Last night, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard an update on children fatalities, made updates to the fire ordinance, and approved funding for down payment assistance and Health and Human Service’s Adult In-Home Aide program.
A report on child fatality
As part of an annual report, Dr. Jennifer Mullendore of the Community Child Protection Team/Child Fatality Prevention Team (CCPT/CFPT) updated the county on child fatalities in Buncombe County. The team reviewed deaths of 20 children, which Mullendore said is “pretty consistent every year.”
Of those 20 deaths, 11 were infants. The causes of infant fatalities were:
- 5 from birth defects
- 1 from illness
- 3 from perinatal conditions
- 2 from sudden unexplained infant death (SUID)
To prevent deaths like these in the future, CCPT/CFPT recommended:
- A working group and public messaging campaign around sleep safety for infants that identifies best practices and distributes that message through trusted community messengers and agencies/programs that interact with caregivers.
- A public awareness campaign about youth suicide that includes local K-12 schools, Vaya Health, and the Health and Human Services Department.
- Developing an evidence-based, voluntary nurse home visiting program that would serve all families in the county with newborns.
Commissioner Martin Moore expressed interest in the nurse home visiting program and asked for a budget estimate, which Dr. Mullendore did not have ready to share.
Changes to the fire ordinance
For the first time since 2007, the county made major revisions to its fire ordinance. Here’s what to know:
- Penalties went up, with violations involving life safety moving from $100 to $500 and fees for other violations moving from $25 to $100.
- Open burning laws have been updated. Fires at home and for land clearing now must be constantly attended to avoid a penalty.
- When an illegal or dangerous fire is reported, a responding fire department will have the authority to extinguish the fire and then notify Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency and/or the Fire Marshal’s office for investigation and remediation.
Money moves
- Tax Collector Jennifer Pike shared numbers from the 2023 property tax settlement. The county raked in nearly $228.5 million in property taxes, with a total collection of 99.78%. About $495,000 in property tax remains uncollected, which is a little less than last year’s $535,879 in uncollected funds.
- Mountain Housing Opportunities will receive $300,000 in additional funding from the county for its down payment assistance program. The program helps fund qualified, lower-income households buy a house with fully deferred, zero-percent interest loans and has existed since 2007. This is the third time Buncombe has made a contribution to the fund. The loans are repaid when the property is sold or refinanced.
- Buncombe County Health and Human Services will receive $244,364 for its Adult In-Home Aide program as part of a Home and Community Care Block Grant. Residents who are 60 years or older with personal care needs can call (828) 250-5000 to access this resource.
Other tidbits
- Three representatives of the Asheville Coalition for Public Safety (ACPS) spoke during public comment to advocate for stricter rules around panhandling. A similar discussion, including a suggested motion to ban people in vehicles from giving to panhandlers, is also happening among Asheville City Council members. ACPS chair Honor Moore cited “public safety” and “the legacy of Asheville” as reasons to support stricter rules around panhandling.
- Buncombe County was awarded the National Association of Counties Achievement Award for its Racial Equity Training Series.
- Commissioners approved criteria for its Open Space Bond program, which helps conserve land and fund new greenways and other recreational projects.
Board appointments
- Strategic Partnerships Grants Committee added Heather Brooks, Stephanie Stewart, Ann Flynn, Marianne Martinez, and Lisa Holtzclaw.
- Audit Committee added Martha Zeigler and Brendan Willmann.
- Colleen Burnet joined the Community Child Protection Team/Child Fatality Prevention Team.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College Street, Room 326 in downtown Asheville beginning at 5:00 p.m. See the full recording of the August 1 meeting.
