Asheville City Council
May 25, 2021
Regular meeting
Other City businessPublic safetyStreets and transitHomelessnessHousingBudget and taxes
What it did
- Approves the purchase of real property at 50 Asheland Avenue for the purposes of advancing racial and socioeconomic equity within our community through…Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Approves the rescission of the Housing Trust Fund loan previously awarded to the Juna Group…Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Lets the City Manager ratify a series of contracts/contract amendments to support emergency non-congregate homeless shelter at local hotels for people experiencing…Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
- Approves a budget amendment.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Votes recorded
- 9
- Voted on separately
- 2
- 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
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
7 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS
Presentation of the Fiscal Year 2021-22 annual operating budget
“City Manager Campbell said that it was only a few months ago that Council approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 budget.”
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearing relative to amending the unified development ordinance to update open space requirements
“Councilwoman Turner moved to continue this public hearing until September 14, 2021.”
Public hearing to rezone property located at 99999 Glendale Avenue from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to CI Commercial Industrial District and to amend the Future Land Use Map from Traditional Neighborhood to urban…
“CORRIDOR Principal Planner Shannon Tuch said that this is the consideration of rezoning property located at 99999 Glendale Avenue from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to CI Commercial Industrial District and amend the Future Land Use Map from Traditional Neighborhood to Urban Corridor.”
Public hearing to amend Unified Development Ordinance Articles III, v, vi and VII related to decision making, administrative and advisory bodies and related functions, in order to bring the City’s development code into alignment with…
“Principal Planner Shannon Tuch said that this is the consideration of amending Unified Development Ordinance Articles III, V, VI and VII related to decision making, administrative and advisory bodies and related functions, in order to bring the City’s development code into 5-25-21 Page 12 alignment…”
Public hearing to consider an amendment to articles II and xvi of the unified development ordinance to update definitions and regulations related to homestays: when
“Councilwoman Roney asked if it were possible to move the public hearing up earlier than September 28 if the motion passes, City Attorney Branham said that due to the summer schedule of Council meetings, it may be possible; however, the meetings will be very heavy.”
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution authorizing the purchase of property at 50 Asheland Avenue to ratify a grant agreement with Dogwood Health Trust which provides funding in the amount of $1.25 Million
“Due to a conflict of interest, Councilwoman Turner moved to recuse Mayor Manheimer from this discussion.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
- as we move away from virtual meetings, find a way for public comment to be easier
- press forward with speed on reparation initiatives
- need for urban forester
- concern about property tax rate increase especially for black and brown communities
- thankful for the removal of the Vance Monument
- defund the Asheville Police Department and reinvest back into the community
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “As noted earlier in the staff report, funding for the purchase will come from the general fund in the amount of $1,325,000 (however, in the alternative we can use land banking funds from the bond funds), and $1,250,000 from the Dogwood Health Trust.”
- “a larger mixed-use development to include affordable housing, commercial uses, and other public institutional spaces, and”
- “advance racial equity through being intentional and inclusive in the development, construction and defined uses of the property (e.g. through proposed partnerships with community land trusts, community space, and a “Purpose Built” type structure around the goals and intentions of the property, etc.)”
- “Quality affordable housing to lower income individuals and families”
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.
Approves the rescission of the Housing Trust Fund loan previously awarded to the Juna Group…
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Request to rescind the Housing Trust Fund award of $1,100,000 as requested by Juna Group Inc.”
- “The award was to develop eleven, for-sale, affordable homes at Alice Clement Lane.”
- “The developer has since requested to return the Housing Trust Fund award citing the increased price for materials and labors which has made it no longer possible to build and sell to individuals and families at or below 100% Area Median Income (AMI) per the Housing Trust Fund guidelines and remain profitable.”
- “Increasing construction costs are making it difficult for all developers to add affordable housing units.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Allocate funds from the American Rescue Plan in the Special Revenue Fund in the amount of $438,000 for a series of contracts / contract amendments for homeless non-congregate housing interventions at local hotels.”
Signs a contract with PBMares, LLP for auditing City accounts for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2021.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “The maximum total fee amount of $125,800 for the annual audit is budgeted in the Internal Audit operating budget.”
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 $16,000 from a donation from the Rotary Club of Asheville-Biltmore, the Rotary Club of Arden, and the Montford Neighborhood Association for bus stop improvements, and allocate the funds to the Transit Capital Fund budget.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Clare Avenue and to submit payment to NCDOT in the amount of $7,500 upon partial execution of the agreement by the City.”
Changes the contract with Curbside Management Inc. for the recycling collection program.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- “The City contracts with Curbside Management to provide recycling collection and processing services for City residents and City facilities.”
- “The current contractor, Curbside Management, will continue to provide the same recycling services at an affordable rate.”
- “Ensures continuity of recycling collection services to City residents during uncertain times.”
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 fifty-five cameras with new cameras.”
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.