►
Description
The Board of Commissioners' heard 3-minute presentations from fifty local organizations who submitted grant applications during this work session on April 24, 2018.
A
Thank
you
all
for
being
with
us.
This
Board
of
Commissioners
work
session
is
focused
on
strategic
partnership
grants.
Today
we
will
hear
presentations
from
applicants
for
fiscal
year
2019
grants
it
is
affirming
and
humbling
to
be
in
a
room
with
so
many
partners
who
work
day
in
and
day
out
to
build
a
thriving
community.
We
thank
you
all
for
your
service
and
for
being
with
us
here
today
to
share
more
with
us
about
your
work.
These
presentations
are
an
important
step
in
the
review
process
and
no
decisions
will
be
made
today.
A
Strategic
partnership
grants
will
be
approved
as
part
of
the
county's
annual
budget,
which
is
scheduled
for
Tuesday
June
19th
for
final
approval,
copies
of
the
presentation
order
are
available
on
the
table
near
the
door.
The
presentation
order
is
also
available
online,
along
with
copies
of
each
of
the
grant
applications.
These
materials
are
posted
on
the
page
for
today's
meeting
agenda
at
Buncombe,
County,
org,
slash,
commissioners,
no
power
points
or
other
supplemental
materials
will
be
used.
During
today's
session
organizations
will
be
limited
to
a
three
minute
timer
for
each
funding
request.
A
Presentations
will
be
grouped
by
buncombe
county
strategic
priorities,
and/or
sustainability
goals.
We
have
reserved
a
couple
of
rows
of
seating
near
the
podium.
We
will
pause
briefly
between
each
topic
to
allow
the
speakers
for
the
next
strategic
priority
or
sustainability
goal
topic
to
come
up
to
the
front
of
the
room.
Then
we
will
call
each
organization
and
project
up
one
at
a
time
to
present.
A
A
C
A
A
Think
the
lights
will
come
on
just
as
idea
for
regular
public
comments,
so
you'll
get
a
yellow
light
at
30
seconds,
no
at
one
minute
remaining
and
then
you'll
get
a
red
light.
When
your
time
is
up,
you
know,
I,
think
we'll
sort
of.
Let
folks
finish
if
you're
looking
in
the
middle
of
a
sentence.
You
know
you
can
finish
that,
but
we
do
have
a
lot
of
ground
to
cover
today
and
we
want
to
treat
everyone
fairly,
so
I
think
we
will
be
pretty
firm
on
you
know.
A
D
A
D
The
proposals
you
have
in
front
of
you
really
reflect
the
kind
of
hard
work
behind
the
scenes,
tasks
that
habitat
does
to
impact
the
community
everyday.
This
is
not
the
sort
of
the
flashy
wall
raising
photo-op
that
habitat
that's
often
known
for,
but
this
is.
This
is
really
the
nitty-gritty
work
that
we
do
in
the
community
to
make
sure
that
the
citizens
of
Buncombe
County
have
a
safe
and
stable
place
to
call
home
our
home
repair
program
started
in
2010.
It's
become
our
fastest-growing
program.
D
D
We're
gonna
serve
50
families
and
our
home
repair
program
next
year,
and
it
allows
us
to
connect
with
a
very
different
group
of
Buncombe
County
citizens
than
we
are
able
to
work
with
in
our
new
home
construction
and
mortgage
lending
programs.
So
we
find
that
about
75%
of
the
families
that
we
serve
in,
that
home
repair
program
are
elders
in
our
community.
The
pairs
that
we
make
are
able
to
help
keep
them
well
and
safe
and
engaged
in
their
communities.
D
We
find
that
we
serve
a
significant
number
of
people
with
disabilities
and
increasingly
reserving
people
living
in
manufactured
housing
who
have
difficulty
accessing
home
repair
lending
through
other
mechanisms.
So
again
we're
asking
you
to
support
this
program.
We
see
it
as
an
essential
way
to
keep
people
in
safe
and
healthy
housing
here
in
our
community.
A
A
Another
option
which
I'm
going
to
use
and
I
would
encourage
others
to
consider
would
be
to
just
just
sort
of
write
down
questions
and
you'll.
Probably
get
follow-up
from
commissioners
have
questions
sort
of
after
the
meeting
so
because,
if
we
do
it
all
today,
we'll
just
all
be
here
until
late
into
the
night,
all
right,
okay,
okay,.
D
The
other
proposal
that
you
have
in
front
of
you
from
Asheville
area
habitat,
is
for
our
homeowner
services
work.
Our
homeowner
services
program
is
really
it's.
The
secret
sauce
of
habitats
mortgage
lending
work,
the
homes
that
we
build
would
just
be
more
housing
units
on
the
on
the
housing
stock.
Were
it
not
for
our
ability
to
link
those
homes
up
with
an
affordable
mortgage,
two
citizens
that
otherwise
really
don't
have
a
lot
of
pathways
into
homeownership.
D
So
what
the
homeowner
services
program
does
is
sort
of
the
the
whole
pathway
from
outreach
to
families
who
are
looking
for
homeownership
people
who
have
the
dream
and
aspiration
of
becoming
homeowners
qualifying
those
families
all
of
the
underwriting
to
make
sure
that
they're
going
to
be
successful
with
a
mortgage
loan
home
one
homeowner
education
in
financial
management
in
budgeting
and
home
maintenance
and
repairs,
and
then
monitoring
the
sweat
equity
component.
That
is
it's
fairly
unique
to
habitats
work.
D
We
really
find
that
the
the
sweat
equity
model
works
better
for
families
that
we
serve
than
traditional
savings
for
a
down
payment,
because
you're
able
to
tangibly
see
the
progress
that
you're
making
as
the
home
is
constructed
and
there's
no
way
to
transfer
those
dollars
into
anything
else.
If
for
different
use
for
that
money
should
present
itself
it's
there,
it's
already
built
in.
So
we
find
that
that
really
gives
people
a
lot
of
incentive
to
to
follow
through
on
the
the
goal
that
they've
set
for
themselves
around
homeownership.
D
D
D
We
have
no
eligible
projects
for
that
city
funds
this
year,
because
we
are
working
exclusively
in
parts
of
Buncombe
County
outside
of
the
city
in
this
in
this
coming
fiscal
year.
So
we
are
looking
to
replace
city
dollars
with
County
dollars
to
reflect
how
we're
doing
our
development
work.
Thank
you.
E
Commissioners,
thank
you
so
much
for
the
time
today,
I'm
Celeste,
Collins
I'm,
with
on-track
financial
education
and
counseling
and
I'm
very
pleased
today
to
take
my
three
minutes
to
tell
you
about
our
free
income
tax
preparation
program.
It's
also
known
as
Veda,
which
stands
for
Volunteer
Income,
Tax
Assistance.
E
E
This
is
our
as
I
mentioned,
our
11th
tax
season.
We
just
got
our
nearly
final
report
and
we've
served
over
800
people
in
this
tax
season.
We
have
16
volunteers
that
volunteer
their
time
to
do
tax
appointments
for
people
whose
incomes
average
less
than
$25,000
a
year,
and
when
you
think
about
that
income
average
and
realize
for
these
folks
to
go
to
a
free
tax
preparer,
they
will
spend
between
two
and
four
hundred
dollars
on
having
those
tax
returns
prepared.
Our
Baida
site
makes
even
more
sense
for
the
county
commissioners
to
invest
funding
into.
E
We
have
appointments
available
through
the
business
day,
but
also
in
the
evenings
and
on
Saturdays.
Thanks
to
our
dedicated
volunteers,
in
addition
to
preparing
taxes
during
the
tax
season,
we
have
a
year-round
tax,
prep
program
so
for
people
who
need
to
file
amended
returns
or
filed
back
taxes,
our
volunteers
dedicate
their
time
to
doing
that.
For
our
demographics.
E
So
we're
asking
for
$12,000,
and
if
our
statistics
hold
true,
then
you're
$12,000
will
yield
well
or
nearly
a
million
dollars
in
free
in
returns.
Coming
back
into
the
pockets
of
people
in
our
community.
I
want
to
tell
you
about
a
mother
and
daughter
that
I
saw
in
the
hallway
they
just
they
came
in
as
a
mother-daughter
pair
to
get
their
tax
return
done.
E
Two
separate
tax
returns,
but
the
daughter
had
come
for
several
years
and
was
bringing
her
mom
for
the
very
first
time,
and
they
were
just
so
delighted
that
we
were
there
to
be
able
to
provide
this
service
and
we're
there
to
provide
the
service
thanks
to
you
and
your
investment.
Thank
you
very
much.
F
Today,
in
Buncombe
County,
more
than
7600
Buncombe
rental
households
pay
more
than
half
of
their
income
for
rent.
That's
over
20%
of
bunkum,
county's,
renter,
households
and
MHO
is
working
to
meet
more
of
this
need.
Each
year
we've
built
over
660
apartments,
which
we
rent,
maintain
and
managed
saving
each
renter
household.
On
average,
more
than
four
hundred
and
ninety
dollars
per
month
in
rent
outside
the
city
in
Swannanoa,
we
will
build
95,
workforce
and
affordable
apartment
at
East,
Haven
and
Lee
Parker
Heights
is
now
funded.
F
Thanks
to
your
generous
support
and
hallelujah
Eagle
Marketplace
downtown
is
now
Lisa
in
Weaverville
we
have
purchased
land
for
46,
single-family
homes
and
18
are
currently
under
construction.
In
addition,
we
have
purchased
land
for
more
than
35
single-family
homes,
in
both
South
and
West
Asheville
and
in
home
ownership
preservation,
our
emergency
home
repair
program,
we're
saving
homes
and
saving
lives
for
more
than
100
low-income
homeowners.
F
Every
year
over
50
eligible
qualified,
low-income
homeowners
are
on
ma,
chose
waiting
list
today
for
emergency
home
repairs
and
when
MHO
announces
60
new
apartments
for
rent,
we
typically
receive
over
1,000
inquiries
and
over
400
renter
applications.
Today
we
have
over
five
new
homes
in
different
stages
of
planning,
development
and
construction
in
Weaverville,
Swannanoa
and
Asheville.
H
Good
afternoon,
I'm
Robin
Merrill,
managing
attorney
with
me
today,
is
Shelley
Brown,
Pisgah
legal
board,
member
volunteer
attorney
and
former
staff
attorney.
We
want
to
thank
you
for
your
ongoing
support
of
Pisgah
legal
services.
In
2017.
We
helped
over
7,500
Buncombe
County
residents
meet
their
basic
needs
and
secured
over
eight
million
dollars
in
quantifiable
benefits
for
Buncombe
County
residents.
We're
here
today,
because
we
want
to
proactively
attack
our
affordable
housing
problems
by
placing
an
attorney
in
the
courthouse
to
combat
evictions.
H
The
way
things
work
currently
people
contact
us
when
they
want
our
help
with
their
eviction,
and
we
know
that
we
are
serving
just
a
small
percentage
of
the
families
facing
eviction
in
Buncombe
County.
What
we're
proposing
to
do
is
really
to
go
to
them
and
be
that
resource
available
to
them
right
there
at
the
courthouse
with
the
incredibly
low
vacancy
rate
in
affordable
housing,
the
devastation
of
eviction
is
multiplied
and
families
are
unable
to
find
a
decent
housing
to
live
in.
H
Eviction
is
traumatic,
it
disrupts
lives,
causes
homelessness,
causes
children
to
find
fall
behind
in
schools
and
frequently
causes
parents
to
lose
their
jobs.
We
know
from
our
research
than
in
2016
80%
of
the
evictions
filed
in
Buncombe.
County
were
for
unpaid
rent,
and
that
means
those
cases
could
have
been
negotiated,
allowing
for
an
orderly
transition
or
no
transition
at
all.
Oftentimes
people
think
that
they
can
negotiate
it
themselves
or
they
don't
know
about
Pisgah
legal,
only
to
ultimately
lose
their
case
and
their
home.
H
We
already
have
a
pledge
of
funding
from
the
city
of
Asheville
and
we
have
identified
space
in
the
courthouse
to
work
out
of
so
we're
proposing
that
you
support
us
in
catching
those
families
at
the
courthouse
intervening
in
their
situations
and
helping
them
get
the
necessary
resources
from
many
of
the
partners
in
this
room
so
that
they
can
stay
in
their
homes,
long
term
and
not
face
eviction
at
all.
Thank
you.
I
A
J
Afternoon,
I'm
sure,
Wilson
and
I'm
the
executive
director
at
Solano
that
Christian
ministry
or
SVC
em
we
serve
the
easternmost
portion
of
Buncombe
County
and
have
been
since
1975,
and
we
have
begun
a
new
initiative
called
hope
for
tomorrow,
and
that
is
what
we
are
asking
for.
Your
support
with.
We
know
that
affordable
housing
is
basically
non-existent
in
our
community
and
we
have
many
homeless
families
living
in
our
area,
and
we
have
decided
that
they
are
the
next
group
that
we
are
committed
to
helping
they
the
fastest
growing
population
in
homelessness.
J
Is
women
and
children
a
lot
of
times.
We
don't
see
them,
they
may
be
doubling
up
with
someone
or
living
in
their
car
or
somewhere,
but
they
are
in
our
community.
We
have
one
right
now,
that's
living
in
a
hotel.
Well,
she
can't
maintain
that
you
know
every
month
and
and
support
herself
and
her
child
s.
Bcm
is
working
to
help
alleviate
this
growing
plight
through
our
new
program,
which
is
called
hope
for
tomorrow.
We
have
been
in
a
building
phase
for
almost
a
year
now
and
we
will
be
completed
by
we
hope.
J
The
1st
of
June
moving
families
in,
in
fact,
we
have
interviews
the
end
of
this
week
for
some
homes
and
children
that
hope
to
move
in.
So
this
program
will
provide
a
supportive
and
safe
home
for
these
families.
In
a
one-year
program,
each
family
will
have
their
own
apartment.
We
are
building
eight
one-bedroom
duplexes
and
two
two-bedroom
duplexes,
and
we
have
one
apartment
that
will
have
a
resident
manager,
so
there
will
always
be
someone
on
site
at
this
place.
J
The
program
is
designed
to
give
the
families
the
support
and
life
skills
needed
to
successfully
live
on
their
own.
When
they
complete
our
program,
we
will
be
working
with
many
other
agencies
helping
these
families.
With
this
needed
support,
we
are
working
with
the
Black
Mountain
counseling
center
on
parenting
classes,
self-esteem
classes.
They
will
do
some
case
management
with
our
with
our
clients.
J
Bounding
sole
is
going
to
provide
nutrition
and
healthy
eating,
and
we
are
going
to
work
with
on
track.
Financial
with
management
and
budgeting
classes,
and
tutoring
and
mentoring
will
be
available
for
the
children
when
we
also
through
a
B
through
s,
BCM
have
scholarships
that
are
available.
That
can
help
these
moms
continue
their
education
if
they
wish.
So
we
are
asking
you
just
to
help
us
help
these
families
by
investing
in
their
future.
