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From YouTube: Board of Commissioners' Regular Meeting (June 1, 2021)
Description
The Regular Meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for June 1, 2021. To view more information you can visit buncombecounty.org/commissioners.
A
B
B
B
B
Thank
you
got
a
couple
of
announcements.
First,
I'd
like
to
announce
that
anyone
who's
visiting
or
participating
in
this
meeting
who
use
county
parking
facilities
or
transit
can
be
reimbursed
for
your
transit
pass
or
parking
validation.
You
can
see
one
of
the
sheriff's
officers
who
was
here
today.
They
could
validate
that
for
you
today,
you
read
the
ethics
reminder
to
the
board.
B
Is
there
any
item
on
the
agenda,
the
outcome
of
which
will
have
a
direct,
substantial
and
readily
identifiable
financial
impact
for
any
board?
Member?
Does
any
board
member
have
a
financial
interest
in
any
public
contract
coming
before
the
board?
Today,
there
being
none
all
board.
Members
have
a
duty
and
obligation
to
vote
on
any
matters
voted
on
by
the
board.
At
this
meeting.
B
D
B
Second,
all
in
favor,
please
say
aye
aye
any
opposed.
Thank
you.
Okay.
We
now
come
to
general
public
comment.
We
will,
of
course,
also
have
public
comment
later
in
the
meeting
on
the
budget
public
hearing,
but
this
is
for
general
public
comment.
The
time
for
we've
got
two
folks
who
were
signed
up
to
speak
to
the
board
during
public
comment,
don
yelton
and
james
fulton
and
mr
yelton
is
signed
up
first.
B
The
time
limit
for
individual
comment
to
the
board
is
for
three
minutes
and
once
your
time
is
up,
if
you
have
any
questions,
you
can
leave
your
name
and
address,
and
phone
number
with
the
county
manager
board.
Members
are
not
expected
to
comment
during
the
public
comment
period.
This
is
a
chance
for
the
public
to
speak
to
the
board.
E
E
E
E
All
I
wanted
to
know
is
the
the
position
of
the
committee
or
the
the
commissioners
on
critical
race
theory,
and
you
know
we
went
back
and
forth
about
four
emails
and
still
didn't
get
an
answer.
My
assumption
is
that
that
the
commissioners
support
critical
race
theory,
but
I'd
like
to
know
so
I'm
not
sure
how
to
do
that.
I've
come
here,
I've
sent
emails,
I
mean.
How
am
I
supposed
to
get
that
information.
B
As
I
mentioned
at
the
beginning
of
the
meeting,
we're
not
going
to
get
into
like
a
an
interactive
mode
here,
so
we're
just
we're
here
to
listen
to
you
I'll,
just
comment.
I
did
respond
to
your
emails
and
shared
my
perspective,
so
yeah,
but
happy
you're,
welcome
to
come
here
and
speak
to
the
board
or
email
the
board
members
and
they
can
individually
respond
as
they
see
best
very
good.
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
mr
yelton.
C
D
D
Folks,
where
would
america
be
without
the
rich?
Let's
look
at
the
vanderbilts
old
man,
vanderbilt
was
a
street
fighter
in
new
york.
He
bought
a
ferry
from
that
ferry.
Then
he
stuffed
people
back
forth
across
the
ferry.
Then
he
bought
boats
and
ships
and
then
he
gave
a
ship
to
the
president
during
the
civil
war.
So
they
could
start
a
navy
in
the
north
and
then
he
comes
to
asheville
and
builds
the
biltmore
house.
Where
will
we
be
without
the
biltmore
house?
D
D
D
But
it's
to
shut
us
up
form
committees
that
make
decisions.
Just
like
the
vance
monument
you
commissioners
need
to
step
up
and
do
your
job
and
start
making
decisions
yourself.
You
might
not
get
elected,
but
by
god
at
the
election
time.
You
might
be
so
proud
of
what
you
have
done,
because
you
might
have
another
person
here
and
I
could
name
some
well-to-do
people
in
asheville
that
are
afraid
to
speak
up
right
now.
