There are many ways to connect virtually to City government (right now). And the City of Asheville is working on a sustainable model of even more remote access to City government. Connecting people to government and removing barriers to government has long been a core value of the City of Asheville’s Communication and Public Engagement Department [...]
At their April 27 meeting, Asheville City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting discriminatory practices which prohibits discrimination in employment and public accommodations within the City of Asheville based on upon any of the following: race, natural hair or hairstyles, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin [...]
Outdoor enthusiasts are enjoying the vast opportunities to be out in nature this summer. A popular recreation activity in the Asheville area, of course, is biking; but as it turns out, a popular crime of opportunity is bike theft. As the crime prevention message goes: A person can’t fully control someone’s desire or ability to commit a [...]
The Urban Place Form Code District heads to the Planning & Zoning Commission on July 7 as part of the Urban Centers rezoning proposal, initiated by the Asheville Department of Planning & Urban Design. Urban Centers are a component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Living Asheville. They are intended to foster [...]
Asheville Parks & Recreation has a great line-up of athletic programs for this fall. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert or a novice, a kid or an adult, we have something for everyone. Get off the couch and let’s play! Register online for all of these programs at www.avlrec.com. Summer Youth Basketball Tournament A [...]
Homelessness in Asheville has long been a serious and complex issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has both highlighted and heightened this reality. While the homeless service system we’ve had in Asheville has ended homelessness for a small number of people annually, it’s never had the resources to operate at a scale that will make homelessness truly [...]
In anticipation of the lifting of the Governor’s State of Emergency due to Covid-19, the City of Asheville is preparing to return to in-person board and commission meetings. The State of Emergency is slated to be lifted July 30. The City acted swiftly last year to find ways to continue serving the community by going to [...]
Did you know that in the US nearly 40% of food is wasted, clogging our landfills and costing us over $408 billion annually?! The City of Asheville is working hard to think of solutions to reduce our waste and save our food. The City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Sanitation and Buncombe County, [...]
Coming out of a pandemic with limited resources, the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget approved by Asheville City Council June 22 still includes service improvements to our community, such as extended evening transit hours starting in October and expanded evening and weekend hours for youth at City Recreation Centers. The budget, which goes into effect July 1, [...]
While the pandemic put a pause on the Noise Ordinance revisions it also allowed City staff to further engage Asheville’s music community and downtown residents and be part of the City’s Reimagining Public Safety conversation. And because this initiative began under a previous City Council, Development Services Director Ben Woody gave an update to the current [...]
In March, the Environmental Protection Agency revised its Lead and Copper Rule that strengthens regulations for eliminating lead from drinking water. The new requirements mandates, among other things, that water utilities nationwide increase tap water testing, and that they create a service line inventory to check for the presence of lead pipes in water systems, [...]
With the new fiscal year will come new registration and renewal fees for alarm systems in the City of Asheville. Following an overwhelming number of false alarms coming into the Asheville Police Department — 97% of which were false alarms — City Council adopted a revised Alarm Ordinance at its June 22 meeting. According to the [...]