The
hope
is
that
we
can
break
the
cycle
of
homelessness
generationally
with
these
families.
J
K
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Debbie
Burchfield
and
I
represent
the
Hope
Chest
for
women,
and
our
project,
of
course,
is
assistance
in
housing.
This
small
agency
that
we
have
was
started
in
2001
by
a
group
of
local
oncologist
who
discovered
their
patients
were
having
to
decide
and
choose
between
treatment
and
basic
life
needs.
The
women
were
missing
appointments.
They
were
not
taking
medications
like
many
of
our
Buncombe
County
residents,
because
they
didn't
have
the
financial
resources
and
they
were
putting
off
surgeries.
K
It
is
the
mission
of
the
Hope
Chest
to
assist
and
support
in
providing
financial
resources
for
women
with
breast
and
gynecological
cancers
living
here
in
Buncombe
County
by
helping
them
meet
their
basic
and
required
living
expenses.
We
have
been
fortunate
to
be
able
to
assist
our
clients
and
their
families
to
remain
in
their
homes
by
avoiding
foreclosure
and
eviction,
as
well
as
helping
them
with
utility
bills.
K
During
2017,
the
Hope
Chest
was
able
to
pay
over
two
hundred
and
eighty
five
bills
for
about
150
woman
women
with
ninety
four
of
these
bills
being
related
exclusively
to
housing.
As
you
can
imagine
our
clients,
entire
family
is
affected
due
to
the
stress
money,
burdens
and
medical
requirements.
So
far,
our
women
have
ranged
in
ages
from
28
to
92
years
old
and
they
represent
all
ethnicities
all
over
the
county
as
low-income
families.
Most
of
them
are
very
reluctant
to
seek
assistance
and
by
the
time
they
actually
do
ask
for
help.
K
They
are
only
netting
about
fifteen
to
twenty
thousand
dollars
per
year.
A
couple
of
examples
of
those
that
we
have
helped
is
the
Nashville
city
school
teacher
who
had
several
reoccurrences
of
breast
cancer
was
about
to
be
evicted
from
her
apartment
and
we
were
able
to
keep
her
there.
Another
was
a
postal
worker
who
was
well
who
had
minor
children
could
not
pay
their
utility
bills
each
year.
We
strive
to
assist
more
women,
provide
them
with
more
resources
and
give
our
women
some
relief
from
what
is
already
a
very
stressful
situation.
K
A
L
L
Mahogany
went
through
our
culinary
training
program
and,
if
any
of
you
have
the
opportunity
to
eat
accurate,
a
she's
recently
been
hired
there
as
one
of
their
sous
chefs.
She
is
surviving
and
thriving
in
this
more
than
living
wage
job.
Last
year,
ninety
seven
percent
of
our
homeless
moms
with
children,
moved
into
sustainable
living,
wage
plus
jobs
and
homes
that
were
permanent.
You
see
that's
the
goal
of
our
program
that
we're
asking
you
to
invest
in
as
a
one-time
gift
with
transformation,
village
we're
so
honored
to
work
with
all
these
other
collaborative
partners.
L
M
N
Thank
You
mr.
chairman
David
Nash,
with
Asheville
Housing
Authority,
we're
here
with
another
Eddington
Center
project.
But
let
me
start
by
thanking
you
for
the
contribution
you've
made
in
the
past
to
the
center
to
help
us
finish
the
gym
floor
and
really
activate
that
space.
We're
looking
now
to
move
to
the
auditorium
and
finish
the
bigger
project.
Some.
N
We're
trying
to
move
forward.
Excuse
me
with
the
auditorium
project.
Now
we
have
had
a
community
process
and
listen
to
what
people
wanted
to
see
in
the
auditorium,
and
it
ranges
from
theater
performances
to
movies
to
fashion
shows
dinner
dinner
theater,
and
we
determined,
based
on
that
community
input
that
that
the
best
thing
we
could
do
would
be
to
level
the
floor.
And,
of
course,
we
need
to
do
other
infrastructure
work,
including
replacing
the
lighting
system,
replacing
the
HVAC
system
and
installing
a
basic
theater
type
lighting
system
as
well
and
a
sound
system.
N
So
those
are
the
purposes
that
we're
asking
you
to
get
to
contribute.
The
city
has
agreed
or,
as
preliminary
agreed
to
contribute,
some
funding.
The
Housing
Authority
has
as
well,
but
the
the
seed
money
and
the
start
of
this
thought
came
from
green
opportunities
and
I'm
going
to
turn
it
over
to
say,
Cooke
home
and
to
talk
about
that
briefly,.
O
Thank
you.
My
name
is
Saku
Coleman
and
I
am
the
project
manager
for
the
Southside
arts
and
agricultural
center
operating
from
the
Eddington
center.
The
Southside
arts
and
agriculture
center
is
a
collaborative
southside
focused
community
driven
initiative
to
realize
a
thriving
space
that
cultivates
healing,
while
restoring
a
reclaiming
community
through
various
forms
of
black
culture,
creativity,
arts
and
agriculture.
The
southside
arts
and
agricultural
center
is
also
the
catalyst
for
the
Housing
Authority
and
submitting
this
grant
application.
O
As
what
began
more
than
two
years
ago,
with
a
planning
grant
from
the
Kresge
Foundation
has
grown
into
a
player
that
has
received
national
attention.
We
stand
in
support
of
the
Housing
Authority
receiving
the
requested
funds
in
to
complete
the
renovation
of
the
auditorium
in
the
Eddington
center.
We
believe
this
will
offer
residents
of
the
Southside
community
pathways
to
job
training
and
economic
mobility
via
opportunities
for
construction
jobs,
employment
related
to
the
management
and
operation
of
the
renovated
auditorium
and
social
enterprise
that
intersects
with
black
culture,
creativity,
arts
and
agriculture.
O
N
P
P
P
Internationally.
Eighty-Five
percent
of
adults
with
autism
are
unemployed,
not
because
they
want
to
be,
but
because
there's
not
yet
enough
knowledge
among
employers
and
agencies
in
our
community
to
understand
their
unique
needs
in
order
to
employ
them.
So
we
started
last
year
with
phase
one
of
jobs
for
the
future,
with
ten
young
men
who
have
autism,
who
are
interns
with
our
program
right
now,
we
garden
and
we're
building
a
curriculum
around
their
social
needs.
Their
communication
needs
their
vocational
needs.
P
P
In
the
information
you
have
you'll
see
the
word
replicated
and
I
think
that's
really
important
for
me
to
point
out
today,
because
all
of
these
wonderful
agencies
here
are
serving
a
large
portion
of
our
community.
Our
goal
is
to
develop
a
curriculum
through
jobs
for
the
future
that
can
be
replicated
throughout
Buncombe
County,
so
that
we
can
train
employers
on
how
to
work
cooperatively
and
collaboratively
with
employees
who
have
autism
I
want
to
finish
just
briefly
telling
you
about
Zach,
who
is
one
of
our
current
interns.
He
graduated
from
Irwin
High
School.
P
His
father
is
taxpayer
in
Buncombe,
County
and
Zach's
its
home
four
days
a
week,
because
he
has
no
transportation
and
he
has
no
job
he's
an
intern
with
jobs
for
the
future,
and
you
can
ask
him
on
any
day
of
the
week
what
his
biggest
goal
in
life
is,
and
that
is
to
have
a
job
and
to
earn
a
salary
and
to
pay
taxes.
So
thank
you
very
much.
I
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
speak
to
you
today.
Q
Commissioners
and
Sheriff,
thank
you
for
your
previous
funding:
I'm
Sharon
Oxendine
I'm,
the
Western
women's
business
center,
director
and
I'm.
Here
today
we
are
requesting
funding.
Again
we
have
a
mission
to
provide
capital,
technical
assistance,
counseling
and
coaching
to
the
entrepreneurial
system.
Here
our
foundation
of
people
in
Western,
North
Carolina,
along
with
Buncombe
County.
Q
We
continue
to
meet
the
demands
of
our
our
minority
community
by
providing
services
to
the
African,
American
and
Latino
community
by
bringing
programming,
assistance,
developing
business
plans
and
loan
packages
our
best
year
yet
program
secures
these
clients
being
able
to
come
in
and
making
sure
that
our
loans
are
repaid
and
that
they're.
Given
the
assistance
due
throughout
the
year
at
March,
we
provided
how
to
turn
your
business
idea
into
income
at
the
Black
Mountain
Chamber
of
Commerce,
and
we
were
very
well
received.
Q
We
provided
we
provide
an
annual
women's
business
conference
and
last
year
we
had
over
200
women,
attend
the
attendance
included
over
20
percent
minorities
and
we're
being
recognized
in
our
community
for
building
diverse
business
support
systems.
We
are
currently
offering
business
services
in
the
form
of
business
planning,
marketing
and
QuickBooks.
Q
The
Western
Women's
Business
Center
continues
to
work
with
eighty
percent
women
40
percent,
which
are
minorities
with
a
population
that
is
low-income
at
times,
barriers
to
come.
Our
demographic
includes
artists,
veterans
and
minorities.
Since
July
of
2017,
with
your
funding,
we
have
provided
12
Latino
businesses
in
Buncombe
County
with
funding
and
also
support.
We've
also
offered
training
and
technical
assistance
to
475
other
clients
and
deployed
over
six
business
loans
which
have
helped
to
create
or
retain
23
jobs
in
Buncombe
County
this
year.
R
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Cindy
Davis,
Bryant
and
I'm
with
a
lot
of
homes.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
come
to
present
to
you
today.
I'm
I
am
presenting
a
proposal
for
the
Elida
students,
training
for
an
advancement
program
or
what
we
call
esta.
A
lot
of
Homes
has
been
here
for
a
hundred
and
fifteen
years,
and
our
mission
is
to
permit
is
to
help
children
succeed
within
the
essa
program.
This
will
be
our
third
cohort
of
15
students.
R
Elida
works
to
address
the
workforce,
development
challenges
for
older
youth,
with
multiple
barriers
to
employment.
Oftentimes.
We
have
these
children
or
young
adults
who
have
financial
insecurity.
They
have
low
self-efficacy,
they
have
lots
of
housing
instability
and
they
also
have
lack
of
role
models
to
support
them.
The
objective
of
this
project
is
to
partner
with
community
high
school
students,
about
the
opportunity
with
esta
and
to
enroll
up
to
15
students
in
this
program.
R
Ted
Stumpf,
who
is
the
esta
director,
has
established
relationships
with
the
school,
as
well
as
the
Chamber
of
Commerce
in
Buncombe
County
hospitality,
industry,
Workforce,
Development
Board
students
attend
class
on
campus
at
Elida.
They
learn
things
like
etiquette.
They
follow
the
golden
opportunity,
the
golden
opportunity
curriculum
with
goodwill,
life
skills,
21st
century
working
skills.
R
For
our
students,
some
of
the
hotels
that
are
that
participate
are
the
Omni
at
Grove
Park,
the
Hilton
aloft,
Graham
Bohemia
and
the
Renaissance
they
partner
to
provide
these
jobs,
shadows
and
internship
professional
mentorship
and
paid
apprenticeships
for
their
students
and
job
opportunities.
Oftentimes,
the
students
are
hired
on
the
spot.
The
outcomes
that
we
have
for
our
program
include
80
percent
of
students
getting
entry-level
employment
with
wages
with
progressive
opportunity,
85%
of
the
students
achieving
their
high
school
diploma
and
GED
using
scale
measurements
to
to
measure
independent
living
skills.
R
We
have
a
couple
of
evidence-based
practices
that
we
use
for
that,
but
then
also
80
percent
will
increase
the
resiliency
protective
factors
by
three
factors
that
is
also
completed
by
using
scales.
The
long-term
sustainability
of
this
project
is
through
partnerships
with
additional
industries.
Thank
you.
So
much.
S
Good
afternoon,
commissioners,
and
thank
you
so
much
for
the
opportunity-
I'm
J,
Hackett,
executive
director
of
green
opportunities
and
we
have
applied
for
funding
from
Buncombe
County
in
order
to
enhance
the
employment
pathways
in
the
margins
here
in
Buncombe
County.
We
have
been
recipients
of
county
funding
in
the
past
and
we
have
asked
for
increased
funding
in
order
to
support
our
three
programs.
S
In
the
past,
one
program
was
funded,
which
was
the
culinary
training,
but
we're
looking
for
support
for
our
three
programs,
the
culinary
and
the
construction
program,
and
are
ready
to
work
program
and
I'll
talk
more
detail
about
the
construction
and
the
ready
to
work.
Since
the
culinary
is
more
known,
our
construction
program,
our
agency
was
started
about
ten
years
ago.
As
a
matter
of
fact,
this
year
is
our
ten-year
anniversary.
S
Green
opportunities
was
created
by
local
folks
who
had
a
heart
and
a
desire
to
connect
young
adults
with
sustainable
employment,
and
so
for
the
last
ten
years
there
been
some
high
highs
and
some
low
lows.
But
as
an
agency,
we've
thrived
and
we've
made
it
to
the
point
that
we're
able
to
claim
success,
helping
over
600
people
be
connected
with
employment
here
in
in
Buncombe
County
and
an
arm.
S
Our
placement
rates
exceed
the
national
standards
of
excellence,
and
our
construction
program
has
received
national
acclaim
and
recognition
having
been
awarded,
the
National
Youth
build
grant
from
the
Department
of
Labor.
Our
model
of
Workforce
Development
has
been
studied
by
the
University
of
Georgia
at
Acton's.
A
land
grant
institution,
in
addition
to
master's
programs
at
the
University
of
mission,
are
coming
to
study
how
we
do
what
we
do
here
in
Buncombe
County
at
green
opportunities,
and
so
we
would
like
for
the
county
to
help
subsidize
the
cost
of
our
construction
program
with
part
of
this
funding.
S
Department
of
Labor
did
give
about
nine
hundred
and
ten
thousand
dollars
that
spread
over
three
years
and
we're
asking
for
the
county
to
support
that
effort
as
well,
and
then
we
have
the
ready
to
work
program.
Now.
Most
of
our
programs
are
longer
in
nature.
A
person
will
come
in
and
they'll
be
there
for
about
three
months
inside
the
program.
S
Every
day,
from
9:00
to
3:00
and
for
the
construction
they'd
be
there
for
nine
months,
but
the
ready
to
work
allows
them
to
come
in
and
in
a
short
period
of
time
and
get
the
training
for
soft
skills
that
they
need
be
immediately
connected
to
work.
And
then
our
agency
is
able
to
leverage
our
social
enterprises
in
order
to
create
sustainability.
We
request
that
Buncombe
County
would
participate
in
our
program
I'm,
especially
in
this
landmark
year
of
ten
years
of
green
opportunities,
jobs
and
justice.
Thank
you.
T
Hello,
commissioners
and
thank
you
for
having
us
here-
my
name
is
Adriana
Ciao
Bella
I
am
a
with
all
a
community
arts
and
I
apologize
for
my
southern
accent
is
a
little
strong
in
Ola
Community
Arts.
We
build
bridges
between
cultures,
we
embrace
diversity
and
create
more
economic
and
vibrant
communities.