B
All
right,
thank
you.
That
concludes
all
of
the
folks
who
signed
up
for
public
comment,
so
we're
moving
on
to
presentations
and
the
first
one
is
a
proclamation
recognizing
elder
abuse
awareness
month
and
commissioner
amanda
edwards
is
going
to
read
and
present
this
and
jennifer
teague
and
lori
dotson
from
health
and
human
services.
I
believe,
are
here
to
join
us
for
this
item.
F
F
So
it
really
is
an
honor
to
present
you
all
with
this
proclamation
this
evening
is
the
county
of
buncombe
proclamation
elder
abuse
awareness
month,
whereas
in
2006,
the
international
network
for
the
prevention
of
elder
abuse
in
support
of
the
united
nations
international
plan
of
action
proclaimed
a
day
to
recognize
the
significance
of
elder
abuse
as
a
public
health
and
human
rights
issue,
and
whereas
buncombe
county's,
vulnerable
and
elder
adults
deserve
to
live
safely
with
dignity.
And
whereas
in
2021
marks
the
16th
annual
world
elder
abuse
awareness
day.
F
And
whereas
buncombe
county
adult
protective
services
received
1794
reports
in
2020,
with
1183
screened
in
for
evaluation
and
whereas
we
know
that
elder
abuse
and
mistreatment
are
under
reported.
According
to
a
study
by
the
world
health
organization
that
found
only
1
in
24,
cases
of
elder
abuse
is
reported,
and
whereas
recognizing
that
it
is
up
to
all
of
us
to
ensure
that
proper
social
structures
exist,
so
people
can
retain
community
and
societal
connections.
G
We
just
wanted
to
take
a
moment
to
say
thank
you
so
much
the
commissioners
for
your
support.
The
work
that
we
do,
we,
we
really
do
believe,
is
valuable
and
serves
a
great
need
in
our
community.
Lori
dotson's
been
with
the
county
for
many
many
years
and
continues
to
speak
to
the
support
that
we
receive
from
our
commissioners,
and
we
really
appreciate
that
and
thank
you
for
drawing
attention
to
this
important
issue
today.
B
B
H
H
It
is
important
that
the
lgbtqia
plus
members
of
our
community
know
that
they
are
valued
and
respected.
We
are
glad
that
they
are
here,
while
pride
month
can
be
full
of
symbolic
gestures.
Our
hope
for
this
proclamation
is
to
be
a
true
testament
and
commitment
to
the
work.
Buncombe
county
is
doing
to
improve
well-being
for
all
of
our
residents.
H
This
is
particularly
true
for
those
who
have
been
systematically
marginalized,
simply
for
being
who
they
are
or
for
who
they
love.
We
believe
the
way
forward
is
to
continue
to
show
up
for
each
other
as
referenced
in
the
proclamation
bravely
boldly
flawed
and
full
of
hope.
Thank
you
again
to
the
mr
chairman
and
the
commissioners.
I
I
I'll
read
the
proclamation
aloud
county,
buncombe
proclamation
and
honor
of
pride
month,
whereas
the
battle
for
dignity,
equality
and
personal
safety
for
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender
and
questioning
intersection.
Asexual
people
is
reflected
in
the
tireless
commitment
of
the
lgbtqia
plus
community,
as
well
as
dedicated
advocates
and
allies
who
strive
to
forge
a
more
inclusive
society.
I
Whereas
each
year,
the
month
of
june
honors,
the
1969
stonewall
riots
at
the
stonewall
inn
in
new
york
city,
frequently
referred
to
as
the
start
of
the
modern
lgbtqia
plus
rights
movement
in
the
united
states,
now
celebrated
with
pride
month.
Events
nationwide,
whereas
it
is
important
to
take
time
during
this
month
to
reflect
on
the
lgbtqia
plus
rights
movement
and
the
important
progress
that
has
been
made.
