1:00:47social fabric of our community vibrant

1:00:49and strong. We have lost so many in

1:00:52Helen. I hear the same grief in these

1:00:55comments that we've collected in our

1:00:57community survey that I hear from our

1:00:58community members talking about Helen.

1:01:01Asheville parks and wreck destroyed a

1:01:03playground just like Helen destroyed

1:01:05Carrier Park. Our city needs to redo the

1:01:08playground at Weaver Park and Asheville

1:01:10public parks and wreck needs to do

1:01:11better on future capital projects. Thank

1:01:14you. Thank you

1:01:20Sharon Summerl.

1:01:27Hello Mayor and council. Uh Sharon

1:01:29Summer representing the coalition

1:01:31national neighborhoods. So, um, Costco,

1:01:34the transparency was very difficult to

1:01:37follow what was going through with the

1:01:39new negotiations

1:01:40and it worried me that I couldn't track

1:01:43it through the normal processes through

1:01:45simplicity and I don't do social media.

1:01:48Sorry, but

1:01:50um I was able to get some information

1:01:52for a few phone calls, but I told

1:01:55everybody to wait when it got posted. So

1:01:57today it went on to uh the website and I

1:02:00was able to pull up what was going on

1:02:02with Costco. It's not going to the

1:02:04technical review committee and as you

1:02:06all know I was on TRC for six years and

1:02:09when it has the same PZ number and it

1:02:11hasn't changed it doesn't necessarily

1:02:13need to go back to TRC. If there's not

1:02:16major changes going on well I haven't

1:02:20had a chance to really look at it. I

1:02:22look at the project conditions because

1:02:24that tells me what's good and what's bad

1:02:26and um so I'm kind of sort of speaking

1:02:30from what I know and not know that are

1:02:32there major changes going on and should

1:02:34this gone back to technical review

1:02:36committee? I think it should have

1:02:38because that's how I find out and I tell

1:02:40the community when it goes to the review

1:02:42I get to listen so that we have comments

1:02:44that go to planning and zoning that

1:02:46we're armed with real information and

1:02:48not what we think. So what I got here on

1:02:50the uh project conditions is the tree

1:02:53canopy preservation shall be as shown on

1:02:56the site plan. No fee and loo payment

1:02:58shall be required. That's the first time

1:03:00that's ever happened that no fee and

1:03:02move has ever been required on any

1:03:04development. That sets a precedent for

1:03:06something like a uh data center wanting

1:03:09to come in and going well you did this

1:03:11for Costco. We want you to do this for

1:03:13us because the site currently contains

1:03:16no trees. I'm familiar with the site. I

1:03:18reviewed it for Amazon. I walked it. I

1:03:21talked to the people at the time. I know

1:03:23what it looks like. Um, compliance would

1:03:26requires uh extensive new planting. Yes,

1:03:28it would. To achieve a minimum required

1:03:31canopy coverage due to site constraints,

1:03:34including existing brown fields. You

1:03:36want to repreate a brown field, plant

1:03:38trees, and utility easement. Utility

1:03:42easement. You've got the pipe. You've

1:03:43got 10 feet on this side, 10 feet on

1:03:45that side. That's too many feet there.

1:03:47That whole It's not full of utilities,

1:03:49but you can plant around that proximity

1:03:52to Harmony Creek. Harmony Creek sits way

1:03:54down at the bottom of the uh uh I'm

1:03:58thinking of the Spanish for talking to

1:04:00one of my employees. The hill, it can be

1:04:02all planted. Existing infrastructure and

1:04:05project layout requirements, compliance

1:04:07with this requirement is not feasible.

1:04:10It's not feasible due to the design of

1:04:12the development. Amazon managed to get

1:04:15this complied with. I sat on the TRC for

1:04:19Costco the first time it went around.

1:04:21They didn't want to do this. You could

1:04:23see it in their faces. You could see on

1:04:25the staff report. And so what we've done

1:04:27is we've negotiated

1:04:30>> something that should be negotiated.

1:04:32>> Thank you.

1:04:32>> Miss Summer, will you please send that

1:04:34to me?

1:04:36>> Will you send that to me?

1:04:37>> Yes, I will. Thank you.

1:04:41Um, Bobby Skelton.

1:04:55Hello again.

1:04:57So we again we know I do not like being

1:05:00here. Uh to the city manager I

1:05:02definitely have to say me and my

1:05:04colleagues have reached out. We have

1:05:05asked for information about what the

1:05:07flock cameras are doing, who you're

1:05:09recording, all this kind of stuff. No

1:05:11response from me. What I'm hearing from

1:05:12actually everybody in here is people are

1:05:15contacting y'all and y'all ain't doing

1:05:17nothing. Y'all ain't responding to

1:05:18anybody. And that's not okay. That's not

1:05:20cool, man. So, you're still using the uh

1:05:23flock cameras on your bodies and

1:05:25dashboards. The 11 standstill cameras

1:05:28are still being they're up. They're

1:05:29still recording information and they're

1:05:31not covered. That's messed up. You said

1:05:33you cancel the contract. Which one is

1:05:35it? Pick a side. Number two, the city is

1:05:38also using other mass surveillance

1:05:40technology like Axon and other companies

1:05:42that the public is unaware of.