We
recognize
the
power
of
the
Arts
to
challenge
and
shift
perceptions
as
per
creativity
and
connect
people
across
cultures.
Our
signature
events
in
Buncombe
County
is
the
Ola
Asheville
festival
in
June
and
Day
of
the
Dead
in
November.
T
All
a
community
arts
international
festivals
are
making
a
lasting
and
direct
impact
through
Western
North
Carolina
by
celebrating
cultural
diversity
with
related
education,
economic
and
trip
renewal
programming,
with
an
emphasis
in
the
Latino
community.
In
addition
to
that,
we
have
ola
carolina
magazine
a
spanish-language
magazine.
It
connects
our
community
with
our
Latino
community
as
well.
Latinos
in
Buncombe
County
trace
their
origins
to
more
than
two
any
Latin
American
countries.
Latinos
represent
nearly
15%
of
Buncombe,
County,
Schools
and
rosemon,
which
it
doubles.
The
african-american
community
enrollments
our
ribbons,
are
no
Jews
for
Latinos.
T
We
love
to
passionately
tell
our
stories
and
share
our
rich
cultures
and
tradition.
We
love
to
share
our
culture
with
our
neighbors
and
with
all
of
you,
we
are
seeking
found
integral
cultural
arts
programming
in
Buncombe
County
through
our
international
programs,
festivals
and
Nola.
Carolina
magazine,
we
are
bridging
cultural
communication
between
government
businesses
and
historically,
under
under
represent
and
underserved
communities,
especially
founding
will
be
directed
to
improving
our
cultural
performance
and
offsetting
event.
Production
cost.
T
Please
join
all
the
community
arts
in
helping
our
community
and
come
together
to
support
and
connect
with
one
to
another
when
it
comes
to
create
positive
change,
it
makes
it
takes
a
village,
and
your
partnership
is
powerful
for
our
communities
to
come
together.
Thank
you
and
I
would
like
to
say
a
public
recognition
and
thank
you,
because
several
of
people
here
and
organizations
are
very
supportive
and
they
create
a
very
successful
event
in
last
year,
2017
or
last
field.
Thank
you.
U
Hello,
thank
you
once
again
for
allowing
us
this
opportunity.
My
name
is
Vicky
Meath
and
I'm.
The
executive
director
of
just
economics.
At
just
economics,
we
take
a
community,
focused,
multifaceted
approach
to
supporting
healthy
and
more
equitable
economic
development,
in
line
with
Buncombe
County
strategic
priority
of
building
a
diverse
community
workforce.
We
are
asking
for
your
continued
support
of
our
living
wage
employer
certification
program.
U
This
program
and
our
businesses
here
in
Buncombe
County
serve
as
a
model
for
the
country,
and
many
communities
across
the
country
are
following
our
lead:
initiating
voluntary
living
wage
employer
certificate,
certification
programs
in
their
area.
We
have
the
largest
program
of
its
kind
in
the
country
and
we
are
having
a
multi-million
dollar
annual
impact
on
the
community.
This
program
and
our
organization
are
unique
in
that
we
work
with
both
employees
and
employers
with
employees.
U
We
work
with
them
to
remove
barriers
to
economic
mobility
and
work,
and
we
work
with
employers
to
support
them
in
maintaining
a
diverse
and
sustained
living
wage
workforce
in
working
with
employees.
The
results
of
our
work
are
demonstrated
by
the
engagement
of
workers
in
the
public
dialogue
around
equitable
solutions.
We
engage
a
diverse
cross
sector
of
the
community
through
our
programs
and
workshops.
U
We
also
work
with
employers
on
their
path
to
living,
wage
certification
and
we
work
with
employers
that
are
part
of
our
network
of
living
wage
certified
employers
to
support
their
sustainability,
employers
in
our
network
experience,
lower
turnover
and
increased
productivity
compared
to
their
lower
wage
counterparts.
I'd
like
to
share
one
experience
of
one
of
our
business
owners.
We
worked
with
him
for
six
months
a
couple
of
years
ago
to
figure
out
how
his
labor
intensive
business
could
pay
a
living
wage
and
remain
solvent
in
becoming
certified.
U
He
took
a
pay
cut
himself
after
over
a
year.
He
reported
to
us
that
he
was
that
prior
to
certification,
he
was
losing
employees
regularly
in
the
year
after
certification,
he
lost
only
one
employee
who
was
seeking
higher
education
because
he
did
not
need
to
dedicate
so
much
time
to
hiring
and
training
and
development.
He
was
able
to
restore
his
own
pay
and
invest
more
in
growth.
We
are
also
part
of
a
one
of
the
founding
members
of
the
new
local
new
economies
coalition.
U
With
many
of
my
colleagues
in
the
room,
this
coalition
addresses
equity
in
business
and
workforce
development
and
supports
businesses
with
more
just
sustainable
and
democratic
business
models.
Your
support
primarily
helps
to
fund
our
staff
who
implement
this
work,
and
we
believe
that
this
is
a
worthy
investment
and
appreciate
your
support.
Thanks
once
again
for
this
opportunity
to
come
before
you
today,.
V
Lower
okay,
hello,
my
name
is
Kimberly
hunter
and
I
am
the
Entrepreneurship
program
manager
at
Mountain.
Biz
works.
This
is
Patrick
Fitzsimmons,
our
executive
director
and
we're
here
today
to
really
talk
to
you
about
how
we
are
the
core
focus
on
small
business,
entrepreneurship,
entrepreneurship
and
deploying
capital
to
them.
Obviously,
the
funds
that
we
are
seeking,
we're
not
looking
to
keep
them
internally,
what
we
do
and
what
we
specialize
in,
not
just
in
this
county,
but
throughout
the
region
as
we
deploy.
V
We
deploy
finances
through
the
focus
of
business
loans
and
through
technical
assistance
to
entrepreneurs,
whether
they're,
starting
developing,
thriving
or
exiting,
which
is
a
big
part
of
what's
happening.
Now.
We
actually
support
them
when
they're
not
supported
and
what
I
mean
by
that
is.
We
focus
on
supporting
businesses
who
cannot
obtain
traditional
lending
or
traditional
consulting.
V
So
we
do
that
very
well
and
I
just
want
to
focus
specifically.
You
can
tell
I'm
nervous,
but
I
want
to
focus
specifically
on
our
growth
and
our
dedication
to
people
of
color
and
women.
I've
only
worked
here
two
years
I've
been
in
relationship
with
mountain
vis
works
for
many
years
as
a
former
entrepreneur,
but
what's
really
most
impactful
to
me
personally
as
an
employee,
is
that
I'm
seeing
a
lot
of
growth
and
significant
growth
and
impact
and
developing
self
sufficiency
for
entrepreneurs
of
color
and
women
entrepreneurs?
V
W
X
Lcra,
the
CEO
of
one,
you
thought
a
time
and
also
senior
minister
of
debian
C,
Baptist,
Church
I,
must
say
quickly.
Thank
you
for
the
long
support
and
the
believing
in
us
trusting
us
down
through
the
years
we
have
given
at
our
best.
Our
programs
have
done
quite
well.
We
have
realized
some
90%
of
successes,
but
then
our
tutoring
and
mentoring
students
moving
from
one
grade
to
the
next
and
also
recognizing
a
great
success
in
graduations.
We
have
also
seen
successes
with
in
our
outreach
at
education.
X
One
youth
at
a
time
we
feel
is
one
of
the
leading
agencies
that
brings
people
together,
whether
it's
in
education
in
medicine
or
whether
it's
within
the
faith
community.
We
have
seen
a
lot
of
that,
but
we
are
asked
in
this
great
County
one
of
the
greatest
in
our
state
and
I
can
say
that
with
assurance
that
if
we
could
realize
again
what
we
asked
for
going
into
to
seventeen
our
County,
we
realized
a
cut
20%
and
that
was
devastating
to
us.
So
we
prayed
being
a
minister.
X
I
would
use
those
words
that
at
least
we
could
realize
where
we
were
going
into
2:17.
We
had
to
cut
across
the
board.
We
had
to
downsize
in
the
Flatiron
Building,
where
we
had
been
for
over
27
years,
but
we
asked
and
if
you
would
give
that
some
thought
and
we
would
promise
that
we
will
give
the
best
we
can,
we
are
dedicated
to
it.
We
owe
it
to
you
to
the
community,
but
most
of
all
to
a
higher
power.
Thank
you.
M
Good
afternoon,
commissioners,
my
name
is
Catherine
Mitchell
I'm
with
Riverfront
Development
Group,
our
proposal,
the
African
American
cultural
heritage
district
began
in
2017
and
it
is
a
place
making
and
wayfinding
project
that
combines
historic
community
and
cultural
heritage
with
economic
development.
The
East
End
district
will
connect
the
historic
Eagle,
Market
Street
East
in
south
slope
and
South
Side
communities.
M
The
establishment
of
the
Stevens
Lee
High
School
regional
heritage
museum
is
a
plan
to
stop
in
a
heritage
trail
that
will
feature
historic
markers
and
connect.
The
East
End
community
to
the
county's
Bo
catcher
Greenway,
the
wayfinding
for
the
district
from
Eagle
Market
Street
to
the
south
slope
and
Southside
will
be
via
the
Asheville
Greenway
installations
due
to
develop
from
2018
through
2020,
coinciding
with
the
city's
Greenway
development
and
the
River
Arts
District
development.
M
The
intended
result
of
establishing
the
district
is
that
it
will
serve
as
a
catalyst
for
a
cultural,
social,
economic
and
business
enterprise,
Renaissance
in
Asheville
african-american
communities
to
the
benefit
of
the
city
and
the
county.
According
to
the
city's
parks
and
recreations
department,
we
can
begin
already
collected
installations
in
the
Stevens
Lee
Center
Museum
later
this
year.
M
Y
Good
afternoon,
everyone,
my
name,
is
Jenny
naka
Jay
Haas
I
am
the
women's
empowerment
coordinator
at
the
YWCA
and
I'm
here
today
to
speak
to
you
about
the
getting
ahead
NHS
getting
by
world
program
according
to
the
status
of
women
in
Western,
North
Carolina
about
40%
of
women
live
near
or
below
the
federal
poverty
line,
even
though
72%
are
employed.
Getting
ahead,
seeks
to
increase
the
economic
resiliency
of
low-income
women
in
order
to
reduce
the
percentage
of
women
who
live
at
or
below
the
poverty
line.
Y
According
to
Ruby,
panes
bridges
motto
getting
ahead
in
a
just
getting
by
world
is
a
16
session
course
that
aims
to
empower
women
of
all
ages
and
backgrounds
to
make
financial
choices
that
positively
impacts
themselves,
their
families
and
their
communities.
During
these
16
sessions,
women
have
had
learned
hidden
class
rules
and
extensive
outlook
at
their
lives
now
and
the
resources
necessary
to
get
ahead
in
their
financial
future.
Y
They
will
receive
child
care
an
evening
meal
bus
passes
to
eliminate
any
obstacles
of
return
each
week
and
a
$20
stipend
for
each
session
attending
a
total
of
320
dollars.
Getting
ahead,
graduates
also
receive
18
months
of
case
management
to
progressively
work
on
their
future
goals
and
aspirations.
Getting
ahead
has
an
overall
graduation
rate
of
92%
since
they
began
in
2015
with
a
hundred
percent
graduation
rate.
Y
In
the
last
two
cohorts,
participants
consisted
of
72
percent
african-americans,
26
percent
Caucasian
and
2
percent
makes
raised
ages,
19
to
86th
7
areas,
stability
of
life,
financial,
emotional,
food,
language,
social
support
and
physical
resources.
These
indicators
also
reflect
the
needs
and
desired
outcomes
of
GA
graduates.
An
example
of
a
story
is
the
one
of
Diana
Diana
found
herself
facing
financial
hardship
after
the
loss
of
her
and
her
husband's
employment.
Y
Shortly
after
the
birth
of
their
third
daughter,
things,
spiraled
out
of
control
says
Diana
soon
after
the
money
depleted
from
their
savings
account
they
faced
having
to
move
out
of
their
home
and
end
with
family
in
April
of
2017
Diana
enrolled
in
getting
ahead
and
began
to
learn
about
the
different
resources
around
her
community.
She
felt
safe
in
a
room
with
women
who
have
experienced
a
similar
situation.
She
began
to
regain
the
hope
that
she
had
once
lost.
Y
Diana
worked
on
three
goals:
to
improve
her
credit
that
to
lose
10
pounds
every
turn
to
school,
to
finish
her
associate
degree
and
someday
enroll
in
a
four-year
university.
Today,
diana
has
lost
over
10.
Pounds
is
steadily
paying
back
her
debt
and
works
as
a
Buncombe
city
teacher
and
has
graduated
from
her
associate's
degree
and
will
apply
for
a
four-year
university
in
fall
of
2018.
She
also
became
the
co
facilitator
for
the
September
quarter,
where
she
helped
guide
an
inspired
woman
searching
for
the
hope
and
empowerment.
Z
You
I'm
Amanda
Bryant
I'm
here
on
behalf
of
your
science
museum.
The
Asheville
Museum
of
Science
Amos
is
the
area's
home
for
science,
learning
discovery
and
exploration.
We
had
the
privilege
of
meeting
with
several
of
y'all
over
the
past
couple
of
months
touring
the
facility
and
discussing
our
funding.
Ask
you
encouraged
us
to
submit
a
multi-year
funding
request,
which
we
have
please
note
that
our
early
childhood
development
programs
that
were
mentioned
in
the
strategic
partnership
grant
will
be
honored
as
well.
Z
In
that
asked,
if
that's
accepted,
we
want
to
share
with
you
a
story
of
one
of
our
awesome
visitors
at
the
Museum.
We
met
Callie
last
year
during
one
of
our
early
childhood
science
programs,
Kelly's
filled
with
energy
excitement
and
enough
curiosity
to
go
around
her
class
was
led
through
a
fun-filled
activity.
Learning
about
dinosaurs,
the
first
Callie
was
getting
upset
because
she
was
unable
to
do
the
activity
through
the
wonderful
work
of
our
educators,
her
class.
We
were
able
to
touch
on
how
scientists
celebrate
failures,
problem-solve
and
worked
together
to
achieve
their
goal.
Z
Z
We
got
to
watch
Callie's,
mom,
her
brother
and
her
explore
the
museum,
learn
about
science
and
again
just
build
that
science
of
learning
growth
and
excitement,
and
then
last
summer
Callie
was
able
to
come
to
our
little
adventure
summer
day
camp
on
the
campus
of
UNC
Asheville,
and
then
we
now
see
her
brother
once
a
week
in
one
of
our
after-school
programs.
This
is
one
of
many
stories
in
a
short
amount
of
time
of
being
open.
Z
Z
Previously
Amos
in
our
new
location
has
maintained
our
presence
in
the
area
being
a
resource
to
locals
and
visitors
alike
and
Colburn.