I
Whereas
more
than
35
000
of
our
neighbors
in
western
north
carolina
identify
as
lgbtq
plus
lgbtqia
plus
and
whereas
a
recent
survey
at
unc
asheville
revealed
that
a
third
of
the
students
don't
identify
with
conventional
binary,
heterosexual
stereotypes
and
whereas
lgbtqia
plus
individuals
across
the
united
states,
including
those
who
live
in
our
local
community,
continue
to
face
hate
and
discrimination
simply
for
being
who
they
are
and
for
who
they
love.
And
there
remains
much
work
to
do
to
extend
the
promise
of
our
country
to
every
person.
I
Whereas
buncombe
county
has
recognized
the
importance
of
equity
for
all
as
a
core
value
in
their
strategic
plan,
whereas
as
an
employer,
buncombe
county
has
the
opportunity
to
provide
a
safe
and
inclusive
workplace
for
all
employees
and
be
a
proud
supporter
and
leader
towards
lgbtqia
plus
equity
in
buncombe.
County,
while
there
is
much
work
to
be
done,
we
are
committing
to
a
better
future
by
showing
up
as
rachel
macy
stafford,
once
wrote,
bravely
boldly
flawed
and
full
of
hope.
I
Now,
therefore,
be
it
proclaimed
by
the
board
of
commissioners
for
the
county
of
buncombe
as
follows,
that
the
month
of
june
2021
be
proclaimed
pride
month
in
buncombe
county
and
that
this
proclamation
be
effective.
Upon
its
adoption
of
june
1
2021
signed
by
brownie
newman
chairman
buncombe
county
board
of
commissioners.
B
A
Good
evening,
commissioners,
I'm
rachel
nygard
from
strategic
partnerships
here
to
introduce
the
members
of
an
ad
hoc
working
group
within
the
broader
early
childhood
committee.
This
is
a
presentation,
that's
serving
two
purposes.
First,
there's
an
annual
presentation
when
funding
committees
come
before
the
board
of
commissioners
and
share
an
update
about
their
work.
A
So
the
early
childhood
committee
is
on
their
scheduled
evening
to
do
that
and,
secondly,
back
in
january,
the
board
of
commissioners
invited
the
early
childhood
committee
to
dig
into
expanding
pre-k
and
to
come
back
to
share
about
that
work
and
talk
about
what
an
expansion
of
pre-k
might
look
like
in
buncombe
county.
So
we
have
a
team
that
will
share
the
microphone
I'll
get
out
of
the
way.
Leslie
anderson
will
be
the
first
presenter
followed
by
wendy
weber,
then
misty
cogbell
and
brandy
bowman.
Thank
you.
J
I
am
leslie
anderson,
a
member
of
the
early
childhood
education
committee
for
this
county.
We
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
present
to
you
this
evening
tonight.
We
will
share
updates
about
our
work
to
date
and
tell
you
about
our
plans
for
enhancing
the
impact
of
early
childhood
education
in
our
county
I'll
begin
with
a
little
bit
of
background
about
the
early
childhood
fund.
J
J
J
There
are
12
other
members
with
diverse
perspectives,
as
you
can
see
listed
there
on
the
screen,
such
as
business
community
medical
field,
parents
advocates,
educators
and
more
I'd
like
to
take
a
moment
here
to
acknowledge
how
much
we
appreciate
the
vision,
the
fortitude.
The
commitment
of
these
three
commissioners
in
particular,
who
have
worked
so
hard
with
us,
as
well
as
the
support
of
all
seven
of
you
on
behalf
of
young
children.
J
Appointed
early
childhood
fund
has
had
two
grant
cycles
so
far:
fy
2020
last
fiscal
year,
as
you
well
know,
and
2021
the
current
year
ending
once
selected
grantees
work
with
staff
to
establish
contracts
with
the
scope
of
work,
deliverables
and
performance
measures
for
their
projects.
Those
performance
reports
are
published
on
the
early
childhood
grant
website.
J
Now
that
we
have
a
couple
of
grant
cycles
completed,
our
committee
began
looking
at
what
it
would
take
to
scale
up
our
impact
and
focus
on
true
community
level
results
related
to
pre-k
and
one
point
important
point
of
clarification.
