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From YouTube: Board of Commissioners' Regular Meeting (August 2, 2022)
Description
Regular meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for August 2, 2022. To view the full meeting agenda, visit buncombecounty.org./commissioners.
A
B
B
Is
there
any
item
on
the
agenda,
the
outcome
of
which
would
have
a
direct,
substantial
and
readily
identifiable
financial
impact
for
any
board?
Member?
Does
any
board
member
have
an
interest
in
any
public
contract
coming
before
the
board
today,
there
being
none
all
board.
Members
have
a
duty
and
obligation
to
vote
on
all
matters
that
are
voted
on
by
the
board
of
this
meeting
today.
B
B
C
C
What
I'd
like
to
speak
on
tonight
is
really
the
opportunity.
That's
before
you
to
act
as
leaders,
this
type
of
restoring
a
name
to
our
ancestral
language
is.
It
goes
beyond
just
a
signal
of
importance.
It
also
speaks
to
recognizing
the
community
that
still
exists
in
western
north
carolina
and
always
will
at
the
koala
boundary.
It
also
represents
an
opportunity
to
help
shape
a
national
conversation
about
the
importance
of
inclusion
of
indigenous
peoples
and
native
people.
C
C
It's
you
know,
renaming
one
mountain
to
our
ancestral
name.
Why
it's
kind
of
important
is
that
that
specific
peak
it
actually
allowed
us
to
stay
in
this
region
without
our
knowledge
of
that
area
and
the
surrounding
area,
we
may
not
have
been
able
to
actually
stay
in
this
land,
and
maybe
this
conversation
wouldn't
even
be
happening,
so
the
opportunity
to
rename
the
mountain
and
for
us
to
be
here
speaking
about
it,
is
kind
of
vital
to
our
survival
of
our
culture.
C
B
B
D
D
My
friend
jared
asked
me
today.
If
I
would
take
the
time
to
speak
and
it
was,
it
was
really
simple.
It
was
a
no-brainer,
I'm
not
here
out
of
any
like
guilty
feelings.
I
don't
think
anyone
needs
to
feel
anything,
but
seeing
this
as
an
opportunity
to
show
some
love
and
honor
and
and
respect,
and
that
should
be
a
good
feeling
and
really
a
you
know,
true
community,
but
short
and
simple.
Someone
else
can
have
my
time.
Thank
you.
So
much
all
right.
E
Hello,
my
name
is
taylor
schenker,
and
I
am
a
buncombe
county
resident
last
session.
I
emailed
my
public
comment
to
you
all
prior
to
the
meeting
as
I
was
unable
to
attend
in
person.
So
hopefully
you
were
able
to
read
that
I
want
to
start
today
by
thanking
you
all
for
voting
unanimously
to
approve
two
billion
dollars
and
add
five
hundred
thousand
dollars
to
future
reparations
budgets
with
an
annual
increase
of
2
percent.
It
is
truly
the
least
that
we
can
do
to
support
historically
and
continually
marginalize
people
in
our
community.
E
Given
that
you
all
have
now
solidified
continued
financial
support
for
equity
in
our
community.
I
think
it's
important
that
we
address
where
that
money
is
coming
from,
for
example,
the
millions
of
dollars
being
underpaid
by
owners
of
high
value
homes
and
over
underpaid
by
owners
of
high
value
homes
and
overpaid
by
owners
of
low
value
homes
through
unfair
property
tax
assessment
and
the
ad
hoc
committee
created
to
address
this.
E
E
When
I
arrived
a
few
minutes
early
to
one
meeting,
I
overheard
staff
talking
about
how
this
committee
process
process
had
been
the
biggest
waste
of
money
committee
facilitators
often
asked
leading
questions,
ignored
data
and
public
comment
that
did
not
agree
with
staff
opinions
and
allowed
key
staff
members
to
repeatedly
interrupt
an
offer
rebuttal
in
the
few
instances
that
opposing
facts
were
presented
to
this
committee.
The
lack
of
concern
for
buncombe
county
citizens
being
negatively
impacted
by
inequitable
property
tax
assessment,
was
and
remains,
abhorrent.
E
The
county
then
hired
an
unbiased
economist
ceniva
to
check
the
equity
of
the
assessment
process,
but
they
gave
him
the
same
smaller
set
of
clean
data
that
the
county
uses.
Instead
of
checking
all
the
data
for
the
whole
county,
the
way
the
urban
three
did.
They
also
gerrymandered
the
county
into
seven
arbitrary
neighborhood
groups,
which
diluted
most
all
trends
that
have
been
shown
in
other
research.