The
previous
museum
operated
impact
place,
building
rent-free
for
24
years,
supported
both
through
the
county
in
the
city
and,
on
average,
most
centers
around
the
state
received
10
to
25%
of
their
operating
budget
for
municipal
support
from
the
museum
and
Life
of
Science
in
Durham
to
the
gem
and
laboratory
Museum
in
Hendersonville.
Z
AA
Hello
and
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
share
some
highlights
from
our
proposal.
The
early
childhood
workforce
development
program,
I'm
Amy
berry
the
executive
director
of
bunkum
partnership
for
children,
where
we
provide
programs
that
support
children,
birth
to
five,
their
families
and
the
early
educators
who
care
and
teach
them.
The
basis
of
our
proposal
is
the
early
educator
workforce
crisis.
Buncombe
partnership
for
children
has
been
serving
as
the
backbone
organization
of
the
Asheville
Buncombe
preschool
planning,
collaborative
that
large
collaborative
group
focused
on
expanding
high
quality,
affordable
early
care
and
education.
AA
The
the
workforce
shortage
we
know
is
huge
and
it's
well
documented
in
the
report.
Out
of
the
Asheville
Buncombe
preschool
planning
collaborative
in
August
shortage
is
due
to
decrease
in
folks
entering
the
field
due
to
low
wages,
high
stress,
lack
of
a
career
pathway
and
high
turnover
rates
due
to
stress
and
work.
AA
The
early
childhood
teacher
workforce
development
program
will
meet
a
growing
growing
community
need
for
recruiting
training
and
Retraining
early
childhood
teachers
in
the
workforce.
So
just
a
reminder
that
this
is
a
partnership
between
a
BTEC,
early
childhood
education
program,
Buncombe
partnership
for
children,
green
opportunities
and
the
high
school
early
childhood
Career
and
Technical
Education
Program.
AA
So
our
recruitment
will
focus
on
the
high
school
students
in
those
career.
Technical
education
programs
currently
enrolled
students
in
the
a
BTech
early
childhood
Department
and
underemployed.
Clients
of
green
opportunities
who
are
interested
in
entering
the
early
childhood
workforce
will
use
a
combination
of
recruitment
and
retention
strategies
and
our
plan
is
to
create
a
substitute
pool
for
early
childhood
program
providers.
AA
So
this
will
allowed
employed
teachers
to
pursue
their
professional
development,
gaining
access
to
better
career
opportunities
and
higher
wages,
while
supporting
the
childcare
providers
themselves
and,
in
addition,
will
create
supportive
networks
between
high
school
students
enrolled
in
the
career,
technical
education
programs
and
the
early
educator
community.
It's
worth
noting
that
there
has
not
been
a
substitute
pool
in
Buncombe
County
for
the
early
educator
workforce
in
over
15
years.
AA
Buncombe
partnership
for
children
has
two
years
of
experience,
working
with
the
Career
Technical
Education
Program.
Sorry,
for
that
long,
jargony
thing
so
high
school
programs.
There
are
child
development
programs
based
on
site
and
in
that
two
years
of
informal
experience,
we've
had
five
five
students
employed
for
pursue
their
AAA
and
three
enrolled
in
bachelors
programs.
So
we
will
help
to
allow
students
to
gain
access
to
training
opportunities
and
recruitment.
Thanks.
AB
Good
afternoon,
I
am
the
one
a
little
the
executive
director
of
positive
changes,
youth
ministries
and
my
proposals
for
project
access,
24-hour
childcare,
and
we
actually
I
actually
went
door-to-door
throughout
the
community
to
gauge
the
interest
and
to
see
if
community
members
seen
a
24-hour
childcare
center
as
an
advantage
to
their
community
or
a
benefit,
a
good.
Ninety
five
percent
said:
yes,
they
did
see
this
as
an
E
and
as
a
benefit
to
their
community
in
general,
and
especially
in
the
low
wealth
communities,
as
they
thought
about
the
difference.
AB
We
also
asked
for
reasons
why
they
thought
it
would
be
a
benefit
and
it's
the
difference
and
pay
and
different
dependent
on
the
shifts
that
you
can
take
on
now,
because
you
have
access
to
quality
childcare.
This
is
a
partnership
between
positive
changes
and
green
opportunities,
and
also
with
partnerships
for
children,
but
for
County
partnerships
for
children.
So
it's
been
an
expensive
process
and
we
did
a
lot
of
research
to
be
able
to
stand
before
you
today.
So
imma,
let
Jace
be.
S
The
green
opportunities
mission
is
to
Train
support
and
connect
people
from
marginalized
communities
with
sustainable
employment
pathways,
and
we
realized
that
the
importance
of
partnerships
is
that
you're
able
to
leverage
these
partnerships
and
be
able
to
serve
more
people
in
dynamic
ways,
and
so,
as
we
have
tried
to
connect
people
with
employment
over
the
years,
childcare
comes
up
as
a
number-one
deterrent,
from
people
being
able
to
either
be
employed
or
to
increase
in
their
employment
regularly.
Where
we're
hearing
people
say
that
they
would
work
more
hours
or
they
would
work
if
they
could
find
childcare.
S
Childcare
affects
every
area
of
the
economic
strata
here
in
Asheville,
and
this
request
is
for
opportunity
to
take
one
year
and
play
and
figure
out
where
a
location
would
be
how
it
would
work
best
and
how
it
could
benefit
the
people
that
most
need
this,
and
we
feel
confident
that
it
will
impact
large
numbers
of
people
based
upon
information.
We've
gotten
from
the
ground
level
from
people
actually
needed
those
individuals
that
we
are
responsible
for
caring
for
and
those
individuals
we're
responsible
for,
representing
and
responsible
for
serving.
AC
Good
afternoon
I'm
CC
Weston
the
executive
director
with
the
Christie
Navy
Learning
Center
in
1959.
The
only
African
American
owned
daycare
center
began
here
in
Asheville,
the
name
Hill
Street
daycare
center.
This
program
was
started
by
Christine
Avery,
the
wife
of
the
pastor,
Hill
Street
Baptist
Church
Nyla's
Avery,
the
child
care
program
operated
as
hill
street
daycare
until
February
2017.
At
that
time,
the
Christine
Avery
Learning
Center,
took
over
the
program.
Our
mission,
vision
and
beliefs
are
to
hold
this
standard
that
every
child
can
be
equipped
enriched
and
empowered
to
reach
their
greatest
potential.
AC
We
do
this
through
education,
we
currently
serve
a
population
of
95%
african-american,
3%
white
1%,
Latino
1%
other
I
feel
that
our
population
makeup
is
due
largely
to
the
fact
that
we
are
the
historically
oldest
African
American
daycare
in
Buncombe
County.
We
are
five.
We
are
a
four
star
center,
according
to
the
North
Carolina
Division
of
child
care
and
we'll
be
going
through
an
assessment
soon,
with
the
hopes
of
obtaining
five
stars.
AC
African-American
students
fall
behind
in
schools
because
they
do
not
attend
childcare
programs,
quality,
child
care
programs
in
December
2017.
We
an
NC
pre-k
class,
with
the
help
of
you
all.
So.
Thank
you
so
much
for
that
partnership.
It
enhanced
the
quality
of
our
learning
for
the
students
enrolled
in
that
classroom,
as
well
as
students
enrolled
in
our
overall
Center
to
completely
update
that
classroom,
which
had
not
been
updated
since
2000.
It
cost
roughly
eighteen
thousand
dollars
the
grant.
Funding
that
we're
asking
for
is
twofold.
AC
It
will
help
update
the
educational
materials
and
furnishings
needed
to
promote
a
quality
learning
environment
for
the
other
three
classrooms
in
our
Center
that
are
severely
outdated,
and
it
will
also
help
to
increase
the
pay
for
our
staff
to
provide
incentive
and
motivation
and
a
greater
learning
atmosphere.
We
thank
you.
A
AD
You
good
afternoon
and
thank
you,
commissioners,
chairman
and
staff,
for
giving
me
the
opportunity
to
come
and
present
our
application
to
you
today.
My
name
is
Jennifer
Teague
and
I'm.
The
executive
director
for
the
Council
on
Aging
of
Buncombe
County
I'd
like
to
also
take
this
opportunity
to
say
thank
you
to
the
County
Commissioners
for
the
continued
support
that
you
have
shown
to
aging
services
in
Buncombe
County
that
support
a
variety
of
services
and
older
adult
issues.
My
application
today,
however,
is
slightly
outside
of
the
scope
of
the
aging
services
funding.
That
is
provided.
AD
That's
why
I
wanted
to
come
in
and
present.
As
we
have
all
heard,
our
population
is
aging
by
2025.
Buncombe
County
is
expected
to
have
a
population
of
25%
over
the
age
of
60.
That's
one
in
four,
we
at
the
Council
on
Aging.
We
serve
a
variety
of
individuals,
all
age
60
and
over
through
information,
enrollment
assistance
and
a
variety
of
aging
services.
Our
services
include
resource
coordination,
which
provide
individuals
with
completing
applications,
navigating
the
aging
services
community
and
providing
follow-up
case
management
and
support
to
meet
the
needs.
AD
In
addition,
we
offer
Medicare
education
and
counseling
and
we
oversee
the
senior
dining
program,
the
congregate
nutrition
program
for
older
adults
that
provides
a
hot
lunch
along
with
socialization
and
exercise
programs.
However,
today
I'm
here
before
you
to
ask
for
support
for
a
new
position,
we
have
been
approached
by
Julie
clip
Nicholson
at
the
Family
Justice
Center,
to
provide
a
staff
person
to
meet
with
individuals
who
do
not
qualify
for
Adult,
Protective,
Services
or
helpmate,
or
our
voices.
AD
Oftentimes
those
clients
either
have
declined
service
or
they
have
not
met
all
the
standards
needed,
and
so
those
clients
have
sometimes
come
to
the
Council
on
Aging,
at
which
point
we've
provided
access
to
resources,
help
them
understand
and
navigate
the
system,
and
we
would
be
able
to
provide
a
staff
person
to
be
on-site
at
the
Family
Justice
Center
to
meet
with
those
clients
to
help
them
understand
and
navigate
the
system
and
provide
case
management
and
support.
We
anticipate
serving
50
clients
through
this
position.
AD
It
would
allow
us
a
part
time
person
to
be
housed
at
the
Family
Justice
Center
and
we
would
also
work
with
other
aging
services
providers,
Adult
Protective
Services
staff
and
Family
Justice
Center
staff
to
provide
education
and
Prevention
on
fraud,
abuse
and
exploitation
throughout
Buncombe
County.
We
appreciate
your
consideration
of
this
request,
be
happy
to
answer
any
questions
that
may
come
either
up
either
today
or
in
the
future
and
again,
thank
you
for
your
time.
Thank
you.
AE
Hello
commissioners,
my
name
is
Mike
Hollifield
I'm,
the
program
director
of
the
family
visitation
program,
a
program
of
the
mediation
center
I
appreciate
your
time
and
consideration
as
I
describe
to
you.
How
truly
wonderful
and
important
our
program
is
in
keeping
the
community
safe
at
the
family
visitation
program.
We
provide
children
the
opportunity
to
spend
time
with
their
parents
who
may
be
required
to
have
supervised,
visitation
or
monitored
exchanges.
AE
Research
demonstrates
access
to
both
parents
so
long
as
that
access
is
free
from
abuse,
neglect
or
further
parental
conflict
is
essential
to
a
child's
well-being,
meaning
of
the
families
we
work
with,
have
experienced
domestic
violence.
Our
program
enables
custodial
parents
or
victim
parents
to
follow
through
on
court-ordered,
supervised,
visitation
and
excuse
me
without
having
to
come
into
contact
with
their
the
other
parent
or
potential
abuser.
This
not
only
keeps
domestic
violence,
victims
safe.
It
prevents
children
from
witnessing
ongoing
violence
and
helps
to
build
a
safer,
more
resilient
community.
AE
In
addition
to
valuing
a
child's
right
to
a
relationship
with
both
parents,
the
safety
of
all
participants
is
paramount.
Last
year
our
annual
client
satisfaction
survey.
100%
of
the
families
boasts
both
custodial
parents
and
our
visiting
parents
reported
feeling
safe
after
achieving
this
level
of
safety.
Our
next
priority
is
ensuring
that
the
families
that
use
our
services
feel
respected.
100%
of
our
families
surveyed
also
reported
feeling
respected,
while
using
services
at
the
family
visitation
program.
AE
We
provide
supervised,
visitation
and
comfortable
visit
rooms
equipped
with
murals
paint
on
the
walls
board,
games,
comfy,
couches
crafts,
a
gaming
system.
Children
can
spend
time
with
their
parents
and
as
fun
and
safe
environment.
Where
there's
always
a
visit
monitor
present
to
intervene.
If
there
are
safety
concerns
to
help
with
visit
coaching
or
visit
planning,
when
visitation
centers
do
not
exist,
parents
may
be
forced
to
exchange
children
or
monitor
visits
themselves.
This
can
lead
to
very
unsafe
situations,
including
harm
to
the
custodial
parent
and
the
child
witnessing
ongoing
violence.
AE
AE
This
last
year
has
been
a
year
of
growth.
We've
extended
our
visit
hours
to
include
Saturdays,
enabling
us
to
serve
more
families
on
a
schedule
that
works
best
for
them.
At
this
time,
we've
already
exceeded
our
yearly
goal
of
serving
more
than
55
families.
With
your
help
during
this
next
fiscal
year,
we
hope
to
continue
this
growth,
ensuring
the
any
family
in
Buncombe
County
that
needs
the
safety
that
supervised,
visitation
or
monitored
exchanges
provides,
will
have
that
opportunity
available
to
them.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Thank.
A
R
What
this
request
is
for
for
this
proposal
is
to
go
towards
the
cost
of
a
program
manager,
a
project
manager,
as
you
may
know,
Elida
again
has
been
around
for
115
years
and
it
started
as
a
home
for
unwed
moms
in
an
orphanage
for
children.
So
working
with
this
population
goes
back
to
our
mission
in
serving
the
moms
and
children
that
have
been
affected
by
the
opioid
crisis.
Each
of
you
have
noted
that
the
opioid
addiction
crisis
is
a
top
strategic
priority
for
you.
Elida
is
looking
to
partnership
with
mae
hack
between
2013
and
14.
R
There
was
a
604
percent
increase
in
the
in
the
number
of
newborns
that
were
hospitalized
for
drug
addiction
in
2015,
400
babies
tested
positive
in
mission.
Hospitals
for
substances
upon
birth
may
heck
has
the
medical
experience
to
provide
services
to
these
women
and
acts
we
already
are
through
their
program
called
project
Kara.
It
serves
women
that
are
pregnant
to
get
them
substance,
use
treatment
and
their
OB
care
for
their
pregnancy.
Elida
has
experience
providing
residential
services
and
wraparound
services
that
include
child
development
services,
foster
care,
parent
training
and
workforce
development.
R
This
brings
together
the
strengths
of
both
of
our
organizations
to
create
a
model
that
serves
the
whole
family.
