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The Asheville City Council meets this Tuesday (4/12/22) at 2:30 pm for a budget worksession, and at 5 pm for their regular meeting. You can attend both events in person at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC. You can watch the budget worksession online here, and the regular meeting online here.
You can access the regular meeting agenda here.
There are two items that the GAP Strategy Team identified as relevant to racial justice this week.
YELLOW:
Things of concern, more information needed
City Manager’s Report, Update on Restructuring Boards & Commissions (Slides 1-7 of this powerpoint presentation)
This is a proposal to replace the existing system of twenty City Advisory Boards with four new ones. The report describes a plan to convene a working group made up of community members, which will start meeting sometime in April. City Council will also take this matter up at their May 10 worksession, where they will potentially approve a “pilot” project.
We would like to know more about the proposed “pilot” that City Council might approve in early May, and why this process is slated to move forward before the community working group has had a chance to work together on possible refinements to the plan. We are concerned that there appears to be pressure to move this radical restructuring forward quickly, and that this won’t allow for important community input.
Things to do
We encourage you to reach out to the Asheville City Council via email. Suggest that they give staff the necessary time to work with concerned community members to develop an Advisory Board structure that addresses the needs of Council, staff, and the community.
City Manager’s Report, Update on Community Reparations Project (Slides 8-13 of this powerpoint presentation)
This is an update on the Community Reparations process, including the subjects covered in the onboarding packet for Reparations Commission members (which you can read in full here). The report also includes agenda items for the first meeting, which will take place in late April or early May.
We’re glad to see this process moving forward, and will be watching closely as it unfolds further.
Things to do
We encourage you to watch the City Manager’s Report at the City Council meeting, which you can access online or in person at Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood Street.