I'd
like
to
make
before
we
continue
when
we
say
pre-k
or
pre-kindergarten.
J
We
consider
that
to
be
four-year-olds
who
are
rising
into
kindergarten
in
january,
the
board
of
commissioners
tasked
our
committee
with
developing
a
recommendation
for
what
this
scale-up
could
look
like.
Since
that
time,
we
formed
an
ad
hoc
working
group,
which
includes,
as
rachel
said
brandy,
bowman,
misty,
cogbull,
wendy
weber
and
myself.
J
We
worked
closely
with
several
staff
to
establish
definitions,
review
data
study
models,
gather
input
and
create
a
recommended
direction
to
move
forward,
which
you'll
hear
about
later
purpose.
Statement
that
we
came
up
with
is
this,
as
you
can
see,
all
asheville
city
and
buncombe
county
students
enter
kindergarten,
ready
and
fully
prepared
for
success
in
school.
J
Before
we
thought
about
the
future,
the
subcommittee
looked
at
where
we
stand
currently
are
children
ready
for
kindergarten
in
buncombe
county
according
to
the
most
recently
available
data,
which
is
from
2019
31
of
our
children,
one-third
are
below
the
standard
expectation
for
kindergarten
readiness
based
on
current
data.
That
means
that
approximately
785
students
enter
kindergarten,
not
ready
already
experiencing
an
achievement
gap.
J
J
Excuse
me,
there
are
a
lot
of
questions
about
the
potential
impact
that
covid
may
have
on
this
data
for
2020
and
going
forward,
as
we
know,
covet,
had
a
tremendous
impact
on
all
child
care,
as
well
as
k-12
education
during
the
pandemic,
enrollment
in
early
care
and
education
was
significantly
down
and
school
was
delivered
in
non-traditional
ways.
As
we
know
of
late.
However,
we've
heard
from
providers
that
more
parents
are
returning
to
work,
so
enrollment
is
increasing
and
that's
good
news.
K
K
Pre-K
data
linked
with
k-12
data
would
enable
analysis
of
long-term
benefits
of
the
pre-k
program.
If
data
could
be
disaggregated,
it
could
provide
more
revealing
information
in
order
to
tailor
programmatic
and
community
needs
measurements
of
whole.
Child
readiness
in
several
domains
would
better
inform
program
focus.
K
K
What
would
the
data
show
if
we
could
see
kindergarten,
readiness
scores
by
race,
ethnicity,
income
or
other
attributes?
Can
we
access
information
beyond
literacy
and
math,
such
as
social
emotional
information
for
a
better
whole
child
picture
of
success?
We
know
that
rich
data
provides
insight
into
short
and
long-term
benefits.
K
Success
is
more
than
what
shows
up
in
a
test
score.
Kindergarten
readiness
helps
children
with
long-term
success
beyond
academics,
reduced
incarcerations,
reduced
school
suspensions
and
grade
retentions
and
increased
likelihood
of
entering
college
on
time,
better
health
outcomes
for
life
and
employment.
Readiness.
K
K
Currently,
46
percent
of
four-year-olds
are
served
by
a
licensed
early
care
education
program
in
buncombe
county.
A
full
report
about
the
state
of
child
care
in
buncombe
county
is
produced
regularly
by
buncombe
partnership
for
children
and
published
on
their
website.
It
provides
information
about
child
demographics,
types
of
programs,
enrollment,
quality,
availability,
workforce
and
more.
K
K
So
we
looked
at
what
the
barriers
were
to
families
in
the
local
system.
There
were.
There
was
lack
of
information
for
families.
It
was
really
complex
to
apply
the
cost
for
before,
and
after
care
is
high
and
site
locations
were
not
convenient
for
a
lot
of
families.
There's
lack
of
transportation
hours
and
schedules.
Don't
support
family
needs,
there
are
often
language
barriers
and
there's
a
need
for
specialized
trauma
and
behavioral
health
personnel.