Mae
heck
will
provide
the
medical
care
for
these
individuals
and
some
behavioral
health
care,
while
Elida
will
provide
the
housing,
the
transitional
living
apartments,
support
within
the
housing,
child
development
programs
for
the
babies
and
other
children,
workforce
development
and
the
land
for
which
Elida
will
leverage
to
build
these
facilities.
The
stay
for
the
women
is
six
months
and
up
to
16
women
with
their
children
can
can
live
there.
R
This
is
a
capital
project
for
both
of
our
organizations
and
we'll
both
be
assessing
what
is
needed
to
complete
this
organism
to
aply
complete
this
project.
The
opioid
crisis
will
be
with
us
for
years
to
come
and
we
need
a
project
manager
to
help
spearhead
the
engagement
and
moving
forward
of
this
project,
with
Mae
heck
with
the
Buncombe
County,
and
also
with
Elida
leadership
teams.
Have
already
formed
a
steering
committee,
dr.
heck
is
actively
involved
in
the
steering
committee,
along
with
leadership
and
Elida,
and
some
partners
in
Buncombe
County.
R
A
S
Good
afternoon
I'm
Jake
act,
the
pastor
of
new
mile
of
Missionary
Baptist,
Church
Newman
olive
was
founded
in
1908.
It's
110
years
old
exists
at
Herman
Street,
the
former
building
with
that
1:29
Livingston
Street.
This
is
a
congregation
relatively
small,
but
very
committed,
and
this
congregation
over
the
years
has
done
lots
of
community
work
and
this
year
as
they
planned
their
budget,
they
had
already
been
operating
on
a
budget
of
about
a
100
thousand
dollars
based
on
citizens
giving
and
this
amounts
to
each
person
contributing
somewhere
between
a
thousand
and
thirteen
hundred
dollars.
S
In
order
to
make
local
ministry
happen
as
we
serve
the
community,
and
so
this
grant
proposal
that
we're
presenting
would
be
for
new
Mount
Olive
to
partner
with
and
help
create
a
community
choir.
That
would
that
would
help
promote
peace
in
the
neighborhood.
Also
would
allow
Newman
olive
to
have
a
computer
lab
that
had
10
computers,
outfitted
with
with
math
software
reading
software
and
second
language
software.
S
There's
not
a
local
computer
lab
in
the
area
where
individuals
can
come
in
and
practice
these
things,
and
so
newman
olive
has
already
opened
its
doors
to
so
many
different
community
agencies.
Now,
as
a
community
partner,
we
would
like
to
do
more
of
that.
The
last
thing
that
this
proposal
is
for
is
to
is
to
help
purchase
some
kitchen
equipment.
Oftentimes
agencies
will
come
in
they'll,
have
food
or
may
want
to
prepare
warm
food
or
hold
food
cold
and
there's
there's
not
a
commercial
refrigerator
or
commercial
stove.
S
To
do
that,
and
we
thought
that,
with
the
the
work
that
newman
olive
has
already
done
over
the
past
110
years,
having
never
requested
funding
from
the
county
that
we
would
be
able
to
do
that
and
that
the
county
would
support
us
in
that
the
computer
lab
would
serve.
We
would
want
to
reach
1,000
hours
of
computer
lab
usage
by
people
in
the
community
and
we
want
to
serve
30
people
through
community
choir
and
75
residents
being
committed
to
peace.
S
We
would
hold
a
peace
camp
at
our
at
the
church
for
the
year
in
the
summer
of
2019
and
I'll.
Leave
you
with
with
this.
What
we
would
like
to
do
is
to
promote
peace,
and
that's
why
this
is
called
Project
peace.
For
one
year
our
church
will
be
committed
to
promoting
peace
in
the
neighborhood.
We
definitely
need
it.
S
B
AF
Hey
chairman
and
commissioners,
I'm
Megan
Rodgers,
the
executive
director
of
the
Asheville
Downtown
Association
and
foundation,
and
we
are
requesting
continued
support
of
our
event
series.
The
Asheville
Downtown
Association
produces
nine
major
events
and
30
smaller
events
during
the
calendar
year.
These
include
Easter
on
the
green
downtown
after
5:00,
the
Independence
Day
celebration,
Oktoberfest,
the
Asheville
holiday
parade
and
our
Prichard
Park
series,
which
is
comprised
of
hoop
Jam
leaf
Community
Arts,
our
singer-songwriter
series,
and
we
also
permit
and
ensure
the
Friday
evening
drum
circle.
AF
These
events
bring
more
than
100,000
people
to
downtown
every
year
to
showcase
businesses
and
opportunities.
Most
people
look
at
events
and
think
that
they're
fun
and
they
are
fun,
but
they
do
a
lot
more
than
that.
They're
also
support
a
robust
local
economy,
which
of
course,
is
one
of
the
county's
sustainability
goals.
Last
year
we
invested
about
a
hundred
and
seventy-five
thousand
dollars
into
local
businesses.
This
is
everything
from
design
and
screen
printing
to
sound
and
stage
equipment,
rentals
waste
management
and
tradesmen.
We
also
invest
in
our
fellow
nonprofits.
AF
We
give
ten
thousand
dollars
every
year
to
five
to
two
thousand,
each
ten
thousand
total
to
five
nonprofits.
There
are
downtown
after
five
wristband
program
and
through
this
program
over
the
years
we've
given
more
than
$200,000
to
organizations,
some
of
whom
are
here
today,
homeward
bound
Asheville,
Green,
Works,
Blue,
Ridge,
pride,
manna,
Food,
Bank
and
dozens
of
others.
AF
This
year's
recipients
are
Asheville,
Museum
science,
Asheville
Youth,
Villages,
Big,
Brothers,
Big,
Sisters
Girls
on
the
Run
and
guardian
ad
litem,
and
then
nonprofits
also
have
an
opportunity
to
showcase
their
program
of
work
as
well
as
receive
a
financial
contribution
at
our
July
4th
event.
Another
important
way
we
support
the
local
economy
is
by
hiring
many
local
musical
acts
to
perform
at
downtown
after
5
or
July
4th
or
our
singer/songwriter
series,
and
also
important
opportunities
to
local
food
and
beverage
providers.
AF
These
businesses
have
a
large
audience
and
steady
revenue
and
then
another
sustainability
goal
that
our
event
supportive
citizen
involvement.
We
have
a
huge
crew
of
volunteers
about
300
people.
We
train
them
every
year
in
practices
and
event
management,
and
these
volunteers
have
gone
on
to
serve
many
many
other
nonprofits
either.
AF
At
events
become
part
of
their
committees
and
maybe
even
become
part
of
their
board
members,
and
we
also
share
through
a
we
have
a
connection
program
where
we
share
opportunities
with
our
volunteers,
so
that
they
can
get
more
involved
in
the
local
community,
and
this
reminds
us
that
volunteerism
is
often
the
first
step
and
becoming
more
engaged
in
our
community
and
then.
Lastly,
our
events
support
our
general
program
of
work.
So
this
is
our
membership
and
advocacy
programs
for
downtown
and
I.
AF
A
AG
You
very
much
my
name
is
anne,
marie
trailer
I'm,
the
director
of
the
environmental
quality,
Institute
and
I
appreciate
the
time
to
talk
about
our
program.
Today.
The
volunteer
water
information,
work
or
V
wind
has
been
monitoring
streams
in
Buncombe
County
for
28
years
with
the
county
as
one
of
the
original
and
long-term
funders
trained
volunteers,
sampled,
fixed
locations
throughout
the
county
every
month
and
record
habitat
data
at
each
site.
All
samples
are
analyzed
for
8
chemical
parameters
each
month
at
EQ
eyes
lab.
AG
Everyone
wants
to
know
how
the
French
Broad
is
doing,
and
you
can't
really
answer
that
without
looking
at
small
streams
and
tributaries
and
variation
over
time.
It's
measuring
the
water
quality
of
the
big
rivers
alone
tells
you
almost
nothing
about
the
sources
of
pollution
and
potential
solutions.
Eyeballs
can't
determine
nutrient
pollution,
pH
changes
or
salt
concentrations
in
water,
even
trained
eyeballs
can't
judge.
AG
If,
if
sediment
values
are
close
to
state
regulatory
limits
at
best
you
can
label
the
water
is
clear,
cloudy
muddy
chocolate,
milk,
which
we
see
plenty
watershed
managers
need
data
to
inform
their
conservation
and
restoration
efforts,
it's
difficult
to
justify,
grant
requests
or
allocate
staff
and
money
for
projects
without
data
to
support
them.
With
the
V
win
program,
we
can
reach
more
sites
and
tributaries
more
frequently
than
the
bigger
state
agencies
and
federal
government
volunteers
provide
eyes
and
ears
on
the
ground
and
can
report
observed
changes
in
their
community
streams.
AG
Data
is
shared
with
all
regional
partners,
including
Buncombe,
County
Soil
and
Water
Services
Division,
and
with
North
Carolina
Department
of
Environmental
Quality,
who
use
the
information
to
make
tangible
improvements
in
water
quality.
With
this
proposal,
we
are
asking
a
county
to
support
continued
monthly
monitoring
at
17
sites,
with
the
funding
spent
on
personnel
occupancy
and
lab
supplies
for
that
price.
Eqi
coordinates
the
sampling
delivery
to
our
lab
sample
analysis
and
quality
control,
monthly
data
reporting
to
our
partners
and
data
analysis
and
interpretation.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
thank.
A
AH
Good
afternoon,
commissioners,
and
thank
you
for
this
opportunity-
I
am
Margot
walleston
coordinator
of
the
hemlock
restoration
initiative,
a
program
of
WNC
communities.
The
mission
of
the
hemlock
restoration
initiative
is
to
ensure
that
Eastern
and
Carolina
hemlock
trees
can
resist
the
hemlock
woolly,
adelgid
and
survive
to
maturity
on
North
Carolina's,
public
and
private
lands.
Although
our
area
has
already
been
substantially
impacted
by
the
adelgid,
we
have
been
able
to
maintain
and
improve
hemlock
health
in
natural
and
landscaped
settings,
using
an
integrated
approach
to
pest
management.
AH
Introducing
biological
controls
such
as
the
layer
kobe
s
beetle,
is
the
only
long-term
sustainable
tool
currently
available
to
suppress
one
of
the
largest
ecological
disasters
to
hit
the
southern
appalachian
's,
and
thanks
to
chairman
commissioner
Newman's
initial
push
to
create
the
hemlock
preservation
project
back
in
2015
and
the
Board
of
Commissioners
continued
generous
support
over
the
past
three
years.
Buncombe
County
is
now
among
the
few
places
within
the
entire
native
range
of
Eastern
hemlocks,
where
biological
control
of
this
invasive
pest
is
the
most
evident
and
shows
the
most
potential.
AH
Since
the
start
of
this
program,
more
than
thirteen
thousand
seven
hundred
layer,
Kobe
Asst
beetles,
have
been
released
in
the
county.
Every
year,
Larry
Kobe
Asst
has
been
successfully
recovered
at
release
sites,
as
well
as
on
a
growing
number
of
non
release
sites
indicating
that
they
are
surviving
reproducing
and
dispersing
on
their
own.
It
is
now
reasonable
to
assume
that
any
tree
within
the
central
and
eastern
half
of
the
county
that
has
adelgid
is
also
likely
to
harbor
the
layer
Kobe
s
beetle
through
simple
monitoring
and
sampling
forays.
AH
AH
Your
floor
of
this
project
will
continue
previous
activities,
including
beetle
collection
and
redistribution,
and
the
development
of
sustainable
sources
of
liriko
biasts,
with
an
added
emphasis
on
partner
training,
monitoring
of
beetle
migration
and
the
resulting
impact
on
adulthood
and
hemlock
health,
as
well
as
education
of
the
public,
which
is
increasingly
important
as
layer,
Kobey's,
beetles,
migrate
away
from
release
sites
and
on
to
private
land.
It
has
been
a
pleasure
and
a
delight
to
witness
the
early
success
of
this
program,
knowing
that
it
serves
not
only
Buncombe
County
but
the
entire
region
where
hemlocks
are
found.
AH
AI
AI
Although
the
primary
focus
of
our
work
is
design
review
of
new
construction
and
alterations
to
structures
that
are
individually
designated
as
local
landmarks
or
located
within
our
four
local
historic
districts
as
time
permits,
we
continue
to
work
towards
implementation
of
our
historic
preservation.
Master
plan
and
I
would
briefly
like
to
highlight
some
of
our
work
in
that
regard.
As
part
of
the
comprehensive
planning
process,
the
city
was
able
to
implement
a
key
strategy
of
the
historic
preservation
master
plan
for
neighborhood
preservation.
AI
Staff
worked
with
neighborhoods
across
the
city
to
help
them
develop
a
brief
plan
on
a
page
with
the
aim
to
identify
neighborhood
characteristics
and
outlined
specific
challenges.
These
plans
were
then
used
to
inform
specific
strategies
in
the
comprehensive
plan
to
help
preserve
neighborhood
character.
AI
We
look
forward
to
reviving
a
more
active
program
for
use
of
the
chimes
preservation
through
partnership
is
the
goal
of
the
local
certified
local
government
program
and
we
are
honored
to
be
recognized
and
participate
in
this
program.
This
means
that
we
work
in
partnership
with
the
state
and
federal
government
together
to
help
our
community
recognize
and
protect
the
irreplaceable
historic
character
of
the
places
that
we
call
home
as
part
of
the
CLG
program.
AI
The
historic
resources
Commission
recently
submitted
a
grant
application
to
fund
the
research
and
survey
of
architectural
resources
in
the
community
related
specifically
to
african-american
heritage,
along
with
gentrification,
resulting
from
increased
development
pressure
and
other
potential
threats.
The
need
to
identify
these
resources
is
essential
to
documenting
understanding
and
illustrating
a
more
comprehensive
narrative
of
Asheville
and
Buncombe
County's,
unique,
unique
sense
of
place
and
to
celebrate
and
honor
local
african-american
history
in
the
spirit
of
responsible
regionalism,
a
key
theme
of
Asheville's
forthcoming
comprehensive
plan.
AI
A
AG
AJ
Tina
Turner,
president
of
the
Astral
alumni
chapter
of
Delta
Sigma
Theta
Sorority
Incorporated
Delta,
was
established
in
January
1913
by
22,
dynamic,
college-educated
women
at
Howard
University
in
Washington
DC.
There
are
currently
over
200
members
with
1000
collegiate
and
alumni
chapters
across
the
United
States
and
seven
countries.
The
sororities
mission
and
purpose
is
to
provide
public
service
and
support
through
established
programs
in
local
communities,
with
a
primary
focus
on
the
black
community
throughout
the
world.
AJ
The
major
programs
of
the
sorority
are
based
on
the
organization's
by
point
of
programmatic
thrust,
one
of
which
is
Educational
Development
Asheville
alumni
chapter,
which
was
chartered
in
May
of
1955,
is
requesting
funding
to
establish
one
of
the
sororities
national
initiatives,
the
Betty
Shabazz
Delta
Academy,
beginning
with
the
2018-2019
school
year.
