Onto open public comment, which @davidforbes.bsky.social will cover #avlgov
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Roney reads online description for Dr. Louis McCormick.
Team rep says that there are markers that honor McCormick after Councilmember Sage Turner asks about it.
Passes unanimously. #avlgov
Public comment opens. First commenter objects to the disrespect to McCormick FIeld's namesake. "Dr. McCormick's name is sacred." Says that team has already changed name of field on billboard and inside of the stadium.
"They should be rebuked for that." #avlgov
Roney is at least glad that it's a "locally owned business."
Mosley asks if there were other contenders for the naming rights, and staff says that the baseball team never released that information.
Staff: "It's still McCormick Field at heart."
It's still a bad deal, as well. #avlgov
Staff is now waxing rhapsodically about how much they love Hometrust Bank as a company.
Councilmember Kim Roney is talking about adding "trivia nights" to the deal rather than objecting to the deal itself as a massive giveaway to the transphobic DeWine family. #avlgov
Onto changes to McCormick Field shifting name to "Hometrust Park," and #avlgov doesn't getting a penny of it, even after its massive investment in renovations that serve the far right DeWine family's local baseball franchise.
Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley doesn't want neighborhood expectations to be too high as a result of this change. Is the lone 'no' vote. Motion to amend repair and demolition ordinance passes 6-1 #avlgov
Previous commenter was from local realtors association.
Manheimer saying that property demolition is rare, and that there are many steps before that course of action.
Saying that other business owners complain about the buildings that #avlgov wants to threaten to demolish for housing "vagrants."
Next commenter echoes many of previous commenter's points supporting rights of business owners in the face of city hall's regulatory power.
- And not the basic humanity of allowing people to shelter where they want until being able to providing a plethora of better options. #avlgov
Public comment opens. Drew West of CIBO surprisingly objects to the ordinance changes citing undue burden on commercial property owners. This guy is not a supporter of unhoused locals. Far from it. He cites wanting to increase "public safety" [aka police] funding instead of #avlgov regulatory power
Councilmember Maggie Ulmann cites 'public nuisance' properties in neighborhoods that are 'safety hazards to children,' as if a system that produces this much homelessness is somehow safe to children. #avlgov
Changes would give #avlgov more legal leverage to threaten commercial property owners to bring properties into compliance and thus reduce the chances that unhoused people can use them as shelter.
Staff cites buildings that are "use[d] by vagrants" in NC statute instead of "vagrants" using "safe" living structures that are up to code as if #avlgov actually funds enough of those to meet the diversity of needs.
They don't.
Onto "amending Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Asheville to provide for repair, closing, or demolition of abandoned structures." Changes to target areas where unhoused locals are known to frequent #avlgov
Change would remove word "chalk" from graffiti description.
#Avlgov says nothing about ACLU threatening legal action. Approved unanimously.
Onto new business. First is review of its graffiti ordinance after the ACLU threatened to sue them for disproportionately enforcing the use of sidewalk chalk on public property. An anti-Trump artist was fined, but #avlgov hasn't enforced ordinance against others.
No one signed up to comment, approved unanimously #avlgov
Onto public hearings, first regarding signage at the Tourists baseball stadium McCormick Field #avlgov
Thanks @davidforbes.bsky.social #avlgov still debating how soon it will implement & other logistics around complying w federal law around its media being accessible to disabled people.
Mayor Manheimer: "It sounds like it's going to be bumpy."
Asks city attorney if deadline may be extended. Unclear.
Facing public outrage over using $1.1 million in fed dollars to massively expand police surveillance, Manheimer announces city council is pulling it from agenda. Moved to April 28 policy and finance committee meeting, potentially back before council in May #avlgov
Hey yall! We should be getting started shortly. Here's the youtube link www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHT2... #avlgov
Asheville city council meeting starts at 5. @davidforbes.bsky.social and @matildabliss.bsky.social will cover live.
Main issue is a massive escalation in police surveillance. Renaming of McCormick field (after a bank) also on agenda.
Locals are, to put it mildly, not happy. #avlgov #avlnews
And with multiple reversals by city council members running for election/ reelection, we definitely saw those contradictions on display.
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Thanks for following and have a great night! #avlgov
Public comment concludes. Manheimer adjourns the meeting.
Thanks for following tonight's @avlblade.bsky.social coverage of the city council meeting. #Avlgov meetings are 9/10 a parade, a cherade. We're here to keep you updated on what city hall says, and more importantly, what they do.
While what commenter is saying is interesting, #avlgov could just make the transit system free.
Thanks @davidforbes.bsky.social , I will most likely close us out.
Next commenter addressing transit.
Citing drivers checking city employee badges to get free rides. "Visual checking is already something we are doing."
Discusses different pay options such as card readers and apps #avlgov
Having lived here for well over 20 years, I can say that the Biltmore Village business gentry are, as a general group, notorious for treating everyone else in the city terribly, and badly underpaying/mistreating workers.
So there ain't much sympathy for this spoiled crew #avlgov
There is something particularly laughable to see a transplant who bought a building in a devastated flood plain — after a catastrophe — whining that their business isn't profitable. #avlgov
Rebuilding a historically badly overbuilt flood plain just like it was pre-Helene means the next major storm will be even more devastating.
To many locals, the shuttering of a handful of businesses most people here could never afford anyway is a small price to make rest of the city safer. #avlgov
Business owners from Biltmore Village tourist traps — a gentry enclave on a literal flood plain — complaining they're being "left behind" by city hall because it's...not catering to them even more. Wants city to tear down more unsightly ruins.
Reality is frightening tourists. Oh how terrible.