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BY THE RECORDASHEVILLE
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Asheville City Council

March 26, 2024

Regular meeting

Streets and transitWaterOther City businessPublic safetyHousingBudget and taxes

What it did

Votes recorded
11
Voted on separately
4
Routine items, one vote
7
Votes that split
0

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

From the City of Asheville's YouTube channel. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.Open on YouTube
Agenda Minutes The City's meeting page

Everything on the agenda

From the minutes, in the order the City lists them. Each item's first lines are the minutes' own words.

CONSENT AGENDA

  1. 7 routine items, passed together in one vote.

PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS

  1. Findings of Cease the Harm Audit

    “Adrian Carter, Project Lead with Carter Development Group, provided the following key takeaways from his presentation as follows: (1) The Community Reparations Commission acted in December 2022, recommending that the City of Asheville and Buncombe County audit internal and external policies,…”

  2. Business Improvement District presentation

    “Austin Walker, Immediate Past Chair of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, explained what a Business Improvement District (BID) is.”

  3. Affordable housing plan presentation by Enterprise Community Partners

    “Jerah Smith, representative of Enterprise Community Partners, said his key takeaways from this presentation are (1) Affordable housing plan work is underway and in alignment with the community's and Council's vision; (2) Based on the research and engagement to-date, Enterprise has generated four…”

PUBLIC HEARINGS

  1. Public hearing to consider the conditional zoning of 21 London Road from commercial industrial district to Residential Expansion - Conditional Zone and to amend the Future Land Use map from industrial/manufacturing to urban corridor 3-26-24

    “Page 18 At the applicant’s request, Councilwoman Mosley moved to continue this public hearing until May 28, 2024.”

  2. Public hearing to consider an amendment to the conditional zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 4723) for 1568 Brevard Road to make changes to the overall Site plan and development proposal

    “Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an amendment to the conditional zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 4723) for 1568 Brevard Road to make changes to the overall site plan and development proposal.”

  3. Public hearing to amend the Unified Development Ordinance limiting land Uses allowed within home occupations: Assistant Planning & urban development

    “Adoption of a zoning text amendment to revise Section 7-16-1(b)38 of the Unified Development Ordinance in order to update supplemental requirements for home occupations.”

NEW BUSINESS

  1. Ordinance adopting Fiscal Year 2025 Fees & Charges

    “Budget Manager Taylor Floyd said that this is the consideration of an ordinance adopting Fiscal Year 2025 Fees & Charges.”

  2. Resolution to approve the 2024 City Council Legislative Agenda and to direct the City Attorney to provide the resolution to the members of our local delegation

    “City Attorney Branham said that this is the consideration of a resolution to approve the 2024 City Council Legislative Agenda and to direct the City Attorney to provide the resolution to the members of our local delegation.”

INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT

  1. Public comment

    • truck traffic on Maxwell Street
    • request to condemn all antisemitism speech
    • request for Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
    • the Cease the Harm Audit showed insufficient data driven practices to determine the level of Black participation in County and City opportunities

Voted on separately

Each of these had its own motion and vote.

  1. Approves a zoning change, with conditions, for 1568 Brevard Rd.

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    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).

    More from the minutes
    • “He said that staff concurs with the Planning & Zoning Commission and recommends approval of the proposed conditional zoning.”
    • “It represents a unique opportunity to address two of our communities high goals - preservation of a significant area along the french broad river; and allow one significant development focused on affordable housing to move forward.”
    • “They are committed to making a minimum of 20% of the renter-occupied and owner-occupied residential units designated affordable to those earning at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).”

  2. Changes City law, Chapter 7 of the City Code.

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “Removal of the requirement for one additional off-street parking space is supported by current Urban Planning practices and the provision requiring an additional off-street parking space is problematic for homes in the City without access to off-street parking.”
    • “Simplifies and updates the requirements for home occupations so that residents may more easily understand and comply with said regulations.”
    • “Many homes in the City do not have access to enclosed garages.”

  3. Changes the City's fees and charges for Fiscal Year 2024-25, with the amendment to raise on-street hourly parking…

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “Councilwoman Roney said that she has regularly voted against fees & charges because she was concerned that residents were subsiding the largest accounts while we didn’t invest enough in our infrastructure.”
    • “If you work downtown, please check out the Affordable Parking Program through Buncombe County.”

  4. Approves the 2024 City Council Legislative Agenda and to direct the City Attorney to provide the resolution to the members of our local…

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

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.

  1. Signs a contract with Tarheel Paving and Asphalt Inc. for the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Asphalt Resurfacing contract.

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The award of this contract will result in the resurfacing of 5.01 miles of City streets.”
    • 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 $2,527,521.27, plus a 15% contingency of $379,128.19 ($2,906,649.46 total) for the FY 2023-24 Asphalt Resurfacing contract.”
    • “The main scope of the project is the resurfacing of 13 streets for a total of 5.01 miles.”

  2. Changes the contract with TDA Consulting to support the Community development block grant and HOME programs administration.

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “This change order will complete the scope of work for this contract.”
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “With contract amendments, staff has now fully expended the funds for the existing contract totaling $86,500.”
    • “Quality affordable housing”

  3. Changes the budget by $107,251 to add funds to the agreement with the N.C. dept. of Transportation…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The agreement required the City to provide additional funding if the actual cost was above the original estimate.”
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a budget amendment to add an additional $29,501.12 to the agreement between the City of Asheville and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, for a total cost of $107,251.12, for the purpose of funding the construction of the sidewalk on Amboy Road bridge.”

  4. Lets the City Attorney condemn one waterline easement at 11 Milkweed Way.

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The purpose of the subject project is to increase water capacity and reliability by replacing an existing 6 inch cast-iron waterline with an 8 inch ductile iron waterline.”

  5. Sets new speed limits, including 10 miles per hour on Battery Park Alley from Battery Park Avenue to Page Avenue.

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • “City staff received requests from residents to consider changes to the speed limits for the speed limits listed with this Council action.”

  6. Lets the City Attorney condemn an easement needed for the Hominy Creek Greenway.

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

  7. Amends Sections 2-111 through 2-130 of the Asheville City Code of Ordinances to dissolve the Asheville Police…

    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.