The
Delta
Academy
was
created
in
1996
to
save
our
young
females
ages,
1114
from
the
perils
of
academic
failure,
low
self-esteem
and
crippled
futures
through
the
Delta
Academy.
AJ
The
young
girls
would
be
exposed
to
various
opportunities
to
enhance
and
encourage
their
academic
and
personal
success,
using
a
pre-established
curriculum
in
addition
to
computer
training,
self-esteem
and
etiquette
workshops
field
trips
for
stem
experiences.
College
exposure
and
leadership
and
service-learning
opportunities,
such
as
cultural
events,
fine
dining
museums
in
place.
AJ
Our
goal
is
to
connect
parents,
educators
and
employers
to
encourage
partnerships
in
each
child's
educational
aspirations,
with
special
emphasis
on
young
young
girls
impacted
by
disparities
in
education,
health
and
social
economic
status,
such
as
girls
of
color,
low
economic
status
out
of
home
placement
or
limited
social
support.
We
will
encourage
parent
and
community
involvement,
establish
collaborative
partnerships
with
middle
schools
in
the
Asheville
city
in
Buncombe,
County
area,
the
health
and
authority
of
the
city
of
Asheville
and
after-school
programs
in
the
national
community
to
promote
career
and
college
readiness.
AJ
Success
of
the
program
will
be
measured
through
survey
and
evaluations,
increased
self-esteem,
increased
interest
in
STEM
careers
and
improvement
in
school
attendance.
On
behalf
of
the
Asheville
alumni
chapter
of
Delta
Sigma
Theta
Sorority
Incorporated
I
would
like
to
thank
you
for
your
consideration
of
our
funding
request
to
establish
the
Delta
Academy
in
the
Asheville
community.
Thank
you.
AK
So
this
poem
was
written
by
a
family
who
came
to
one
of
our
family
voices
evenings
their
of
Latin
ex
descent.
Jorge
has
ouessem
Valentin,
it
was
written
in
Spanish,
but
fortunately
for
me,
translated
into
English
and
I'm
going
to
share
that
with
you.
We
are
from
colorful
traditions,
food
and
music.
We
celebrate
Christmas
and
New
Year's.
We
dance
and
sing
with
our
family.
We
are
from
the
aroma
of
cinnamon
and
boiling
milk
the
scent
of
spring
and
filled
with
the
smell
of
boiling
chili.
We
are
from
the
mountains
with
trees
and
rivers.
AK
We
are
from
Christmas
and
snow
and
trees
and
houses.
We
are
from
sounds
I,
listen
to
Prince
Royce
because
he
stole
my
life
away.
For
those
of
you
who
don't
know,
Prince
Royce
Jorge
would
tell
you
he
is
a
fabulous
Latin
ex
pop
singer,
so
he
needed
to
put
that
in
there.
So
this
I'm
reading
from
one
of
our
anthologies
that
we
published
the
program
is
pretty
simple.
We
place
teaching
artists
into
3rd
grade
classrooms
for
10
weeks,
sometimes
longer
they
go
in
once
a
week
to
each
3rd
grade
classroom.
AK
They
work
with
students
on
narrative
and
poetry,
using
very
experiential,
creative
and
fun
writing
activities.
And
then
every
other
week,
families
from
the
3rd
grade
are
invited
to
the
school.
They
share
a
dinner,
and
then
they
write
together
as
a
family,
the
parents
or,
however,
they
turn
their
families.
They're
not
there
to
actually
learn
how
to
teach
their
kids
to
write
just
to
enjoy
the
power
and
pleasure
of
writing.
AK
And
what
we
see
is
that
families
who
have
historically
been
ignored
have
not
had
the
opportunity
to
share
their
experience,
their
strengths,
their
wisdom,
their
Joy's,
their
hopes,
their
goals
come
together,
form
community
and
really
feel
much
more
connected
to
school
and
to
their
children's
learning.
I'd
like
to
just
share
one
more
story
from
Kawano
is
a
african-american
third
grader.
He
came
to
family
voices
with
his
grandmother
and
his
title
is
my
writing.
Experience
I!
AD
AL
Good
afternoon
to
miss
Mandy,
stone
holiday
commissioners,
miss
Diane
and
to
Rachel,
and
all
of
you
who
are
present.
It
is
a
delight
to
be
here
on
behalf
of
Mount
Zion
Community
Development.
We
are
a
501c3
nonprofit
organization
and
we
are
so
delighted
that
this
year
we
are
celebrating
20
years
of
service
to
the
community,
and
my
name
is
Belinda
grant
executive
director
and
this
petite
powerhouse
beside
me
is
an
outreach.
AL
AL
We
are
requesting
continued
funding
and
before
I
go
further.
Thank
you
for
Paz
funding
and
we
are
requesting
continual
assistance
to
provide
these
services
through
Asheville
city
school
systems
at
s4
high
school.
We,
the
students,
are
guided
through
an
evidence-based
curriculum,
called
reducing
the
risk,
and
if
these
principles
are
taken
to
heart,
it
is
proven
effective
to
reduce
the
teen
pregnancy
rate,
the
HIV
and
STI
s,
and
we
have
been
given
permission
by
the
Asheville
City
school
system
to
conduct
the
classes
during
reproductive
health.
So
the
students
are,
they
receive
credit
for
taking
these
classes.
AL
So
far,
now
both
are
certified
to
teach
this
curriculum.
She
received
training
in
Wilmington
and
I
receive
training
by
consultant
on
the
state
level.
This
lesson
curriculum
is
designed
to
empower
students
to
think
about
their
behaviors
in
a
way
that
will
reduce
the
risk
of
becoming
infected
with
HIV
other
STDs
or
STRs,
and
significantly
decrease
their
chances
of
being
involved
in
unintended
pregnancies.
In
addition
to
the
curriculum,
we
also
conduct
empowerment
plans
so
that
the
students
would
think
beyond
high
school,
possibly
to
go
to
school.
AL
I
Our
community,
our
community
partners,
our
Asheville
City
Schools,
district
Buncombe,
County
Health
and
Human
Services,
the
urban
News
wind
cap,
Asheville
parks
and
recs.
Last
but
not
least,
our
parents
and
our
students
and
I
also
want
to
include
the
Christian
W
Avery
Learning,
Center,
Christine
Christine.
Sorry.
AL
AM
We
are
pleased
to
continue
the
69
year
tradition
of
the
W
NC
honors
Awards,
designed
to
recognize
communities
in
the
region
for
implementing
a
variety
of
best
practices,
everything
from
community
gardens,
farmland,
preservation,
after-school
tutoring
and
senior
meal
sites
to
health
and
wellness
programs,
as
well
as
numerous
festivals
and
educational
opportunities
to
celebrate
our
mountains,
great
art,
craft
and
music
traditions.
Eleven
communities
from
Buncombe
County
were
awarded
$7,500
through
this
program.
Last
November.
Another
program
is
the
Durney
scholarship
created
to
support
local
youth
and
their
pursuit
of
higher
education.
AM
Last
year,
three
scholarships
totaling
five
thousand
dollars
were
distributed
to
youth
in
this
county
to
attend
NC,
State,
Chapel
Hill
and
a
BTEC
W
NC
communities
provides
administrative
support
to
regional
focus
groups
like
the
regional
livestock
center
mountain
cattle,
Alliance,
the
Brewers
grains,
beef,
cattle
Commission,
Dairy
Commission,
and
the
hemlock
restoration
initiative.
Last
year
we
completed
the
management
of
a
three-year
plan
for
Blue
Ridge
food
ventures
to
successfully
become
their
own,
self-sustaining,
nonprofit,
non-profit
venture
as
a
shared
use,
food
production
facility
for
entrepreneurs.
AM
Many
small
businesses
located
in
this
county
have
benefited
directly
from
the
continuation
of
Blue
Ridge
food
ventures
to
what
is
now
known
as
the
center
for
agricultural
food
entrepreneurship,
or
cafe
a
few
of
those
small
been
a
small
businesses
that
benefited
our
lusty
monk
mustard,
monkey
foods,
no
evil
foods
and
roots
hummus.
Just
to
name
a
few.
AM
It
is
important
to
recognize
that
Buncombe
County
has
partnered
with
W
NC
communities
for
almost
seven
decades,
providing
support
critical
to
sustaining
the
organization
to
ensure
that
we
will
be
here
to
manage
and
administer
state-funded
programs
that
become
available
for
our
region.
I
would
like
to
also
reflect
on
the
success
of
the
regional
livestock
center
with
estimates
of
a
third
of
the
farm
using
the
facility
coming
from
this
county.
Since
opening
in
March
2011,
a
hundred
and
twenty-five
thousand
head
of
livestock
have
been
sold
for
98
million
dollars
by
the
end
of
2018.
AM
Producers
will
be
celebrating
over
a
hundred
million
in
sales
and
we're
very
grateful
to
Buncombe
County
for
supporting
that
effort
and
many
of
our
other
programs.
It's
been
an
honour
for
us
to
be
of
service
and
community
development,
agriculture
and
forestry
for
the
past
69
years.
Thank
you
for
your
continued
support.
Thank.
A
AN
Good
afternoon
commissioners,
I'm
Ann
flaying,
the
executive
director
of
Reed
to
succeed
and
I
have
with
me
today
dr.
Catherine,
alter
our
Board
Chair
and
dr.
Bobby
short
a
board
member.
We
appreciate
this
opportunity
to
ask
you
for
funding
to
support
our
project.
Today
we
have
several
of
the
same
goals
of
the
Buncombe
County
sustainability
goals.
One
is
increased.
The
number
of
children
reading
on
grade
level
by
the
end
of
third
grade
and
to
increase
parent
and
community
involvement
in
schools.
AN
If
we
receive
county
funding,
we're
going
to
use
that
funding
to
go
into
three
more
County
Schools
we're
in
three
County
Schools
right
now,
and
we
want
to
add
three
County
Schools,
just
a
brief
overview
of
who
we
are
in
2011,
the
late
Isaac
Coleman
and
dr.
Katherine,
alter
along
with
six
other
community
members,
was
really
concerned
about
the
achievement
gap
in
the
City
and
County
Schools,
and
they
came
together
and
they
they
started.
Regions
exceed
and
it
has
been
very
successful
almost
from
day
one.
AN
In
the
first
year
we
had
six
students,
I'm
sorry
and
first
year
we
had
11
students
and
this
year
we're
looking
at
providing
services
to
over
140
students.
Our
mission
is
to
support
the
City
and
County
elementary
schools
in
reducing
the
literary
achievement:
literacy
achievement
gap
by
providing
tutoring
to
less
well
students
in
grades
K
through
3,
and
help
them
reach
3rd
grade
reading
level.
By
the
end
of
third
grade
we
have
2.5
full-time
staff,
member
2.5
staff,
members
and
140
plus
highly
skilled
volunteers.
AN
Our
office
is
donated
by
the
Housing
Authority
and
we're
located
in
the
Pisgah
View
Apartments
in
our
educational
system.
Children
learn
to
read
by
the
end
of
3rd
grade
and
they
read
to
learn
from
fourth
grade
on.
The
tipping
point
is
third
grade.
If
students
are
not
on
grade
level
reading
by
the
end
of
third
grade,
there
are
four
times
more
likely
not
to
graduate
from
high
school
if
they're,
african-american,
they're
10
times
more
likely
not
to
graduate
from
high
school.
AN
A
C
Seventy
four
point:
two
tons
of
waste
out
of
the
landfill
helping
to
prolong
the
life
of
the
landfill
and
avoiding
disposal
costs
the
729
televisions
that
were
brought
to
hard
to
recycle
events
last
year
weighing
about
24
tons
would
have
had
a
disposal
cost
of
about
two
hundred
and
eighteen
thousand
taxpayer
dollars
also
when
there
isn't
a
convenient,
cost-effective
way
to
dispose
of
TVs
and
other
electronics.
Some
people
turn
to
illegal
dumping,
which
can
lead
to
toxic
chemicals
and
heavy
metals,
polluting
our
local
land
and
water,
with
even
heftier
costs
associated
with
their
cleanup.
C
Another
way
in
which
Green
Works
programs
are
saving
the
county
and
its
taxpayers.
Money
is
by
leveraging
volunteer
labor
on
litter.
Cleanup
projects
on
rivers
and
roads
in
2017,
Green
Works
worked
with
2271
volunteers
on
cleanup
projects,
according
to
federal
rates
for
volunteer
time,
our
volunteers
added
a
value
of
two
hundred
and
forty
three
thousand
dollars
worth
of
work
in
2017.
C
This
is
the
equivalent
of
five
full-time
employees
working
year-round
to
keep
our
County
clean,
and
this
is
an
addition
to
the
five
full-time
Green
Works
employees,
working
with
Buncombe
County
residents
and
powers,
volunteers
to
expand
the
reach
of
Green
Works
mission
and
extend
our
services
beyond
what
our
budget
could
by
individuals
who
have
volunteered,
with
Green
Works,
become
ambassadors
for
a
clean
environment
in
their
communities.
Further
increasing
our
capacity
to
address
critical
needs.
C
Studies
have
shown
that
effective,
volunteer
engagement,
strengthens
an
organization's
ability
to
deliver
services
and
meet
needs
is
linked
to
stronger,
more
efficient
organizations
and
leverages
and
improve,
improves
grant-making.
This
brings
me
to
my
final
point
that
investing
in
green
works
volunteer
programs
that
focus
on
waste
reduction
and
litter
prevention.
Not
only
has
the
immediate
impact
of
a
cleaner
environment,
it
leads
to
more
effective
and
efficient
and
sustainable
use
of
funds.
C
Studies
have
also
found
that
organizations
that
engage
volunteers
are
equally
as
effective
as
their
peers
without
volunteers,
but
at
almost
half
the
median
budget
and
such
organizations
are
significantly
more
adaptable,
sustainable
and
capable
of
going
to
scale
a
grant
to
green
works
from
Buncombe
County
will
be
an
ideal
strategic
partnership.
The
50,000
we
are
requesting
will
provide
a
return
on
investment
of
approximately
$500,000.
We
look
forward
to
continuing
our
successful
partnership
with
one
compoun
T.
AO
Hi
I'm
Kelly
Shanna
Feld
executive
director
of
the
Friends
of
the
W
NC
Nature
Center,
and
this
is
Lauren
Pyle
one
of
our
educators
at
the
center,
the
Western
North
Carolina
Nature
Center
has
been
a
resource
for
education,
family-friendly
recreation
and
natural
resource
conservation
in
our
region.
For
over
40
years,
in
the
past
six
years,
the
center
has
seen
a
56
percent
growth
in
attendance
in
2017
over
one
hundred
and
forty
four
thousand
people
visited
the
center
and
over
forty
thousand
people
of
all
ages
participated
in
educational
programming.
AO
This
increase
highlights
our
community's
growing
interest
in
connecting
with
unique
and
beautiful
world
around
them.
As
a
property
of
the
city
of
Asheville,
the
Nature
Center
provides
residents
of
the
city.
A
three
dollar
discount
on
daily
admission,
generous
grants
by
buncombe
county
have
allowed
the
center
to
provide
this
discount
to
County
residents
for
the
past
three
years.