E
I
hope
that
you
will
understand
that
these
frustrations
are
being
shared
in
an
effort
to
inform
you
of
a
poor
ad-hoc
committee
process
and
improve
property
tax
assessment
in
buncombe
county
going
forward.
I
hope
that
you
will
be
able
to
address
these
concerns
in
this
and
future
sessions.
Thank
you
very
much.
B
F
F
While
it's
a
small
ask
from
our
cherokee
neighbors,
it
feels
like
an
important
step
for
our
county
government
to
take
which
will
create
a
better
working
relationship
with
the
eastern
band
of
cherokee
indians.
I
want
to
just
come
before
you
tonight
to
let
you
know
that
I'm
grateful
for
your
leadership,
and
I
appreciate
you
considering
this
motion.
F
G
To
go
to
guanasan
hello,
everyone,
my
name
is
mary
crowe.
I
live
on
the
quality
boundary
in
the
yala
hill
community
and
I
just
want
to
thank
you
all
for
allowing
me
to
come
before
you
today.
I
would
ask
the
buncombe
county
commissioners
to
consider
the
resolution.
That's
before
you
and
humbly
ask
you
to
pass
it
and
support
us
in
this
effort.
My
sister
levita
just
walked
in
so
I'll.
Be
quick
with
my
comments.
G
G
We
know
the
history,
we
know
that
it
hasn't
been
a
very
pretty
history,
but
today
is
a
new
day,
and
today
is
a
day
of
healing.
It
starts
every
day
for
us
when
we
talk
about
our
historic
trauma
when
we
talk
about
our
generational
trauma,
these
are
the
reasons
for
that
is
when
we
are
not
allowed
to
be
who
we
are
as
an
aoia
people
of
this
region,
the
principal
people,
it's
not
to
be
better
than
anyone.
G
We
strive
to
hold
the
principles,
the
principles
of
life,
all
life,
the
spiritual
connection
that
we
have
to
kuwahi
is
significant
today,
with
our
sister,
the
united
gedua
band
of
oklahoma.
Our
brother
jared
is
from
the
cherokee
nation.
My
grandmother
was
a
citizen
of
the
cherokee
nation
born
in
1901.
G
B
B
All
right
very
good,
and
when
we
get
to
the
resolution
regarding
the
renaming
of
the
mountain,
there
might
be
some
questions
from
some
of
the
board
members,
and
so
there's
people
who
are
here
with
us
who
have
a
lot
of
background
and
information
about
this.
So
there
may
be
additional
questions.
So
thank
you
all
for
for
being
with
us
this
evening.
We
appreciate
it
all
right.
B
H
Thank
you
all
good
afternoon,
commissioners,
thanks
for
the
invitation
to
come
talk
about
happenings
at
msd
over
the
last
12
months,
or
so
just
for
those
who
are
not
familiar
with
msd.
I'm
going
to
go
quick
background.
Give
you
sort
of
the
background
on
msd.
We
were
formed
in
62
by
a
state
statute
to
be
a
special
district
between
62
and
89.
We
built
the
large
interceptors
in
a
25
million
gallon
a
day
treatment
plant
in
woodfin
in
1990,
all
the
local
governments
dedicated
their
collection
systems
to
msd
for
ownership
and
maintenance.
H
These
are
the
15
separate
sewer
systems
that
came
together
in
1990,
the
five
municipalities
in
the
10
special
districts
most
recently
yeah.
It
came
askance.
There
cane
creek
came
on
board
in
july
2020,
that's
supposed
to
be
northern
henderson
henderson
county
they're
in
the
dark,
green
and
just
imagine
that
flipped
directly
up
our
current
board
of
directors
is
14
members.
H
Three
from
the
city
of
asheville,
three
from
buncombe
county,
two
from
henderson
county
and
one
from
each
of
the
municipalities,
highlighted
there
we're
very
happy
to
have
the
the
knowledge
and
the
experience
of
nathan,
robert
and
al,
and
our
board
msd
collection
system
overview.
We
serve
about
200
000
people
have
1100
miles
of
sewer
lines,
263
square
mile
service
area
and
40
pump
stations.
H
H
This
is
shows
you,
the
the
plant
alongside
the
plant,
there's
a
large
flume
and
there's
a
dam
that
goes
across
and
then,
where
the
red
arrow
is
that's
our
hydroelectric
facility.
