Asheville City Council
July 28, 2020
Regular meeting
Other City businessStreets and transitHomelessnessHousingBudget and taxes
What it did
- Changes the zoning conditions for 135 and 137 Broad Street from CB-I (Community Business I) and CB-I CZ (Community Business I Conditional Zone) to CB-I CZ (Community Business I Conditional Zone).Passed. Voted no: Sheneika Smith.
- Rezones 99999 Courtland Avenue from Urban Village (UV) to Residential Single-family, High Density (RS-8).Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Rezones 61 Innovation Drive, with conditions, from Commercial Industrial to Institutional Conditional Zone.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Authorizes submission of the City’s Annual Action Plan for 2020-2021 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Votes recorded
- 11
- Voted on separately
- 5
- Routine items, one vote
- 6
- Votes that split
- 1
Why it matters
Regular meetings are where Council votes on laws, the budget, contracts and zoning. Routine items pass together in one vote, called the consent agenda.
The recording
Everything on the agenda
From the minutes, in the order the City lists them. Each item's first lines are the minutes' own words.
PROCLAMATIONS
Resolution of appreciation to Vijay Kapoor
CONSENT AGENDA
6 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Manager’s Report - 30/60/90 Day Work Plan
“City Manager Campbell explained her presentation overview: (1) Over the next several months, as part of my Manager’s report, I will update Council and the community on our 30/60/90 Day Work Plan; (2) The 30/60/90 Day Work Plan was developed in response to numerous requests from the Black Asheville…”
City Council vacancy anticipated timeline
“Mayor Manheimer said that Councilman Vijay Kapoor is moving out of state with his family and has resigned from his Council seat, effective August 2020.”
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Ordinance to rezone property located at 99999 Courtland Avenue, 99999 Woodside Place, and 99999 Gudger Street from Urban Village to RS-8 Residential Single-family High Density district 7-28-20: page 11
“Mayor Manheimer said that this public hearing was held on July 14, 2020, and in accordance with recent legislation amending North Carolina G.S. § 166A-19.24(e), regarding public hearings conducted during remote meetings, written comments for this public hearing were accepted for an additional 24 hours.”
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public Hearing to consider an amendment to a previously approved conditional zoning at 137 Broad Street from Community Business i to Community Business I/Conditional Zone to include an adjacent parcel for the construction of a new…
“Principal Planner Shannon Tuch said that this is the consideration of an amendment to a previously approved conditional zoning at 137 Broad Street from Community Business I to Community Business I/Conditional Zone to include an adjacent parcel for the construction of a new mixed-use building.”
Public Hearing relative to amending the Unified Development Ordinance to update open space requirements
“Councilman Young moved to continue the public hearing to amend the Unified Development Ordinance to update open space standards until August 25, 2020.”
Public Hearing to solicit comments for the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Act funds Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2020-21
“Community Development Director Paul D’Angelo said that this is the consideration of a resolution authorizing submission of the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Act funds Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development.”
Public Hearing to consider conditionally rezoning property located at 61 Innovation Drive from Commercial Industrial District to Institutional District/Conditional Zone, along with a change in the Future Land Use Map from…
“Principal Planner Shannon Tuch said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to conditionally rezone property located at 61 Innovation Drive from Commercial Industrial District to Institutional District/Conditional Zone, along with a change in the Future Land Use Map from…”
Public Hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget
“Assistant Finance Director Tony McDowell said that this is the public hearing on the City of Asheville Fiscal Year 2020-21 Annual Operating Budget and inclusion of public input in City Council’s consideration of the budget.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
- defunding the Asheville Police Department (APD) by at least 50% and invest in the Black community
- the demand for defunding the APD is not something new and has been asked for for years
- requiring advanced live call-ins make it difficult for public engagement
- disappointment in limiting public comment on the budget to 2 minutes
- Councilman Kapoor should resign immediately in order to have a special election
- concern City Council is talking about amending the budget differently than what was presented before public comment was opened
- lack of trust of City Council members
- City cares more about tourists than residents as seen by the number of potholes and conditions of streets in the neighborhoods outside of downtown
- ban the use of tear gas
- institute a hiring freeze in the APD
- support Black Asheville demands
- support of remote Council meetings
- prioritize Black community needs
- APD officers should be held accountable for the use of tear gas and tearing down the medical tent and supplies
- request Mayor Manheimer resign
- Council should appoint new Council member now and then have that person resign after the elections, leaving that seat open for the 4th highest vote-getter
- do a Request for Proposals to hire an equity consultant on the entire budget
- Office of Equity & Inclusion should report directly to the City Council
- VIII
- Vote: Changes the zoning conditions for 135 and 137 Broad Street from CB-I (Community Business I) and CB-I CZ (Community Business I Conditional Zone) to CB-I CZ (Community Business I Conditional Zone).
- Vote: Authorizes submission of the City’s Annual Action Plan for 2020-2021 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Vote: Rezones 61 Innovation Drive, with conditions, from Commercial Industrial to Institutional Conditional Zone.
- Vote: Motion to approve the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Annual Operating Budget that provides 3-months funding for all City departments.
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Voted no: Sheneika Smith.
What's planned: “The construction of a new mixed-use building”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
What's planned: “Use of temporary buildings”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
Outcome as recorded in the minutes.
Routine items, passed together
The consent agenda: items Council approves in one vote, without separate discussion. A member can ask to pull an item out for its own vote.
Changes the budget to establish a budget in the City’s Special Revenue Fund beginning in Fiscal…
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The amendment will simply allow staff to consolidate all expenses in a single project in the City’s Special Revenue Fund.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “To be in compliance with this guidance, staff is recommending City Council approve a budget amendment in the amount of $943,771 to establish a budget for the City’s CRF funding in the Special Revenue Fund.”
- “Since operation of the shelter began, the City has been utilizing existing budget authorization within the Affordable Housing Project in the City’s General Capital Projects Fund.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This project is being paid with funds from the Green Savings Account and will deplete most of the current account balance.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with MB Haynes Corporation DBA Haynes Solar in the amount of $788,835, for the Aggregated Solar Projects; further authorizing the City Manager to execute any change orders that may arise during the project up to the contingency amount of $78,884 (10%).”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “The City was approached by the Land Resources Manager of Riverlink with an offer to donate a 0.10 acre lot at the corner of Gash Farm Road and Azalea Road.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Appoints members to the Vance Monument Task Force.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
The plain-language lines are written by fixed rules from each item's official title, which is on each decision's page. Every vote the minutes record is listed; procedural motions, like approving the minutes or adjourning, are left out.