We
appreciate
your
consideration
of
this
request
to
continue
funding
in
the
coming
year.
The
Friends
of
the
W
NC
Nature
Center
have
worked
hard
to
promote
the
discount
and
make
sure
County
residents
know
about
it.
AP
This
year,
we've
increased
our
request
to
provide
groups
from
Buncombe
County
Schools
the
same
discount
Asheville
city
school
groups
currently
receive
approximately
20%
of
school
groups
that
come
to
the
Nature
Center
for
field
trips,
come
from
County
Schools
many
County
teachers,
especially
those
from
title.
One.
Schools
who
serve
low-income
districts
have
expressed
interest
in
a
lower
rate.
A
AQ
Hello
commissioners,
I
am
Stephanie
Gerber
our
executive
director
of
the
Asheville
area,
Arts
Council.
Thank
you
so
much
for
considering
our
funding
request
as
well
as
your
past
support.
The
triple
AC
is
proud
to
serve
our
community
as
a
resource
and
advocate
for
arts
and
culture
in
Buncombe
County.
We
are
partners
with
the
North
Carolina
Arts
Council,
and
the
only
organization
in
the
county
set
up
to
redistribute
funds
to
other
arts
and
cultural
nonprofit
organizations
and
individual
artists
through
our
grant
programs.
AQ
In
the
past
year
we
have
awarded
over
77
thousand
dollars
to
40
different
art
projects
and
programs.
Our
grants
support
a
broad
spectrum
of
our
community
and
our
guidelines
encourage
organizations
to
work
with
artists
of
color,
provide
access
to
low-income
audiences
and
prioritized
neighborhood
and
school.
AQ
Specific
community
engagement
projects,
for
example,
the
triple
AC,
is
supported:
programming
for
youth
outright
Elida
homes,
Delta
house
Jazz,
Band,
leaf
schools
and
streets,
Asheville,
City,
Schools,
top
program,
Asheville
community
theater,
Asheville
writers
in
the
schools,
among
many
others,
the
grants
we
provide
reach
over
30,000
people
annually
and
put
nearly
1,000
artists
to
work.
None
of
this
would
have
been
possible
without
Buncombe
County
funding
assistance,
which
bolsters
the
dollars
amounts
that
we
distribute.
The
triple
AC
is
committed
to
increasing,
grant
proposals
to
reflect
the
diversity
of
Buncombe
County.
AQ
In
order
to
achieve
these
results
we're
requesting
$75,000,
which
will
increase
the
amount
of
grant
funds
we
distribute
throughout
the
county
by
30
thousand
dollars.
It
will
also
allow
us
to
bring
our
informational
sessions
on
our
grant
programs
outside
of
the
triple
a
C's
four
walls
into
all
corners
of
the
county,
to
notify
new
applicants
of
resources
available
and
share
the
Triple
A
C's
mission
to
support
access
to
the
arts
for
all.
AQ
In
addition,
we
will
offer
in-depth
grant
writing
workshops
for
individuals
and
organizations
to
enhance
their
knowledge
of
best
practices
when
putting
together
proposals
to
help
them
grow
their
careers
and
programming
respectively.
A
request
of
the
county
this
year
will
also
allow
us
to
continue
the
funding
of
the
creative
vitality
suite
an
online
research
based
economic
development
tool
that
provides
high
quality
data
and
reporting
on
bunkin
County's
creative
sector.
AQ
The
purchase
of
this
CV
suite
is
in
partnership
with
the
Asheville
Chamber
of
Commerce's
economic
development
coalition,
Center
for
craft
city
of
Asheville,
River,
Arts,
District,
artists
and
UNCA.
The
most
exciting
thing
about
this
data
is
that
we
now
have
proof
we
have
the
quantitative
information
to
illustrate
the
impact
of
the
creative
sector
on
our
economy.
AQ
The
preliminary
data
on
Balcon
County
tells
us
that
there
are
a
total
of
seven
thousand
nine
hundred
and
ninety-three
creative
jobs
343
more
than
in
2015,
and
that
the
2016
creative
industry
earnings
totaled
three
hundred
and
ninety-seven
point
eight
million
dollars.
This
just
gives
the
surface
of
the
data
available
to
us
later
this
summer.
Our
team
is
planning
on
sharing
a
joint
report
with
all
of
you,
as
well
as
to
city
officials,
so
you
can
be
aware
and
confident
of
the
impact
of
the
creative
sector
on
our
economy.
Please.
AR
Good
afternoon
I'm
Susan
Harper
I'm,
the
executive
director
of
the
Asheville
community
theatre,
I,
really
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
address
you
and
we're
thankful
for
your
support.
Last
year
and
I'm
happy
to
share
the
results
of
that.
Our
progress,
a
CT,
is
in
a
program
of
renovating
and
expanding
to
better
serve
the
community.
With
your
support,
we
finished
phase
one
of
a
multi
year
renovation
and
expansion
on
budget
and
on
time
we
completely
renovated
our
46
year
old
performance,
space
and
backstage
areas.
Some
significant
facts
about
that.
AR
We
brought
our
building
up
to
code
our
46
year
old
building,
who
knew
how
far
out
of
code
a
46
year
old
building
could
be
took
2.5
miles
of
conduit
to
meet
code.
We
met
the
national
standards
for
handicapped
accessibility.
We
installed
all-new
LED
lighting,
which
is
a
major
improvement
over
old
theater
technology
and
more
energy-efficient
we'rewe're
re-roofed
our
buildings
and
added
insulation
to
make
those
more
and
make
it
more
energy-efficient.
We
added
new
seats,
carpeting
and
patron
amenities,
and
we
added
21st
century
sound
and
lighting
technology,
we're
now
ready
to
head
into
phase
2.
AR
It
increases
our
programming
space
by
12
thousand
square
feet.
We
cannot
the
space
as
critical
a
critical
need
for
us.
We
cannot
serve
all
the
children
and
adults
who
wish
to
participate
with
us.
New
construction
includes
education,
space
rehearsal
space,
a
hundred
and
fifty
seats;
second
theater
expanded,
restrooms
and
support
areas.
These
are
the
outcomes
we
expect.
Following
this
expansion,
we
will
be
able
to
double
our
educational
programming
for
children.
AR
AR
We
will
improve
the
efficiency
of
our
operations
with
improved
box
office
layout
and
needed
office
spaces.
We
will
address
patron
comfort
and
customer
service
issues
with
expanded,
restrooms
and
Lobby
layout.
The
costs
were
phase.
Two
is
three
million:
seventy
thousand
dollars
to
date.
We
have
pledges
of
seven
hundred
and
thirty-four
thousand
nine
hundred
and
thirteen
dollars,
which
is
twenty
four
percent
of
the
goal,
we're
requesting
the
support
of
Buncombe
County
of
a
hundred
and
fifty
thousand.
AR
For
this
phase,
our
project
serves
all
areas
of
the
county
and
every
Commissioner
District
we're
open
and
welcoming
to
all
who
want
to
participate.
A
key
value
of
ours
is
accessibility
and
we
have
many
ways
the
community
can
volunteer
and
participate
for
free.
We
would
greatly
appreciate
your
support
in
bringing
this
vision
to
life
and
I
want
to
thank
you
for
all
you
do
for
the
county.
We
really
appreciate
what
you
do.
Thank
you.
Thank.
A
AS
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Kiera
Mulvey
bulan
I'm,
the
coordinator
of
the
Asheville
Buncombe
Food
Policy
Council,
and
it
is
my
pleasure
to
be
here
today.
This
is
our
first
opportunity
applying
for
funding
through
through
this
funding
source,
and
we
appreciate
the
opportunity.
Our
proposal
is
entitled,
Food
for
Thought,
listening
to
Buncombe
County
residents
and
in
our
area
the
actual
bunkin
Food
Policy
Council
has
been
most
active
in
the
city
of
Asheville
as
a
grassroots
organization.
AS
There's
great
models
for
this
throughout
North
Carolina
and
Pitt
in
Durham,
County,
there's
aggressive
Food
Policy
councils
that
are
County,
driven
and
work
on
the
county
level
and
throughout
the
country
in
Dane
County
in
Wisconsin
and
in
LA
County.
There's
really
interesting
and
innovative
work
happening
at
the
food
policy
level
and
we'd
like
to
see
that
happening,
and
we
want
to
acknowledge
the
good
work
that
is
happening
at
food
policy
here
in
Buncombe
County
through
the
parks
and
recs
department
and
the
Buncombe
Sports
Complex
and
orchard
projects
there's
interesting
stuff
going
on.
AS
We
know
it's
a
priority
within
within
the
Buncombe
County
sustainability
plan.
We
have
food
equity
and
access
farm
and
food
projects
all
listed
within
that
program.
Our
proposal
seeks
to
better
understand
what
the
community
members
priorities
and
ideas
for
food
system
improvement
and
to
build
local
leadership
and
engagement
in
food
advocacy
work.
We
seek
to
do
that
through
strong
partnerships.
AS
We
have
established
in
this
proposal
with
bounty
and
Sol
based
in
Black
Mountain
they're
serving
food,
insecure
residents
from
throughout
the
community
County
people
coming
in
service
through
to
access
the
services
of
bounty
and
soul
through
nuestro
Centro.
It
was
located
in
the
EMA
community,
serving
primarily
the
Latina
community
and
immigrant
communities.
AS
The
Lord's
acre
who's,
whose
headquarters
is
in
Fairview
and
they're,
working
with
more
rural
populations
in
in,
in
conjunction
with
ANCA
middle
school
and
the
United
Way's
after-school
programs,
the
Buncombe
County
middle
school,
Success
Initiative
in
income
in
ANCA
middle
school
and
also
in
Irwin
middle
schools
and,
in
addition
to
Emma
middle
school.
Those
are
communities
that
are
serving
our
lowest
income
community
members
with
with
highest
free
and
reduced
lunch.
AS
Eligibility
rates
so
with
our
partners
will
be
hosting
listening
sessions
to
have
to
have
authentic
safes
places
for
people
to
articulate
and
understand
what's
currently
going
on
and
how
they
can
help
the
county
to
set
aggressive,
interesting,
innovative
food
policy
decisions
going
forward.
So
we're
asking
for
your
support
to
do
this
good
work.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Thank.
AT
Hi
I'm
Marcia
Davis
on
the
chief
program
officer
at
the
YWCA
of
Asheville,
and
thank
you
for
considering
our
application
for
our
swim
equity
program.
Drowning
is
the
leading
unintentional
cause
of
death
for
children
under
the
age
of
four
and
african-american
children.
Ages
5
through
19
are
six
times
more
likely
to
drown
than
white
children
of
the
same
age.
AT
Funding
from
the
county
will
allow
us
to
offer
32
weeks
of
swim
instruction
per
year
to
up
to
238
children
through
Asheville
City,
Schools,
pre,
Asheville,
City,
preschools,
Asheville,
middle
schools
in
real
life
program
and
participants
in
our
early
learning
program.
The
funding
will
also
allow
us
to
offer
swimsuits
and
goggles
to
children
who
are
not
able
to
afford
them.
We
began
the
swim,
equity
partnership
with
Asheville
city
preschools.
AT
This
past
fall,
we've
provided
swim
lessons
to
sixty-six
children
aged
three
to
five
and
a
third
of
those
who
completed
the
program
are
swimming
unassisted
at
this
point,
which
is
pretty
pretty
high
success
rate
for
children
of
that
age
range.
One
of
our
success
stories
is
Angela.
Angela
was
an
ACS
preschooler.
She
was
terrified
when
she
began
swim
lessons
at
the
YWCA.
She
never
saw
a
body
of
water
that
was
larger
than
a
bathtub
and
she
spoke
very
little
English.
AT
So
our
swim
most
instructors
found
a
way
to
teach
her
to
swim,
using
nonverbal
cues
many
distance,
trations
and
lots
of
love
and
patience
at
the
end
of
eight
weeks,
angela
is
swimming
with
little
support
from
her
instructors
and
her
mother
was
so
impressed
that
she's
decided
to
sign
her
up
for
continuing
swim
lessons,
so
she
can
actually
be
drowned
proof.
So,
commissioners,
with
your
support,
we'd
be
able
to
continue
offering
life-saving
lessons
and
to
people
in
our
community
and
decrease
the
gap
between
those
who
survive
when
they're
swimming
in
pools.
A
AU
Thank
you
very
much.
I
really
appreciate
this
opportunity
to
talk
with
you
a
little
bit
today
about
our
school
garden
project.
So
this
project
that
we've
applied
for
funding
support
with
is
actually
an
expansion
project
we're
already
currently
working
with
in
Hull
Fletcher
Elementary
Vance
Elementary
in
Francine
Delaney,
and
what
we
do
is
it's
sort
of
a
coordination
between
multiple
programs
that
we
have
feast'
provides
educational
opportunities
both
in
the
garden
and
cooking
education.
AU
This
project,
which
were
requesting
funding,
support
from
Buncombe
County,
as
well
as
several
other
funders
and
PT
o--'s
of
all
the
schools
that
we
intend
to
work
with,
would
expand
this
project
to
for
additional
gardens.
Continuing
to
support
the
work
at
the
three
gardens
where
we
already
are
and
then
also
working
with
STS,
Reynolds,
evergreen
and
Asheville
middle
school,
three
of
those
four
gardens.
All
schools
already
have
some
form
of
community
garden
school
garden.
AU
I
previously
worked
at
Hall
Fletcher
elementary
and
saw
firsthand
what
the
program
did
to
support
the
maintenance
of
the
existing
garden
by
removing
the
maintenance
piece
as
a
task.
The
garden
facilitator
was
provided
the
freedom
to
concentrate
on
student
engagement
throughout
the
entire
gardening
process.
This
included
nutrition,
education,
food
production
and
consumption.
As
the
physical
garden
space
was
transformed,
the
Community
Connections
grew
as
well.
It
was
a
wonderful
thing
to
see
families
working
together
and
enjoying
the
produce
from
the
garden.
In
addition,
classroom
teachers
were
able
to
utilize
the
garden
as
an
effective
teaching.
AU
AV
Families
is
doing
well
thanks
to
the
eight
churches
in
our
community
who
support
us
financially,
either
monthly
or
quarterly,
and
also
the
donations
from
our
community
members.
Last
quarter
we
were
able
to
purchase
over
seventeen
thousand
pounds
of
food
from
the
manna
Food
Bank,
and
thanks
to
a
small
grant,
we
were
able
to
keep
our
food
pantry
truck
in
good
working
order.
A
must
considering
the
amount
of
food
that
we
that
we
purchase.
We
are
blessed
to
have
volunteers
who
give
so
much
of
their
time
to
help
us
in
those
in
need.
AV
The
students
spent
they
spent
twenty
minutes
in
each
one
of
the
stations
listening
and
participating
in
hands-on
learning
activities.
Buncombe
SW
city
was
very
lucky
to
partner
with
big
ivy
community
center
and
we
were
blessed
to
have
them
it's
the
first
time
that
that
has
happened
and
see
they
were
able
to
find
lots
of
macro
and
vertebraes
indicating
excellent
stream
health.
