Asheville City Council
March 25, 2025
Regular meeting
Helene recoveryWaterBudget and taxesPublic safetyOther City businessStreets and transit
The short version
16 decisions: 12 approved together in one consent-agenda vote, and 4 voted on separately. 4 votes split.
- Council accepts $71,999.
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
- Council approves an agreement for the current renewal and one additional year’s optional renewal for continuing Police Recruiting Services for the Asheville Police Department.
Council voted to approve an agreement with Safeguard Recruiting LLC for the current renewal and one additional year’s optional renewal for continuing Police Recruiting Services for the Asheville Police Department.
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
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 residents raised
The topics public speakers raised, as the minutes list them. These are residents' comments, not findings.
- advocacy for a constructive and collaborative solution to the proposed design-build I-26 Connector project
- appreciation for meaningful zoning changes
- suggested homelessness solutions
- CDBG-DR Action Plan
- need for legacy neighborhood overlay
- need for City Council to listen to its residents
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
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- “She asked if anyone shares her concern on these questions during this moment, especially the security of the data and privacy of our residents and the implications of how this federally-funded equipment might not be used exclusively by our staff.”
- “When I speak to the BIPOC, LGBTQ+ residents, and our unhoused neighbors, they are the most vulnerable to vigilante violence.”
- “I appreciate any dialogue that centers on how we protect and serve Asheville’s residents.”
Official title
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
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- What the City says it's for: “The funding will allow the purchase of 73 bulletproof vests over the two-year life of the grant.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept the 2024 Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant from the United States Department of Justice and adopt a budget amendment in the City’s Special Revenue Fund in the amount of $58,546.94.”
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
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Council voted to approve an agreement with Safeguard Recruiting LLC for the current renewal and one additional year’s optional renewal for continuing Police Recruiting Services for the Asheville Police Department.
Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.
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- “The items are low cost per unit, but APD occasionally must buy bulk quantities of items for sworn officers.”
- “Communication headsets for specialty units (i.e.”
Approved together on the consent agenda
12 items, approved in one vote without separate discussion. Any member can pull an item out for its own vote.
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- The money, in the minutes' words: “Public Works determined that the supplemental contract should have a not-to-exceed amount of $300,000 in order to be sufficient for the department’s TS Helene-related equipment rental needs.”
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.
- After the fact:
- Council approves something the City already did. This often happens in an emergency, when there's no time to wait for a meeting.
Council approves a contract with Mott McDonald I&e, LLC for the Pavement Condition Survey contract.
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- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Mott McDonald I&E, LLC in the not-to-exceed amount of $243,063.00 for a Pavement Condition Survey contract Background:”
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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Council voted to approve, after the fact, an emergency contract with Environmental Testing Solutions for the provision of lead and copper testing.
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.
- After the fact:
- Council approves something the City already did. This often happens in an emergency, when there's no time to wait for a meeting.
More
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.
- After the fact:
- Council approves something the City already did. This often happens in an emergency, when there's no time to wait for a meeting.
Council renews a contract for Irrigation maintenance services in City Parks.
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Council voted to renew its contract with K2 Irrigation of Asheville, NC for Irrigation maintenance services in City Parks.
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to authorize the City Manager to renew a service contract with K2 Irrigation Services, INC. of Asheville, NC for irrigation maintenance services in City Parks for a 3rd & final-year contract renewal of a not-to-exceed amount of $96,093.”
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.
Official title
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- What the City says it's for: “The loan agreement requires the City to create a separate fund for the loan proceeds, which therefore requires a budget amendment to also be adopted in order to transfer the loan proceeds to the FEMA project within the City’s Special Revenue Fund.”
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 amends the Tax Collection Agreement between Buncombe County and the City of Asheville.
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Council voted to amend the Tax Collection Agreement between Buncombe County and the City of Asheville related to the collection of taxes from the City of Asheville Downtown Business Improvement District (BID).
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.
Official title
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- What the City says it's for: “This contract provides revenue for the City of Asheville that is greater than the cost of services.”
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 an agreement for the purpose of Management of the Asheville Municipal Golf Course.
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Council voted to change its agreement with Commonwealth Golf Partners II - Asheville for the purpose of Management of the Asheville Municipal Golf Course.
- What the City says it's for: “The agreement with CGPA provides the City with the ability to dictate maintenance levels for the course and retain control of maximum allowable green fee and passholder rates.”
- “This current proposed amendment will adjust the following items within the agreement through the length of the term.”
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 donation of decommissioned EV chargers to Appalachian State University.
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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.
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Council voted to change its agreement with Mountain Projects and Expend and Disburse Federal Transit Administration Grants from Fiscal Year 2019 from Section 5307 Job Access Reverse Commute Funding.
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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- “The Helene Hazard Mitigation Program (HMGP) is funded by FEMA and is currently administered utilizing the state-centric model.”
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 March, 2025, as “Social Work Month”
“Councilman Hess read the proclamation proclaiming March, 2025, as “Social Work Month” in the City of Asheville.”
Proclamation proclaiming April, 2025, as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month”
“Councilwoman Ullman read the proclamation proclaiming April, 2025, as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month” in the City of Asheville.”
Stars Servin’ Up Love recognition
“Vice-Mayor Mosley said “If you build it, they will come…” This phrase indeed describes the efforts of a small group of Asheville locals who came together to forge a response to Hurricane Helene's generational weather damage.”
CONSENT AGENDA
12 consent-agenda items, approved together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Manager’s report
“City Manager Campbell said that today we honor and recognize the outstanding achievements/recognitions of a few of our exemplary City employees.”
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.