Following a clear call from our community, City Council voted to remove or repurpose the Vance Monument, passed a resolution supporting community reparations, and passed a budget that only funded departments for three months so that City staff could work with the community to reimagine public safety.
The City then contracted with community facilitators Shemekka Ebony and Amplify Community Consulting to hear your ideas for how public safety in Asheville could be improved before any future budgetary decisions are made.
See below for virtual community meeting dates, in-person drop-in sessions, and a link to the online survey.
All community members are invited to the following meetings.
Listening Session #1
TIME/DATE: 12:30-2 p.m. Sept. 8
LOCATION: Virtual – Join by phone or online
Click to here register for this session. Registration has expired.
Listening Session #2
TIME/DATE: 12:30-2 p.m. Sept. 9
LOCATION: Virtual – Join by phone or online
Click here to register for this session. Registration has expired.
Listening Session #3 plus Civics 101
In addition to the listening session, participants will also learn about City operations, who’s responsible for what, and how you can get more involved in the community.
TIME/DATE: 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 9
LOCATION: Virtual – Join by phone or online
Click here to register for this session. Registration has expired.
Listening Session #4
TIME/DATE: 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 10
LOCATION: Virtual – Join by phone or online
Click here to register for this session. Registration has expired.
Listening Session #5
TIME/DATE: 11 a.m.-noon Sept. 11
LOCATION: Virtual – Join by phone or online
Click to here register for this session. Registration has expired.
Listening Session #6 — In-person drop-in event
This event will be conducted in 30-minute intervals to provide adequate safety for all attendees. Use the registration link to let us know what time you plan to attend! We will provide interactive experiences to learn about current public safety measures and imagine what our future public safety could look like. All attendees are asked to wear a mask. If you do not have one, we will have masks and other protective equipment available.
DATE: Sept. 11
TIMES:
2 – 2:30 p.m.
2:40 – 3:10 p.m.
3:20 – 3:50 p.m.
4 – 4:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center – 133 Livingston Street, Asheville, NC 28801
Click to here register for this session. Registration has expired.
Online survey
The City of Asheville has now opened a survey to gather input from residents on how our public safety services can better promote racial equity and economic inclusion.