We
operate
we're
pretty
unique
in
that
we
operate
a
hydroelectric
facility,
it's
rated
at
twenty
hundred
and
twenty
eight
eighty
kilowatts
in
this
last
year.
We
avoided
power
costs
of
400
over
483
thousand
and
to
give
you
an
idea
that
that
basically
reduces
our
carbon
footprint
at
the
plant
by
half
most
recent
pri.
H
One
of
the
more
recent
projects
is
a
plant
headworks
project
where
we
and
like
it
says
there
headworks
is
at
the
head
of
the
plant
where
you're
doing
the
large
screening
and
that
type
of
thing.
This
is
some
pictures
of
of
some
of
those
facilities.
A
lot
of
it
is
underground,
so
you
can't
see
it,
but
just
to
get
a
general
idea.
We
have
influent
bar
screens
at
a
half
inch
fine
screens
at
a
quarter
inch
and
then
vortex
grit
units
and
then
on
the
other
side
we
have
on
the
right
side.
H
We
have
a
surge
pump
station
for
large
flows
that
may
come
in
during
storm
events
that
we
can
equalize
these
and
then
bring
it
back
into
the
plant.
So
you
don't
damage
the
plant
and
you
can
keep
up
a
high
level
of
treatment
to
maintain
that
so
how's
it
working
generally.
These
are
the
solids
that
are
pulled
out
by
just
that
process.
H
When
it's
going
about
two
and
a
half
to
three
times
the
amount
of
debris
is
being
pulled
out.
What
this
does
is
this
helps
the
the
other
processes
downstream
to
function
better.
So
that's
that's
been
a
real
addition
to
the
plant
this.
This
project
high
rate
primary
clarification,
is
17
million
dollar
project
that
is
just
being
finished
and
we're
just
starting
operations.
H
It's
a
new
technology.
It's
used
in
water
plants,
a
lot
but
not
in
sewer
plants.
We
used
it
here
because
of
the
small
footprint
we
need
to
to
accomplish
what
we
have
to
accomplish,
and
basically
you're,
adding
a
flocculate,
a
polymer
and
a
sand
ballast
to
pull
out
the
solids
in
a
very
in
a
very
short
footprint
prior
to
the
the
following
processes,
which
are
biological
processes.
H
This
is
a
bird's
eye
view
of
the
finished
facility
it's
currently
under
operation.
These
are
some
of
the
components
in
that
facility
to
the
top
left.
Those
are
the
units
that
separate
the
sand
and
recycle
the
sand
after
being
used
as
a
ballast
to
pull
things
out.
You
you
recycle
the
sand
and
use
it
again,
and
these
things
these
hydrocyclones
pull
it
apart
and
and
we
can
reuse
the
sand
for
that
treatment
collection
system.
H
Well,
that
gets
quite
disruptive
and
cumbersome,
and
in
this
last
fiscal
year
and
expensive
and
the
last
fiscal
year
we
spent
over
a
million
and
a
half
bucks
just
on
paving
restoration,
not
on
sewer
related
facilities,
but
on
paving
restoration
where
we
have
to
do
the
trench
and
then
do
an
overlay.
So
generally,
we
leave
it
in
much
better
situation
than
when
we
found
it,
but
it
is
a
major
cost
of
ours.
H
Try
to
avoid
that.
We
use
a
technology
when
we
can
when
the
pipe
provides
and
the
condition
provides
where
you
can
use
to
the
right.
There
is
a
bursting
head
with
a
new
pipe
behind
it,
and
you
can
actually
ram
that
through
the
old
pipe,
pushing
the
old
pipe
out
of
the
way,
basically
fracturing
it
and
pulling
a
new
pipe.
That
way,
you
don't
have
to
dig
pavement
above
ground
and
and
have
disruption.
H
You
can
accomplish
that
in
a
much
less
disruptive
form,
here's
another
technique
of
a
jack
and
boar,
where
you're
pushing
a
casing
across
underneath
a
heavy
traffic
way
or
a
highway
and
and
putting
the
sewer
line
in
this
in
the
casing.
So
you
can
prevent
that
type
of
disruption
as
well
carrier
bridge
pump
station.
This
is
a
future
project
of
ours.
Up
coming
soon,
this
is
msd's
largest
pump
station
is
constructed
back
in
1966.
H
H
We're
about
90
90,
complete
with
design
by
hdr
we're
in
the
permitting
phase
of
this
construction,
is
anticipated
to
begin
in
fall
2023.
This
is
basically
more
or
less
a
50
million
dollar
price
tag
for
this
project.
The
location
is
right.