K
K
K
We
found
the
affordability
of
extended
care
as
a
barrier,
the
cost
of
wraparound
care,
which
is
before
and
after
school
and
summer
care
is
high
and
wraparound
care
availability
is
limited
and
tied
to
specific
locations.
Only
locations
and
program
hours
may
not
meet
family
needs,
or
they
may
experience
other
issues
such
as
transportation
language,
their
child's
special
developmental
needs,
creating
even
further
limitations.
K
K
This
is
a
real,
a
disincentive
to
start
a
business,
no
matter
how
much
you
love
children.
As
a
result,
teacher
pay
is
very
low,
which
results
in
a
lack
of
qualified
teachers
in
north
carolina
early
educators
with
a
bachelor's
degree,
are
paid
28.8
percent
less
on
average
than
their
colleagues
in
the
k
through
8
public
school
system.
L
Thank
you,
commissioners.
We
have
seen
in
our
committee
work
the
necessity
and
the
benefits
of
connecting
with
other
partners,
so
as
part
of
our
research,
along
with
buncombe
partnership
for
children,
we
turn
to
other
counties
in
our
state.
Other
counties
that
have
locally
funded
pre-k
models.
We
met
with
our
counterparts
and
reviewed
their
models
to
learn
about
how
their
communities
are
addressing
barriers
to
the
system.
L
L
Three-Year-Olds
other
factors
that
our
working
group
considered
during
our
research
included
potential
for
growth
in
the
system
in
north
carolina.
There
are
efforts
underway
to
grow
the
nc
pre-k
program,
my
future
nc,
a
statewide
educational
attainment
gap
initiative
has
an
nc
pre-k
expansion
plan,
which
would
call
for
a
doubling
of
the
nc
pre-k
program
within
buncombe
county.
L
M
M
M
Access
would
increase
through
attention
to
community
needs.
The
workforce
would
be
equitably
strengthened
through
more
supports
for
teachers.
We
would
have
richer
data
about
what
works
and
where
there
are
gaps.
We
believe
this
plan
will
lead
to
more
children
entering
kindergarten
fully
prepared
for
success
in
school,
thus
narrowing
the
achievement
gap
and
providing
lifelong
benefits.
M
M
Thank
you
to
the
board
of
commissioners
for
establishing
kindergarten
readiness
as
a
priority
and
for
supporting
early
childhood
education
fund
thanks
to
staff
for
the
coordination
and
hard
work.
We
could
not
have
gotten
this
far
without
you,
and
that
is
absolutely
the
truth
in
case
there
is
any
doubt
also,
we
would
not
have
been
successful
without
the
partnership
locally
from
the
asheville
buncombe
preschool
planning
collaborative
and
the
team
at
buncombe
partnership
for
children.
A
A
This
will
include
some
of
the
things
that
you
see
on
the
screen
and
that
you
heard
mentioned
in
the
presentation,
coming
up
with
a
structure
and
process
for
community
participation
to
have
that
involvement
and
family
voice
to
inform
the
design
of
the
program
to
follow
up
with
our
educational
partners
and
establish
data
agreements
with
the
school
districts.
The
k-12
system,
as
well
as
the
early
learning
data,
the
early
learning
providers,
doing
cost
modeling
securing
a
funding
plan
for
the
model
and
then
ultimately,
working
into
a
multi-year
implementation.
N
I've
got
one
I'm
not
sure
who
to
pose
it
to
so
I'll,
pose
it
to
the
room,
but
I
heard
the
phrase
workforce
desert
thrown
around
a
couple
times.
I
guess
I'm
just
wondering
if
that's
if
that's
a
chicken
or
an
egg
issue,
because
there's
not
enough,
I
don't
know
after
these
schools
for
pre-k
education
and
there's,
therefore
not
enough
slots
for
for
teachers
or
it's
an
education
training
problem
or
if
it's
multiple
problems,
I'd
love
to
hear
more
about
what
what's
creating
that
desert.