The
big
IV
is
ranked
100
the
only
site
in
Buncombe
County
to
achieve
this
for
stream
quality
through
the
stream
monitoring
of
EQ
I.
AV
Tell
you
this
story
because
of
the
significance
it
plays
in
our
environmental
health,
big
Ivy
community
center,
so
the
big
ivy
is
a
perfect
place
for
our
students
to
get
in
the
creek
and
during
the
lunch
of
course,
they
got
to
spend
time
at
the
Historical
Society.
Ok,
on
the
day
that
they
arrived
Tuesday
the
10th
we
hadn't,
we
had
350
students,
plus
the
the
sponsors
and
volunteers
and
the
water
pump
went
out,
so
we
spent
all
day
long
without
any
water
we
were
able
to
get
and
anyway
I.
AW
Good
afternoon,
commissioners,
and
thank
you
for
this
opportunity
to
continue
to
work
together
on
providing
valuable
resources
for
our
San
Dimas
community
I'm
Terry
Wells.
Here
to
present
this
request
for
$45,000
strategic
partnership
funding
on
behalf
of
the
San
Dimas
community
center.
With
your
support,
we
will
continue
to
address
these
county
priorities.
Increase
access
to
higher
education,
increase
the
use
of
recreational
facilities,
services
and
programs
and
expand
access
to
information,
preserving
our
heritage,
strengthening
our
community's
future.
AW
That
is
the
overarching
goal
of
the
San
Dimas
Community
Center
and
our
volunteers
have
really
shown
a
true
commitment
to
this
goal.
In
2017
alone,
we
had
more
than
5000
hours
of
volunteer
service,
which
is
equivalent
to
more
than
a
hundred
and
twenty
thousand
dollars.
With
our
growth
of
programs
and
community
involvement,
we
need
to
make
safety
and
accessibility
improvements
to
our
Buncombe
County
owned
property.
Specifically,
our
San
Dimas
4-h
club
wants
to
have
a
permanent
home
at
the
same
emotions
center.
AW
AW
Currently
48
children
and
31
families
participate
additionally
reclaiming
and
making
this
third
floor
safe
will
provide
the
needed
growth
space
that
we
need
for
our
community,
with
other
potential
uses
being
discussed
for
community
groups,
cohort
space
for
area
businesses
and
expanded
computer
and
instruction
lab.
This
leads
to
one
of
the
very
important
resources
that
we
are
providing
with
your
investment
and
support.
Aha,
speed,
fiber
Internet
and
the
stakes
are
very
high,
affecting
business
owners,
health
care
providers,
patients
and
students.
As
noted
in
the
North
Carolina
League
of
Municipalities
report
leapin
the
digital
divide.
AW
AW
Economically
sandy
mush
is
not
connected,
and
it
is
vital
that
we
continue
to
provide
this
access
through
the
same
emotions
center
with
your
investment
in
support
and
now,
as
you
have
heard,
from
our
community
members,
they
truly
value
this
access
and
the
programs
that
we
are
able
to
provide
with
it
networks
give
people
more
opportunity
and,
with
that
opportunity,
a
real
choice
to
live
work
and
raise
their
families
in
our
sandy
mush
community.
This
is
bottled
to
our
community's
future.
As
for
your
support
and
I,
thank
you
for
your
time.
A
G
Commissioners,
I
want
to
thank
you
for
having
us
here.
I'm
pamela
myers
executive
director
of
the
Asheville
Art
Museum.
The
museum
has
worked
in
partnership
with
Buncombe
County
to
provide
critical
educational
and
cultural
services
to
residents
and
visitors.
For
almost
70
years,
the
Asheville
Art
Museum
and
its
many
supporters
have
requested
support
from
Buncombe
County
to
help
complete
the
capital
project
to
create
the
new
Asheville
Art
Museum.
The
museum
is
a
cornerstone
of
our
community.
G
It's
a
place
for
people
of
all
ages
to
be
inspired
and
educated,
it's
a
place
for
contemplation
and
for
civil
discussion.
It
preserves
our
community's
cultural
history
and
artistic
heritage
through
the
preservation
of
important
objects
and
the
sharing
of
their
stories.
The
new
museum
will
celebrate
Buncombe
County
and
its
diverse
populations
and
be
a
necessary
welcoming
and
inclusive
community
center,
as
one
can
clearly
see
any
day
in
downtown
Asheville.
Major
construction
is
ongoing.
This
65,000
square
foot
construction
is
protected,
projected
to
be
completed
in
the
fall
of
2018,
with
the
reopening
anticipated
in
early
2019.
G
The
new
museum
design
and
construction
team
is
overwhelmingly
local,
amplifying
the
significant
local
economic
impact
of
this
large
undertaking.
Local
workers
are
on
site
every
day,
lending
their
skills
and
expertise
to
build
this
legacy
project
for
our
community
post.
Opening
economic
impact
will
be
equally
substantial
in
the
first
nine
months
of
2018.
G
The
museum
has
already
served
181
thousand
participants,
including
eight
over
18,000
Buncombe
County
students.
The
museum
provides
programming
with
many
partners,
including
North
East,
West,
Anka,
Leicester
and
PAC
Memorial
County
Libraries
many
community,
centers
churches,
businesses
and,
of
course,
pre-k
schools
through
college.
A
mom
recently
told
us,
my
son
has
a
learning,
disability
and
taught
time
is
therapeutic
for
him,
because
these
activities
give
him
a
different
way
to
learn
and
process.
His
emotions
he's
definitely
better
prepared
for
kindergarten.
We're
proud
to
bring
significant
share
of
private
investment
to
our
community.
G
79%
of
funds
raise
different
private
resources.
51%
of
funds
raised
to
data
from
sources
outside
of
Buncombe
County,
representing
over
eleven
point,
eight
million
dollars
in
new
investment.
We
have
raised
nearly
twenty
two
million
dollars
and
are
92
percent
of
the
way
towards
our
construction
goal.
Additionally,
with
1.3
million
dollars
raised
towards
an
endowment
goal,
we're
preparing
for
then
museums,
long-term
success
with
the
county's
continued
investment.
We
are
confident
we
will
meet
our
goals
in
this
weekend's
Washington
Post.
There
was
an
article
that
was
of
interest.
G
The
article
states,
the
health
of
a
city's
cultural
scene
and
especially
its
art
museum
directly
affects
its
ability
to
attract
ambitious
businesses
and
the
kinds
of
talented
people
who
might
want
to
work
for
them.
If
you're
a
city
that
wants
to
attract
smart
people,
it
seems
pretty
clear,
invest
in
your
Art
Museum.
The
Asheville
Art
Museum
is
a
recognized
leader
in
its
field
and
a
proud
partner
of
Buncombe
County.
With
your
support,
we
look
forward
to
opening
the
new
Asheville
Art
Museum
in
2019.
AX
Chairman
newman
commissioners
staff,
I'm
Jan
Davis
sob,
it's
nice
to
be
on
this,
this
side
of
the
dais,
no
less
imposing
but
nice
to
be
here.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
speak
about
the
Asheville.
Welcome
regional
Sports,
Commission
I
also
want
to
thank
you
and
also
recognize
our
program
director,
Madison
Davis
and
fellow
board
member
Mike
Burke,
who
will
not
be
bouncing
downtown,
dribble
basketballs
to
you
this
year,
but
we're
here
no
less.
We
want
to
thank
you
for
the
partnership
over
the
years.
AX
It's
now
it
was
a
partnership
formed
seven
years
ago
in
order
to
accommodate
the
Southern
Conference
and
have
them
host
them
here
in
Asheville
at
the
US
Cellular
center.
It
was
the
partnership
of
the
Buncombe
County,
the
city
of
Asheville,
Tourism,
Development
Authority,
and
you
know
UNC
Asheville.
That
enabled
all
that
to
happen.
You
were
partners
at
the
table
fully
for
the
first
number
of
years
with
the
Sports
Commission.
Everyone
had
a
$45,000
share
of
that,
plus
the
investment
in
the
sport
in
the
Southern
Conference.
AX
We
were
asking
this
year
for
the
$30,000
for
support
of
the
Southern
Conference
championship.
It
was
a
very
big
success.
Last
year
over
700
kids
participated
in
the
downtown
dribble.
We
had
record
crowds.
It
was
well
done
at
nine
o'clock
on
ESPN
with
even
a
late
game.
We
had
a
number
of
people
here
and
it
was
just
just
a
terrific
time.
Mascots
visiting
the
hospital,
it's
a
worthwhile
endeavor,
it's
it's
a
significant
happening
in
the
city
of
Asheville
in
Buncombe
County
during
the
the
spring,
and
it's
very
important
for
us.
AX
So
we
hope
you'll
continue
to
support
that.
On
the
other
hand,
the
40
we
need
45
thousand
dollars
of
the
original
support
presented
a
couple
years
ago
because
of
I
think
the
increase
in
tourism
Development,
Authority
taxes,
and
we
view
the
the
the
value
of
what
we
do.
A
great
deal
more
than
just
tourism
developed.
AX
We
have
been
very
involved
this
year
coming
up
we're
going
to
be
doing
a
large
wrestling
tournament
that
will
feature
high
school
throughout
the
county
and
in
the
state,
and
even
some
from
Tennessee
that
will
facilitate
kids
performing
at
or
participating
at
the
US
Cellular
center,
and
we,
we
were
have
been
very
involved
with
the
Spartan
races
out
in
Swannanoa.
We
have
had
recently
the
Fed
Cup,
which
will
could
possibly
leave
to
lead
to
the
men's
version
of
the
Davis
Cup
tennis
tournament.
So
these
things
are
all
possible,
but
it's
requiring
more
and
more
manpower.
AX
A
AY
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Molly
Nicolai
and
I'm
a
program
director
with
ASAP
the
Appalachian
sustainable
agriculture
project.
We
appreciate
you
hearing
us
today,
you're
in
the
final
stretch
here
for
the
afternoon.
A
saps
mission
is
to
help
local
farmers
thrive,
to
link
farmers
to
markets
and
supporters
and
to
build
healthy
communities
through
connections
to
local
foods.
Our
proposed
project
directly
supports
the
economic
goal
of
the
County
sustainability
plan,
to
support
thriving
local
food
systems
and
to
increase
demand
for
locally
grown
foods.
AY
Supporting
nonprofit
agencies
like
ASAP,
allows
the
county
to
maximize
their
impact
and
meet
multiple
goals.
An
established
community
resource
ASAP
has
been
working
to
build
and
expand
local
food
systems
for
over
two
decades,
and
support
is
needed
to
ensure
our
services
and
resources
are
accessible
to
all
farms
that
we
serve,
which
Inc,
which
include
more
than
half
women,
36%
low
resource
farmers
and
32%
new
beginning
farmers.
AY
Excuse
me,
research
is
critical
for
building
a
more
just
resilient
and
sustainable
local
food
system
and
research
drives
our
program
work.
Recently,
a
saps
local
food,
Research
Center
published
a
report
examining
the
shift
in
our
region's
agriculture
from
tobacco
to
local
food
and
over
the
last
20
years.
Buncombe
County
alone
has
lost
nearly
400
tobacco
farmers.
AY
AY
We
are
simultaneously
building
the
capacity
of
farms
to
grow
their
business
and
increase
their
sales
through
trainings,
such
as
our
annual
business
of
farming
conference,
and
we
work
one-on-one
with
producers
to
connect
them
with
local
markets,
including
restaurants
and
groceries
and
area
distributors
area.
A
saps
work
is
directly
connected
to
the
county's
vision
of
a
community
and
an
environmentally
conscious
economy
that
is
sustainable
and
diverse.
With
continued
support,
we
appreciate
you
and
will
continue
that
work.
AZ
I'm,
the
last
one
so
I'm
sure
you're
happy
to
see
me.
I'm
nan,
Kramer
I'm,
the
community
health
coordinator
with
Mountain
wise.
So
Asheville
is
the
ninth
hungriest
city
in
the
nation.
Twenty-Eight
point
nine
percent
of
Buncombe
County
residents
say
it
was
somewhat
difficult
or
very
difficult
to
access
fresh
produce
at
an
affordable
price.
There's
a
positive
direct
correlation
between
unemployment
and
poverty
rates
and
food
insecurity
rates
with
64
/
64
point
3
percent
of
our
residents
being
overweight
or
obese.
It's
essential
for
us
to
improve
nutrition
access.
AZ
So
what
I'm
talking
about
is
a
double
up
food
bucks
project.
This
program
has
demonstrated
proven
results
addressing
this
challenge
by
increasing
healthy
food
access
and
affordability.
This
program
provides
incentives
enabling
customers
to
purchase
produce
of
their
choice
for
free
once
any
amount
of
local
produce
has
been
purchased
using
their
snap
EBT
dollars.
So
this
program
doubles
SNAP
benefits
spent
at
participating
sites,
helping
people
bring
home
more
healthy
fruits
and
vegetables
while
supporting
their
local
farmers.
AZ
So
that's
what
we
call
the
triple
bottom
line:
low-income
consumers
are
eating
healthier
foods,
local
farmers
are
gaining
new
customers
and
making
more
money
and
more
food
dollars
are
staying
in
our
local
economy.
We
estimate
at
least
500
more
people
will
access
fresh
produce
through
the
first
year
of
our
expansion
totaling
a
reach
of
at
least
780
people
in
Buncombe,
County
double
up
food
bucks
is
active
in
24
states
in
the
country.
AZ
According
to
participant
surveys
compiled
from
a
national
level,
87%
of
people
were
eating
more
fruits
and
vegetables
because
of
the
incentives,
96
percent
plan
to
continue
to
increase
their
produce
consumption,
69
percent
reported
trying
new
fruits
and
vegetables
and
66
reported.
They
were
buying
fewer
chips,
cookies
and
candy
as
a
result
of
the
program.
Additionally,
there
are
major
benefits
for
local
growers,
90
percent
of
participating
farmers
report,
selling,
more
fruits
and
vegetables,
85
report
making
more
money,
and
some
farmers
reported
expanding
and
diversifying
production.
AZ
Because
of
this
program.
There
are
a
lot
of
current
existing
efforts
in
our
community
to
increase
food
access,
but
double
up
food
bucks
is
different.
It
is
different
because
it
increases
low-income
customers
buying
power
in
the
grocery
store,
essentially
doubling
their
SNAP
benefits
on
fresh
purchases,
while
increasing
their
access
and
consumption
of
fresh
produce
and
also
positively
impacting
the
local
economy.
AZ
So
currently,
through
the
pilot
program,
we're
working
at
French,
Broad
food,
co-op
in
West,
Village
Market,
and
they
are
successfully
implementing
a
program
or
they've
enrolled
over
280
people
and
have
generated
over
$6,000
and
matching
benefits.
These
funds
would
be
used
to
continue
those
two
programs
as
well
as
start
with
Patrick
urban
farms.
So
thank
you
again
for
this
opportunity
for
being
the
only
program
in
North
Carolina.
Thank.