Next
to
is
in
the
yellow
there
right
next
to
our
existing
pump
station.
H
H
Our
apportionment
has
changed.
As
you
see
we,
we
we're
going
to
be
doing
over
150
million
just
in
the
treatment
plant
pump
station.
So
that's
a
little
bit
of
a
change.
We've
spent
a
lot
more
on
the
collection
lines
and
the
interceptors
in
in
years
past,
but
now
we're
doing
some
upgrades
at
the
plant
pump
station.
So
that's
sort
of
got
our
focus
here
in
the
in
the
next
10
years
and
budget
expenditures.
H
The
green
there
is
our
active
construction
projects,
the
blue
is
our
debt
service
and
our
debt
service
is
actually
for
construction
projects.
So,
if
you
take
those
two,
that's
two
thirds
of
our
budget
and
expenditures
is
for
is
construction
related
and
only
one
third
is
operation
and
maintenance,
so
we're
very
heavy
on
on
building
for
the
future
and
and
construction
new
construction
and
rehab.
H
It's
our
budgeted
revenues.
The
green
is
domestic
user
fees.
Our
industrial
fees
are
very
small
by
comparison
to
some
of
our
cohorts.
The
orange
there
is
other
sources
and
uses
that's
bond
money,
so
we
go
out
to
the
bond
market.
You
know
every
several
years
and
and
borrow
money
for
these
upgrades,
because
these
upgrades
will
be
providing
for
the
future
and
and
the
future
customers
that
we
will
have
so
and
and
we've
made
progress
on
the
sanitary
sewer
overflows.
B
B
B
I
B
B
To
regarding
the
proposal
to
invest,
375
000
from
the
american
recovery
act,
funding
for
the
eagle
market
street
development
corporation
for
their
program
focused
on
supporting
development
of
women
and
minority
and
businesses
in
buncombe
county.
Are
there
any
members
of
the
public
who
wish
to
speak
during
the
public
hearing.
J
B
There
are
no
items
in
our
old
business,
so
we
come
to
new
business
and
first,
let's
take
care
of
that
item
that
we
added
regarding
the
appointment
of
a
commissioner
to
represent
buncombe
county
at
the
north
carolina
association
of
county
commissioners,
western
north
carolina
caucus
meeting
that
will
be
coming
up.
It's
a
virtual
meeting
where
elected
officials
from
western
north
carolina
select
someone
from
the
region
to
represent
us
at
some
state
meetings.
I
think
I've
never
done
it
before.
J
B
All
in
favor,
please
say
hi
hi
any
opposed
all
right.
Commissioner
edwards
thank
you
for
serving
on
this
and
we
appreciate
it
very
much
pleasure.
Okay.
The
next
item
is
approval
of
the
annual
property
tax
settlement
for
fiscal
year
2022
in
order
of
collection
to
tax
collector
for
the
current
fiscal
year
and
jennifer
pike.
K
Thank
you,
chairman,
newman
good
afternoon,
members
of
the
board,
so
I'm
with
you
this
afternoon,
because
we've
stepped
into
the
next
fiscal
year.
So
I
have
two
items:
the
annual
settlement
for
the
fiscal
year.
We
just
finished
fiscal
2022
and
the
order
of
collection
for
the
current
fiscal
year.
Fiscal
2023.
K
The
annual
settlement
requires
approval
and
includes
a
few
pieces
summary
of
the
net
levien
collections
for
buncombe
county
and
the
jurisdictions
and
districts
we
bill
and
collect
on
behalf
of
the
property
taxes
that
are
billed
and
collected
by
the
north
carolina
department
of
motor
vehicles
for
registered
motor
vehicles,
a
list
of
unpaid
fiscal
year,
2022
property
taxes
and
a
list
of
taxpayers
who
have
been
found
to
be
insolvent.
That's
uncollectible,
personal
property
taxes,
some
reasons
for
that
could
be.
We
can't
locate
the
property.
The
business
has
closed.
We
can't
locate
the
owner.
K
K
K
K
K
J
K
K
B
M
That's
a
tongue
twister,
but
I
was
asked
to
spell
out
all
our
acronyms
so
for
this
one,
the
state
is
issuing
the
balance
of
one
million
two
hundred
thirty
three
thousand
one
hundred
fifty
six
dollars
of
this
agreement
addendum
to
be
expended
in
fiscal
year.
Twenty
three:
these
dollars
support
prevention
and
response
to
coronavirus
and
will
be
used
to
support
a
temporary
nurse
in
two
temporary
administrative
positions,
as
well
as
other
contracted
services
and
the
remainder
of
the
mobile
health
and
human
services
unit.
