A plan that would shift Asheville’s approach to citizen advisory boards drew concerns from both residents and City Council members during Tuesday’s council meeting.
As previously reported by BPR, Asheville city government has been considering changes to 15 of these boards, which consist of local volunteers who offer expertise on specific areas of policy. But specifics of the proposal weren’t available until Assistant City Manager Ben Woody presented to Council Tuesday evening.
Following the suggestion of Research Triangle Park-based consultancy Fountainworks, Woody said, Asheville would create four new advisory boards focused on the council’s Helene recovery priorities: people and environment, housing, infrastructure, and economy. Each would contain no more than 11 members, consisting of the chairs and vice chairs of existing advisory boards alongside new members appointed by council.
Those new boards would meet regularly to help shape the city’s disaster recovery strategy, while the current boards would only meet on an as-needed basis when assigned specific tasks. Woody said this approach would keep the city’s limited financial and staff resources tightly focused on the council’s established goals.
Several council members, however, worry that the plan would reduce overall citizen input and could undermine trust in city decision-making.
“I think right now people just feel like government at all levels just isn’t listening,” said Council member Bo Hess. “The more we can draw folks in and get their feedback and engagement, the better.”
Council member Kim Roney said that sidelining existing boards represented a missed opportunity for Asheville to benefit from resident expertise. She suggested that the city take advantage of an offer from the Realignment Working Group, a local volunteer effort dedicated to improving advisory boards, to provide coordination for board meetings at no cost.
Stacy Anderson, chair of the Realignment Working Group, reiterated that offer during public comment while sharing her own reservations about the proposed new board structure. While the proposal may streamline city operations, she said, it would be “a critical misstep at a time when inclusive, participatory, community-informed governance is more vital than ever.”
Asked about the Realignment Working Group’s offer by Mayor Esther Manheimer, City Attorney Brad Branham said it could open Asheville to legal risks if board meetings were conducted out of compliance with state law.
The advisory board proposal will undergo further development by city staff before coming to Council for a vote, currently scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26. If approved, Woody said, the new Helene recovery boards would be appointed by the end of the fall.
Other tidbits
- Elected officials have allocated nearly $66 million for post-Helene operations and improvements at city water facilities. About $55.7 million will support a year of temporary water treatment at the North Fork and William DeBruhl plants. Another $10 million will go toward the design of permanent treatment systems at the two plants, the first part of an estimated $101 million project. Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler told BPR that buildout of the permanent systems will take three to five years once work begins and that Asheville plans to continue temporary treatment over that period. The city has requested funding for all of these costs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program.
- Residents concerned about UNC Asheville’s development plans for a 45-acre urban forest again spoke during public comment, asking council to formally oppose the project. Manheimer met with several of those advocates in Council Chambers after the meeting and said that she and her colleagues were working on a resolution to that effect. However, she noted that House Bill 926, currently under consideration by the N.C. General Assembly, would strip away any regulatory power Asheville might have over the development.
- A public hearing on rezoning to permit 36 new single-family homes in South Asheville was delayed until Aug. 26. During a July 24 agenda briefing, council members had noted that the project faced unresolved issues regarding property ownership, as well as community concerns around pedestrian safety.
- Council approved a $1.58 million contract with Biohabitats of North Carolina for design and engineering work to restore the Asheville Municipal Golf Course. The course’s front nine holes, near the Swannanoa River, were severely damaged during Hurricane Helene. The city will operate a disc golf course on the property, starting Aug. 1, until restoration work begins.
- The city accepted a $275,000 grant from California-based nonprofit Destination: Home to support a new homelessness prevention effort. Asheville is one of 10 pilot sites for “Right at Home,” which will focus on supportive services like rental assistance and case management.
Asheville City Council regularly meets every second and fourth Tuesday at the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza, beginning at 5 p.m. However, the council’s summer schedule is less frequent, and the next meeting will take place Tuesday, Aug. 26. See the full recording and the agenda of the July 29 meeting.