1:05:44Furthermore, many of you council members

1:05:46set up the meeting about cancelling

1:05:48flocks, stated that you didn't

1:05:49understand the nuances behind mass

1:05:51surveillance. Ha, that's hilarious. And

1:05:55you know why? Because every day I turn

1:05:56on the news, I see about how some cop is

1:05:59using flock or mass surveillance to

1:06:02stalk, track his ex-girlfriend,

1:06:04sometimes kidnap and rape her. What

1:06:06nuances do you need?

1:06:09I think that's about as clear as it

1:06:11gets. This technology is dangerous. It

1:06:13violates your Fourth Amendment rights.

1:06:15That includes all y'all and me and

1:06:17everybody else back here. You're

1:06:19violating people's rights and you got to

1:06:20stop that. It's nonsense. You got things

1:06:22you need to do. This lady over here said

1:06:24she's been trying to contact you for a

1:06:26year.

1:06:27For a year for you to fix a part of a

1:06:30road cuz it's dangerous. Come on, man.

1:06:34Y'all can do better. Maybe you can't.

1:06:36Maybe that's the problem. Maybe some of

1:06:37y'all out there do need to be replaced

1:06:38because you can't do any better. But

1:06:41here's the deal.

1:06:44We're all tired of it. Everybody in this

1:06:47city is tired of the inaction of the

1:06:49council members. You sit up there and

1:06:52you don't do anything.

1:06:54And we're sick of it. So start doing

1:06:56something cuz you're about to be all

1:06:58replaced.

1:07:02>> Gina Perez.

1:07:20Good evening, mayor,

1:07:23council members.

1:07:26My name is Gino.

1:07:29Asheville is short on workers.

1:07:33Inhome aids are scarce.

1:07:36Daycarees are without teachers

1:07:40and Mission Hospital had to recruit more

1:07:42than a third of its new nurses from

1:07:46outside western North Carolina.

1:07:50Asheville depends on workers who cannot

1:07:53afford to live here.

1:07:56Over 75% of the people employed in

1:07:58Asheville do not live in the city.

1:08:03Asheville makes the workers pay for the

1:08:06commute.

1:08:08That works while gas is cheap.

1:08:11[clears throat]

1:08:12But at what point is an Asheville

1:08:14paycheck

1:08:16no longer worth the drive?

1:08:20Those workers do not have to move into

1:08:23Asheville.

1:08:25They can take jobs closer to home.

1:08:29Building more units can lower rents,

1:08:33but it does not lower them to what an

1:08:36inhome aid can pay.

1:08:39Vacancy is not affordability.

1:08:45When workers cost more to hire and to

1:08:47keep,

1:08:49what does Asheville prioritize?

1:08:54Council cannot set private wages,

1:08:57but the city can lead with its own.

1:09:02You funded police vacancies.

1:09:06You raised firefighter pay.

1:09:09When art lacked drivers, council put

1:09:12more money into the contract for a $2 an

1:09:15hour raise.

1:09:18When a service cannot fail, you pay to

1:09:22staff it.

1:09:24for the rest of the city's workforce. Do

1:09:27the same.

1:09:31Today, arts contractor starts drivers at

1:09:3425 an hour.

1:09:37The city's pledge for full-time workers

1:09:39is 20.

1:09:422410

1:09:44is the local living wage.

1:09:48When money is limited, pay first the

1:09:52workers who keep this city running.

1:09:56A city costs what its labor costs.

1:10:04>> Thank you.

1:10:09>> Thank you. Um that concludes the folks

1:10:12that are signed up tonight under public

1:10:14comment. We do have a close session. Um,

1:10:18and I think do you have the close

1:10:19session motion? All right. If you would

1:10:21please read the close session motion.

1:10:25>> I move that the Asheville City Council

1:10:27go into closed session for the following

1:10:29reasons. One, to prevent disclosure of

1:10:32information that is privileged and

1:10:34confidential pursuant to the laws of

1:10:36North Carolina were not considered a

1:10:38public record within the meaning of

1:10:40chapter 132 of the general statutes. The

1:10:43statutory authorization is contained in

1:10:45North Carolina General Statute chapters

1:10:47143-318.11A1.

1:10:51The law that makes the information

1:10:53privileged and confidential is North

1:10:55Carolina General Statute Chapters

1:10:57143-318.10

1:10:5910 subsection E

1:11:02and two to establish or to instruct the

1:11:06city staff or negotiating agents

1:11:08concerning the position to be taken by

1:11:10or on behalf of the city in negotiating

1:11:12the price and other material terms of a

1:11:15contract or proposed contract for the

1:11:17acquisition of real property by purchase

1:11:20option exchange or lease.

1:11:23The statutory authorization is contained

1:11:25in North Carolina General Statute

1:11:26chapters 143-318.11

1:11:30subsection A5 and three to consult with

1:11:34an attorney employed or retained by the

1:11:37city about matters with respect to which

1:11:39the attorney client privilege between

1:11:40the city and its attorney must be

1:11:43preserved including but not limited to

1:11:46the handling of a settlement

1:11:48the handling or settlement of a claim.

1:11:51The statutory authorization is contained

1:11:54in North Carolina General Statute

1:11:55chapters 14318.11

1:11:59subsection A3.

1:12:01>> Oh, I was going to say.

1:12:04>> All right, we have a motion. Do we have

1:12:05a second?

1:12:06>> Second.

1:12:07>> All right. All those in favor, please

1:12:10say I.

1:12:11>> I.

1:12:12>> Any opposed? All right. Do we have a 6

1:12:14to0 vote to go into close session? We're

1:12:17going to adjourn from the close session.