Asheville City Council
May 26, 2020
Regular meeting
Other City businessBudget and taxesStreets and transitHousing
What it did
- Approves the 2020 General Obligation Bond Draw Program.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Approves the request by Beaucatcher Vista LLC to borrow funds from the Housing Trust Fund.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Lets the City Manager approve selection of a contractor to provide supplemental transit service in the City of Asheville transit area.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Lets the City Manager execute a contract amendment with Mattern & Craig Inc. for the new hawcreek bond sidewalk project.Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Votes recorded
- 14
- Voted on separately
- 1
- Routine items, one vote
- 13
- 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
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
13 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Presentation of the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget
“City Manager Campbell was pleased to present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 Annual Operating Budget.”
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearing to consider a Land Use Incentive Grant 2 Restaurant Court rental community, Beaucatcher Vista LLC
“On May 12, 2020, the public hearing was continued to this date.”
Public hearing to consider a Land Use Incentive Grant for Tribute Development Collier Avenue Apartments
“Community Development Program Director Paul D’Angelo said that this is the consideration of a resolution granting a land use incentive grant for Tribute Development Collier Avenue Apartments.”
Public hearing to amend the 2019-20 U.S. dept. of housing and urban development annual action plan
“Vice-Mayor Wisler moved to continue the public hearing to amend the 2019-20 U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development Annual Action Plan to June 9, 2020.”
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…
“Councilman Young moved to continue this 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 mixed-use building until July 28, 2020.”
Public hearing relative to amending the Unified Development Ordinance to update open space requirements
“Councilman Young moved to continue this public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend the Unified Development Ordinance to update open space requirements until June 23, 2020.”
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution No. 20- 96- resolution approving a Housing Trust Fund loan award for 2 Restaurant Court rental community, Beaucatcher Vista LLC
“Director of Community Development Programs Paul D’Angelo said that this is consideration of support of a request by Beaucatcher Vista LLC to utilize the Housing Trust Fund to construct affordable rental housing at the property located at 2 Restaurant Court.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
“5-26-20 Page 24 Five voicemail comments were received, four of which were concerned about fireworks in west Asheville; and one opposing the re-opening of non-essential businesses during COVID-19.”
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Approves the request by Beaucatcher Vista LLC to borrow funds from the Housing Trust Fund.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
Who it's for: Households earning 60% to 80% of the area median income: $61,440 to $81,920 a year for a family of four (HUD's 2026 income limits for tax-credit housing in the Asheville area).
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The loan will be structured to require full repayment of principal and interest (accruing at 2% annually) over a term of 20-years.”
- “The Collier Development, while not required, offers no parking for its residents and can add to the individual or family transportation costs.”
- “Kirk Booth d/b/a as Beaucatcher Vista LLC has proposed the development of a 40-unit, 100% affordable multifamily property on a 1.31 acre parcel located at 2 Restaurant Court (PIN #9658-08-2350) in Asheville directly off of Tunnel Road.”
- “All 40 units are intended to be 1 bedrooms, with 30 of the units set aside for households at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and the remaining 10 for 80% AMI households.”
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.
Approves the 2020 General Obligation Bond Draw Program.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The program allows the City to draw down funds as they are needed during the construction of projects (24-59 months).”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution directing the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to pursue debt financing for capital projects with a draw program that includes the issuance of interim, variable rate General Obligation Bonds (GOs) in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000.”
- “Funds are included in the City’s FY 2020-2021 proposed debt service budget to cover these costs.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The contract will provide service 12-hours per day to cover peak ridership times, primarily on the 3 routes that were previously cut.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The contract is for a not-to-exceed amount of $962,000.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This amendment to the design services contract will include additional survey as well as additional drainage and retaining wall design required for constructing on the west side of Haw Creek.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The City originally entered into a contract in the amount of $573,725 for Bond Sidewalk Bundle B design services (Resolution 17-261, dated November 27, 2017), and later expanded the scope of services to meet the requirements the Federal grants that were awarded to supplement the project budgets.”
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 HIDTA program is to reduce drug trafficking and production in the United States, specifically in areas where drug related activities are having a significant harmful impact.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “ORDINANCE NO. 4805 - BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE 2020 HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS GRANT Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution to apply for and accept the 2020 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Grant; and adopt a budget amendment in the City’s Special Revenue Fund in the amount of $285,416.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The contract allows for additional signage purchases to be made as funding is available in order to expand the system.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with GMV Syncromatics in an amount not to exceed $188,068 to provide digital real-time arrival/departure signage at the downtown transit center. 5-26-20 Page 4 Background:”
- “The City of Asheville is currently in the process of renovating various aspects of the downtown transit station at 49 Coxe Ave.”
Signs a contract with Loomis Armored US, LLC for armored carrier service.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Approval for a contract between the City and Loomis Armored US, LLC, a cash pickup & delivery service, in an amount not to exceed $160,000 over a five year period.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The contract expired in February 2020 and the requested additional funds would allow Parking Services to pay for services through May 31, 2020.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to amend the existing parking garage call center contract (# 91700296) with Parker Technology, Inc., increasing the total value of the contract to $91,000, and to extend the contract until May 31, 2020.”
Makes technical changes to the budget.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a technical budget amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 General Fund (2100 Fund) budget in the amount of $22,445,994 to account for the refunding component of the 2018 General Obligation (GO) Bond draw program.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “City is receiving unbudgeted revenue for the easement in the amount of $4,820.”
- “The City was approached by a local developer who is building a new phase of the Hawthorne at Haywood Apartments and needed a connection to the nearest Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) sewer line.”
- “The easement being requested is approximately 100 linear feet long and is 20 feet wide.”
- “Project will bring much needed rental units to the Asheville area.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This project will replace roofing systems throughout the 1960's building and complete structural masonry repairs.”
Signs a contract with Esri Inc. for GIS Software Maintenance.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This new contract would allow the City of Asheville to continue building an award-winning GIS program using Esri software for GIS dashboards, Map Asheville, the open data program, water utility management, Public Works asset management, Equity mapping and storytelling, and other initiatives.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Appoints Vice-Mayor Wisler to the represent the City of Asheville on the Friends of Fonta…
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “The Board of Directors is currently being formed and will be made up of elected officials, economic development officials, and trail builders from the three county area.”
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.