Asheville City Council
April 11, 2023
Regular meeting
WaterOther City businessStreets and transitHousing
The short version
9 decisions: 8 approved together in one consent-agenda vote, and 1 voted on separately.
- Council approves the issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville of up to $11,855,000 of multifamily housing revenue bonds.
Council voted to approve the issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville of up to $11,855,000 of multifamily housing revenue bonds to provide financing for Laurel Wood Apartments to satisfy Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The short version is picked by a fixed rule, never by the order of the minutes: split votes and failed motions first, then changes to a program, a service or who qualifies, then the largest amounts, then budgets, zoning, laws and fees. Schedules, appointments, event permits and tax refunds come last.
The recording and the record
What changes
Only what the record supports for each item, and what's still pending.
- Council approves the issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville of up to $11,855,000 of multifamily housing revenue bonds.
Still pending, in the minutes' words: “Staff notes that approval does not obligate the City in any way to issue or pay for the bonds, or for any debt taken on by the developer.”
- Council approves applying for a grant related to Pack Square plaza from the Mellon Foundation.
Still pending: This is a request. The City gets the money only if the grant is awarded.
What residents raised
The topics public speakers raised, as the minutes list them. These are residents' comments, not findings.
- suggestion to change the municipal elections system
- need to look at different modes of transportation, with suggestion of a solar powered raised rail system
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
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Council voted to approve an Annexation Agreement with the Town of Woodfin designating the 96.15+/- property as described in the staff report, a non-contiguous area, as not subject to annexation by the City of Asheville.
Approved together on the consent agenda
8 items, approved in one vote without separate discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
Who it's for: Households earning up to 80% of the area median income: up to $81,920 a year for a family of four, or $57,360 for one person (HUD's 2026 income limits for tax-credit housing in the Asheville area).
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Council voted to approve the issuance by the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville of up to $11,855,000 of multifamily housing revenue bonds to provide financing for Laurel Wood Apartments to satisfy Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Still pending, in the minutes' words: “Staff notes that approval does not obligate the City in any way to issue or pay for the bonds, or for any debt taken on by the developer.”
- “The existing 51 units are all one-bedroom and are located within one building that was built in 1999.”
- “The 54 new units will be located in a new building to be constructed on site and will include 42 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units.”
- “All 105 units in the development will be rent and income restricted at 40,50,60 and 80% of area median income.”
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
- Bonds:
- Bonds are loans the City pays back over many years, with interest.
Council approves applying for a grant related to Pack Square plaza from the Mellon Foundation.
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Still pending: This is a request. The City gets the money only if the grant is awarded.
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution to authorize the City Manager to apply for a grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project in an amount up to $3,000,000.”
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
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- What the City says it's for: “The contract is expected to be available on May 1, 2023, and the contractor has until December 15, 2023 to complete the work.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Tarheel Paving and Asphalt, Inc. in the amount of $2,329,446.76, plus a 15% contingency of $349,417.00 ($2,678,863.76 total) for the FY 2023 Asphalt Resurfacing contract.”
- “The main scope of the project is the resurfacing of 14 street segments on 13 streets for a total of 6.0 miles.”
- “The award of this contract will resurface 6.0 miles of City streets.”
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
- Fiscal year:
- The City's budget year runs from July 1 to June 30. Fiscal year 2027 runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
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Council voted to accept the American Rescue Plan act funds for a pre-construction study for the North Fork and william debruhl treatment study and plant improvements.
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
Council approves an agreement with CDM Smith for the North Fork and william debruhl treatment study.
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What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
Council approves the sale of one 1992 fire pumper truck and one 2006 stormwater Vacuum Truck.
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Council voted to approve the sale of one 1992 fire pumper truck and one 2006 stormwater Vacuum Truck which are beyond their useful life and deemed surplus.
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
Council approves a contract for the Tempie Avery Montford Center Boiler Replacement project.
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Council voted to approve a contract with Bolton Construction and Services of WNC Inc. for the Tempie Avery Montford Center Boiler Replacement project.
- “The new dual boiler system allows for one unit to be serviced while the other continues to provide heat to the facility.”
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
Council changes its meeting schedule.
More
Council voted to change its meeting schedule to add remote city Council agenda briefing worksessions (pursuant to N.C. gen. stat. sec. 143-318.13) beginning at 11:00 A.M. on the 1st and 3rd thursdays of each month (except for the months of june and november which agenda briefing worksessions will be held on the 2nd and 4th thursday of each month; and except for July 6, August 3 and December 21 due to formal meeting cancellations).
What that means
- Consent agenda:
- Routine items Council approves together in one vote, without discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
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
Proclamation proclaiming April 2023 as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month”
“Mayor Manheimer read the proclamation proclaiming April, 2023, as "Parkinson’s Awareness Month " in the City of Asheville.”
Proclamation proclaiming April 2023 as “Food Waste Reduction Month”
“Councilwoman Ullman read the proclamation proclaiming April, 2023, as "Food Waste Reduction Month " in the City of Asheville.”
CONSENT AGENDA
8 consent-agenda items, approved together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Asheville Board of Alcoholic Control annual report
“Chair of the Asheville Board of Alcoholic Control (ABC) Robin Cape said that they are responsible for the sale of liquor.”
Manager’s report - capital improvement program update
“Capital Projects Director Jade Dundas said that the key takeaways from this presentation will be (1) Public engagement remains a top priority for capital construction projects; (2) Bond projects highlighted in today’s presentation will require future Council action in order to maintain project…”
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearing to consider an ordinance to approve an Annexation Agreement between the City of Asheville and the Town of Woodfin designating three non-contiguous parcels desiring to annex into Woodfin as not subject to annexation by the…
“Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to approve an annexation agreement between the City of Asheville and Town of Woodfin designating three non-contiguous parcels desiring to annex into Woodfin as not subject to annexation by the City of Asheville.”
Public hearing relative to adoption of the south slope: a southside neighborhood vision plan
“Councilwoman Mosley moved to continue this public hearing until June 13, 2023.”
NEW BUSINESS
Boards & commissions
“Regarding the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee (HIAC), the following individuals applied for the vacancy: Elena Mansour, William Hansen, Cristy Streeter, Luke Rose, Jason Pickering, Sarah Frances Edgens, Michael Reardon, Jordan Mayhew, Kathleen Beane, Tyler Mudd, Paul Tay and Ginna Reid.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
Summaries are written by hand from the minutes, and every number and name in them is checked against the minutes' own words. An item not written yet shows a summary built by fixed rules from its official title. Every item shows its official title. Procedural motions, like approving the agenda or adjourning, are left out.