A
It
is
indeed
complex
as
as
much
of
as
much
is
within
the
early
childhood
system.
Quality
has
been
on
the
rise
and
in
order
to
deliver
a
high
quality
program,
it
does
require
a
lot
of
education
and
training
and
credentialing
for
people
who
work
in
that
system
and
the
reimbursement
or
the
pay
that
providers
get
for
delivering.
The
program
is
low.
I
think
you
heard
leslie
say
with
the
nc
pre-k
program,
the
reimbursement
that
they
get
covers
about
60
of
their
costs.
A
N
I
I'll
just
take
a
moment
to
say
thank
you
so
much
to
the
members
of
the
working
group.
This
was
a
very
big
and
heavy
lift
that
you
all
took
on.
In
addition
to
your
other
work
on
the
committee,
and
it
feels
like
it
just
really
helps
coalesce
a
set
of
recommendations
and
strategies
about
how
we
think
in
terms
of
moving
forward.
The
early
childhood
education
committee
voted
and
unanimously
endorsed
this
set
of
recommendations.
I
I
Thank
you
certainly
to
commissioners,
presley
and
whitesides
for
all
your
leadership
in
anchoring
this
and
other
committee
members,
and
very
much
look
forward
to
hearing
other
commissioners
ideas
and
thoughts,
whether
now
or
later,
as
we
move
forward
with
this
and
and
continue
to
get
updates
around
the
planning
process
that
will
be
underway.
One
quick
flag
and
you'll
note
this
in
the
budget
notes
is
that
one
of
the
recommendations
coming
forward
from
the
early
child
education
committee
was
allocating
a
figure
of
69
000
that
could
be
used
to
support
this
planning
process.
I
We
know
it
will
be
a
heavy
lift
to
go
from
the
set
of
recommendations
that
we
have
as
guide
starts
into
an
actual
sort
of
blueprint
for
how
we
move
forward
with
this.
So
that
is
one
of
the
recommendations
that
will
that
has
come
forward
as
part
of
the
budget
process
this
year
and
commissioners
white
sides
are
presley.
If
I
don't
know,
if
there's
anything
else,
you
all
would
want
to
add,
as
we
move
forward.
B
A
O
Good
evening
everybody,
my
name
is
doug
clark
and
I'm
the
chairman
of
the
strategic
partnership
initiative
and,
on
behalf
of
the
committee,
I
want
to
thank
you
all
for
letting
us
speak
here
today.
We
really
appreciate
you
all,
and
I
especially
appreciate
that
you've
selected
such
a
good,
congenial
committee
and
we've
been
able
to
work
together
despite
having
some
differences
but
really
and
along
with
the
your
wonderful
county
staff.
O
Rachel,
nygard
and
angela
johnson
have
really
made
our
lives
very
easy,
but
it
is
humbling
to
see
all
the
need
in
buncombe,
county
and
and
difficult
to
to
make
make
hard
decisions
and
choose
who
gets
what,
but
we
we
managed
to
do
it
and
it's
work
have
worked
well
as
committee.
I
really
appreciate
the
fact
that
I
can
be
somewhat
of
a
public
servant
and.
O
O
He
was
a
very
religious
man,
but
he
he
didn't
really
push
his
religion
on
anybody,
but
he
really
thought
that
being
a
good
citizen
was
very
important
and
he
always
encouraged
that
in
people-
and
this
gives
me
an
opportunity
to
do
it
anyway.
Just
a
little
aside
when
we
were
growing
up,
we
had
a
friend
mark
who
used
to
come
over
to
our
house
a
lot
and
play
hang
out
later
on.
We
went
to
different
schools
when
he
became
a
teenager.
O
He
would
also
come
visit
us,
but
that
time
he
sort
of
gotten
into
other
things
he's
had
very
long
hair
down
past
his
waist
and
he
looked
somewhat
dissolute
and
had
an
absolute
terrible
complexion,
our
our
dairyman,
who
was
kind
of
a
colorful
fella.