M
This
budget
amendment
moves
salary
budget
across
functions
from
general
government
to
public
safety
due
to
administratively
moving
two
positions:
the
new
safety
preparedness
and
recovery
officer
and
the
safety
officer
from
our
legal
and
risk
department
to
the
emergency
services
department.
No
new
funds
are
being
used.
M
And
we
have
a
budget
amendment
for
the
low-income
household
water
assistance
program.
This
is
continued
funding
of
the
low-income
water
assistance
program
which
we
discussed
back
in
january.
It
was
not
initially
funded
for
fiscal
year
23,
but
it
is
now
funded
for
the
entirety
of
fiscal
year,
23
partially
through
arpa
funding.
This
program
provides
continuity
of
water
service
by
paying
water
and
wastewater
providers.
O
Thank
you,
mr
chairman,
I'll.
Just
kick
us
off
by
saying
a
little
bit
about
why.
I
think
this
is
important
and
why
I
brought
it
forward
to
the
board,
starting
by
saying
that
the
the
culture
and
language
of
the
eastern
band
of
the
cherokee
exists
today
because
of
great
determination
and
tenacity
of
tribal
members
and
their
ancestors
and
just
as
an
example
kowagi.
The
mountain
known
as
kawohi
was
a
place
where
the
cherokee
took
refuge
to
avoid
being
taken
from
their
homes
during
the
trail
of
tears
and
therefore
has
great
historical
significance
to
them.
O
It's
my
understanding
that
they
wanna
they
really
wanna,
see
community
support
and
regional
local
government
support
and
and
agent
agency
support
for
this
kind
of
type
of
thing.
So
that
is
not
just
because
it's
the
right
thing
to
do,
but
also
there's
a
bureaucratic
element
here.
I
think
it's
important
for
us
to
show
to
show
our
support
and
send
our
our
support
to
the
department
of
interior
as
well
and
mary,
crow
and
libida
are
here
as
citizens
of
the
eastern
band.
To
answer
any
questions
we
may
have.
B
G
B
We
knew
that
at
the
time
of
the
previous
commissioner
meeting,
but
it
had
been
pretty
recent
that
we
were.
We
wanted
to
find
out
a
little
bit
of
additional
information
about
that
process
and
also
to
specifically
ask
whether
the
tribal
council
would
be
supportive
of
other
local
governments
in
the
region,
adopting
resolutions
aligned
with
the
tribal
council
resolution.
P
Q
Q
Q
He
did
spell
it
with
an
a
and
you
it's
sort
of
just
like
probably
my
accent
is
very
different
than
yours,
and
so
he
might
have
heard
more
of
an
a
sound
rather
than
an
o
sound,
but
that
was
his
interpretation
and
that's
sort
of
what
we
followed
in
the
very
beginning.
But
then
we
did
go
back
to
our
elders,
our
fluent
language
speakers,
and
this
was
how
they
wanted
it
to
be
spelled,
which
is
with
the
oh
yeah.
So
thank
you
for
that
question
and
allowing
for
me
to
clear
that
up.
Thank
you.
O
B
P
B
All
in
favor
of
the
resolution,
please
say:
aye
aye
any
opposed
all
right,
and
we
appreciate
everyone
who
came
out
this
evening
to
address
this,
and
especially
for
those
folks
who
came
from
outside
buncombe
county
to
speak
to
us
as
well.
Thank
you
very
much
appreciate
you
and,
if
there's,
if
there's
anything
else
that
we
can
do
as
this
process
moves
forward,
please
keep
us
updated
as
it
goes
along
and
we're
happy
to
support.
However,
we
can
all
right.
Thank
you.
B
All
right,
we
have
a
couple
of
announcements
on
august
16th
at
3
p.m.
The
county
commissioners
will
hold
their
briefing
meeting
at
200
college
street
room
326
in
downtown
asheville
on
august
16th
at
5
p.m.
The
commissioners
will
hold
a
regular
meeting
at
200
college
street
room
326
in
downtown
asheville.
B
L
Yes,
sir,
we
need
a
motion
to
go
in
closed
session
for
three
items
pursuant
to
143,
318,
11,
a5
or
a6.
We
have
a
personnel
matter
for
the
board
under
a5,
we
have
a
potential
real
estate
transaction
to
consider
and
under
a3
illegal
matter
to
discuss
with
attorneys
employed
by
the
county.
We
just
anticipate
direction
from
the
board.