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BY THE RECORDASHEVILLE
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Asheville City Council

January 24, 2023

Regular meeting

Other City business

What it did

Votes recorded
6
Voted on separately
2
Routine items, one vote
4
Votes that split
1

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.

PROCLAMATIONS

  1. Proclamation proclaiming February 2023 as “Black History and Legacy Month”

    “Mayor Manheimer read the proclamation proclaiming February, 2023, as "Black History and Legacy Month" in the City of Asheville.”

  2. Proclamation proclaiming February 4, 2023, as “Rosa Parks/Transit Equity Day”

    “Councilwoman Ullman read the proclamation proclaiming February 4, 2023, as "Rosa Parks/Transit Equity Day" in the City of Asheville.”

CONSENT AGENDA

  1. 4 routine items, passed together in one vote.

PRESENTATIONS & REPORTS

  1. Manager’s report - point in time count

    “Homeless Strategy Division Manager Emily Ball said that our community's annual Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness is coming up Tuesday, January 31, 2023.”

PUBLIC HEARINGS

  1. Public hearing to amend a previously approved conditional zoning approval (Ordinance No. 4853) for property located at 264 Enka Heritage Parkway to make Site plan and Layout changes

    “Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to amend a conditionally approved conditional zoning approval (Ordinance No. 4853) for property located at 264 Enka Heritage Parkway to make site plan and layout changes, currently zoned Commercial Expansion - Conditional Zone.”

NEW BUSINESS

  1. Resolution authorizing the City Manager to develop a Scope of Work for an official audit in response to the Community Reparations Commission’s Immediate Recommendation to cease harm impacting the African American Community: equity

    “Director Brenda Mills said that this is the consideration of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to develop a scope of work for an official audit in response to the Community Reparations Commission’s Immediate Recommendation to cease harm impacting the African American community.”

  2. Affirmation of independent Review Committee membership which will analyze events and circumstances related to the recent water outage

    “Assistant City Manager Ben Woody said this is the consideration of affirming an independent review committee (IRC) membership which will analyze events and circumstances related to the recent water outage Background:”

INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT

  1. Public comment

    • 1883 Asheville highlights
    • concern of Plugged-In Productions holding amplified musical events at Hazel Robinson Theatre
    • update on the Realignment Working Group on Boards & Commissions
    • how homelessness is a housing problem and the need to address the root cause of homelessness

Voted on separately

Each of these had its own motion and vote.

  1. Signs an agreement with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for the use of the Fusus real-time criminal intelligence camera system.

    Passed. Voted no: Kim Roney.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The ordinance would require a Surveillance Impact Report prior to new technologies being adopted as well as a Surveillance Use Policy, neither of which have been provided as of this writing to my knowledge.”
    • “Beginning in FY24, annual funding will need to be included in the Manager’s Proposed Budget.”
    • “A proposed ordinance was provided from the ACLU “An Act to Promote Transparency and Protect Civil Rights and Civil Liberties with respect to Surveillance Technology” which they hoped Council would adopt.”

  2. Approves a zoning change, with conditions, for 264 Enka Heritage Pkwy zoned Commercial Expansion - Conditional Zone (COM EXP-CZ)…

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “At this time the number of proposed employees is unknown so no determination of minimum and maximum parking spaces can be made.”
    • “The project proposes 10 foot-wide sidewalks throughout the site.”
    • “The proposed Enka Heritage Greenway is planned to cross the property along the western boundary of the project area and will include a 10 foot-wide paved greenway, a 15 foot-wide maintenance easement, and a 25 foot-wide construction easement.”

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 Perses Consulting LLC for the citywide Emergency Operations and the Continuity of Operations Plans.

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

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “1-24-23 Page 3 Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Perses Consulting, LLC in the amount of $200,000 to provide consulting services for the citywide emergency operations and continuity of operations plans.”
    • “The proposed timeline to complete the plans is approximately eight months.”

  2. Updates Appendix g of the Code of Ordinances identifying Recreational Facilities where concealed handguns are prohibited.

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

  3. Sells one 2012 Autocar Garbage Truck deemed surplus City Personal Property.

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

  4. Signs a contract with Walker Consultants for facility assessment and pre-design services for the Parking Garage Capital Repairs Project.

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

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The project will temporarily impact parking operations, as phased shut-downs of areas of the garages are coordinated during construction.”
    • “This work is for the safe and beneficial use of City parking facilities by City residents and visitors.”

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.