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BY THE RECORDASHEVILLE
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Asheville City Council

August 25, 2026

Regular meeting

Other City businessHousingHelene recoveryPublic safetyHomelessnessStreets and transitBudget and taxes

What it did

Votes recorded
26
Voted on separately
4
Routine items, one vote
22
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
Jump to a part of the meeting (12 times listed by the City)

These times and titles are the City's own, copied from the video description.

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. 22 routine items, passed together in one vote.

Public Hearings

  1. Public hearing to rezone 23 Heritage Drive from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to Highway Business District

    “Planner Clay Mitchell said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to rezone 23 Heritage Drive from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to Highway Business District.”

  2. Public hearings to consider an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to permit duplexes as an allowed primary use in all residential and certain mixed-use zoning districts; increase the maximum allowed size of accessory dwelling…

    “units, and eliminate off-street parking requirements All three public hearings were advertised on August 14 and 21, 2026.”

New Business

  1. Resolution calling for the City of Asheville’s Manager to terminate the City’s contract with Flock

    “Mayor Manheimer said that the City’s charter prohibits City Council directing the Asheville Police Department (APD) on how to do their job, but City Council appoints the City Manager and that is why the City Manager has been directed to terminate the Flock contract.”

Informal Discussion and Public Comment

  1. Public comment

    • request to make the Axon’s detailed price list available to the public
    • comments regarding the Asheville Rides Transit Comprehensive Operations Analysis
    • request to have 11 Collier Avenue be a priority for a preservation site
    • concern that there is no budget for strategic partnerships

Voted on separately

Each of these had its own motion and vote.

  1. Rezones 23 Heritage Dr from from Residential Multi-Family High Density (RM-16) to Highway Business (HB).

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “The subject property is currently split zoned along a line that follows from the zoning to the south of the subject parcel and divides the current parcel into HB and RM-16 zoning districts.”
    • “The subject property is currently in use by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (“ASPCA”).”
    • “Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and Other Plans: Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan (2018) The proposed rezoning supports the goals in the Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan, including: Encourage Responsible Growth - by ensuring that new development has the appropriate infrastructure to support it.”
  2. Duplex amendment: Council approved amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “Reduce minimum parking requirements for ADUs to 0 spaces/unit City staff held a stakeholder engagement event on May 20, 2026.”
    • “Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and Other Plans: Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan (2018) The proposed rezoning supports several goals in the Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan, including: Increase and Diversify the Housing Supply - by promoting zoning policies to encourage more housing.”
    • “Encourage Responsible Growth - by promoting small-scale residential units on residential lots with limits aimed at encouraging compatibility and creating flexibility within the planning, permitting, and construction process.”
  3. ADU amendment: Council approved amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “Vice-Mayor Mosley felt that the current maximum allowed size of an ADU is 800 square feet and this amendment would increase it to 1,000 square feet.”
    • “Councilman Hess respected the community and hoped we can all support the ADU amendment as proposed by staff.”

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 Buncombe County for Americans with Disabilities Paratransit Services for Fiscal Year 2027.

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Buncombe County for ADA Paratransit Services not to exceed $1,500,000 for Fiscal Year 2027.”
    • “This service is mandated under federal requirements to ensure complementary paratransit service within ¾ of a mile of fixed-route transit services.”
  2. Lets the City Manager amend the existing paratransit contract with Buncombe County to reflect an increase in funding for Fiscal Year 2026…

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Resolution No. 22-100 authorized a total of $1,242,622 in paratransit costs for Fiscal Year 2026 to be added to the contract.”
    • “This service is mandated under federal requirements to ensure complementary paratransit service within ¾ of a mile of fixed-route transit services.”
  3. Extends the contract with CDW-G for Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing Services.

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Move to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract renewal with CDW-G for $120,000, the contract total not to exceed $395,000..”
  4. Changes the contract with Fiserv (ByPass Mobile) for two additional years of license and software support at Harrah’s Cherokee Center…

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to amend the contract with Fiserv to extend for an additional two years and increase the amount by $50,000 for a new contract maximum amount of $287,911.”
  5. Approves, after the fact, an agreement with for Automatic Aid Service with Reems Creek Fire Department.

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

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “This agreement allows the City of Asheville to strengthen its standard of response and cover in the Beaverdam Valley, with the Reem’s Creek Fire Department as the most appropriate organization to provide the service.”
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution ratifying the renewal agreement for automatic aid service between the City of Asheville and Reems Creek Fire Department in an amount of $121,105.99.”
  6. Lets the City Manager execute a contract amendment with Walker Consultants for additional professional services related to the capital repairs…

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract amendment with Walker Consultants for additional professional services related to the capital repairs at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville and Biltmore Avenue parking garages in an amount not to exceed $108,600.”
  7. Lets the City Manager accept the U.S. Dept. of Justice 2025 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) 2025 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance (JAG) Grant and execute all documents associated with the grant, and to adopt a budget amendment in the City’s Special Revenue Fund in the amount of $80,898.00.”
    • “Buncombe County will use the funds to purchase new camera equipment, existing equipment conversions, external flashes, and new infrared equipment for the Crime Scene Unit (CSI).”
  8. Lets the City Manager execute the 2026- 2027 Buncombe County Funding Agreement for the allocation of funds to support the City…

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Buncombe County is again providing support through the CAYLA program, with a funding agreement totaling $65,000 for CAYLA activities.”
  9. Budget amendment.

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion to adopt a budget amendment in the amount of $15,000 to accept and appropriate the Duke Energy Emergency Response Grant for the purchase of forest fire protection shelters.”
  10. Applies for funding from the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality Division of Waste Management…, and accepts it if awarded.

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

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “This application will focus on those unmet needs.”
  11. Lets the City Manager execute (1) a contract amendment for the annual payment to Buncombe County for the Public Safety Interoperability System…

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

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The requested contract amendment will allow staff to encumber those amounts in the City’s financial system.”
  12. Adopts the Buncombe-Madison Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

    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.