He
remarked
that
oh
gosh,
that
he
looked
like
he
swallowed
a
million
dollars
and
broke
out
in
pennies
anyway,
another
year
or
two
went
by,
he
came
back
out,
hair
all
trimmed
up
better
car,
good
job
and
my
dad.
O
He
he
wouldn't
really
make
a
lot
of
comments
at
that
time,
but
after
he
left
he
said.
Oh
you
know
old
mark's
turned
into
a
good
citizen
so
anyway,
thank
you
all
for
letting
me
participate
in
this
and
thank
you
for
selecting
such
a
good
committee.
At
this
point,
I'm
literally
gonna
turn
this
over
to
kate
berger,
who
is
the
vice
chairman
of
our
committee.
A
Q
Q
Q
Q
Some
items
of
note
for
fiscal
year
2021
we
were
able
to
engage
in
a
grantee
cohort
call
to
discuss
the
coveted
impact
on
projects.
Certainly
when
people
were
submitting
their
applications,
we
didn't
realize
what
we
were
about
to
go
through.
So
we
had
the
opportunity
to
hear
from
the
grantees
how
they
had
to
kind
of
pivot
in
order
to
get
their
projects
done
or
reallocate
funds.
In
order
to
keep
things
going,
we
participated
in
30,
grantee
site
visits.
In
october
and
november,
the
site
visits
were
fantastic.
Q
The
committee
members
really
enjoyed
seeing
the
process
in
action
and
and
getting
to
talk
one-on-one
with
people.
A
lot
of
the
site
visits
were
virtual,
it
had
to
be
some
were
in
person
and
just
a
comment
about
county
staff.
They
set
up
all
of
these
and
made
them
run
like
a
well-oiled
machine.
If
it
was
left
to
the
committee
members,
it
would
have
been
a
bit
of
a
mess,
but
we
leaned
on
them
hard
and
they
delivered.
Q
We've
now
in
the
first
quarter,
gone
through
reviewing
and
scoring
the
fiscal
year,
2022
applications
first
individually
and
then
together
collectively,
we
finalized
our
funding
recommendations
in
april
and
just
a
note
about
grant
eligibility.
Nonprofits
have
to
be
in
active
operation
for
a
minimum
of
two
years
to
be
eligible.
Q
R
All
right,
thank
you,
kate,
so,
for
this
funding
cycle
we
were
allocated
a
little
over
889
thousand
dollars
to
providing
grants,
but,
as
you
can
see,
there
is
a
large
need
in
the
county
we
received
over
three
million
dollars
in
requests
for
projects
this
year,
those
projects,
spanned
all
four
of
the
county's
strategic
priorities.
You
can
see
the
bulk
of
the
projects
requested
were
in
the
educated
and
capable
community
and
the
resident
well-being
priorities.
R
However,
the
most
dollars
requested
were
in
the
vibrant
economy
priority.
Now
that
includes
a
one
million
dollar
capital
request
that
our
committee
did
not
consider
because
it
exceeded
our
entire
budget,
but
even
excluding
that
capital
request,
you
can
see
that
the
requests
were
more
than
double
of
the
budget
that
we
were
allocated.
R
R
You
can
see
that,
depending
upon
the
priority
in
question,
we
funded
between
a
third
and
a
half
of
the
dollars
that
were
requested.
Under
that
priority,
we
were
able
to
fund
a
wide
variety
of
projects.
You
know
getting
at
lots
of
different
constituents
in
buncombe
county
lots
of
different
issues
and
lots
of
different
priorities
from
the
county
strategic
plan.
R
Part
of
that
is
really
focusing
on
the
positive
things
that
have
happened
over
the
last
couple
years.
The
committee
really
wanted
to
highlight
some
of
the
great
work
that
is
going
on
out
there.
I
think
the
thing
that
the
committee
took
away
the
most
from
these
first
two
years
of
our
establishment
is
just
the
strength,
the
passion,
the
dedication,
the
resilience
of
these
non-profits
in
buncombe
county.
R
The
nonprofits
have
always
been
thorough
and
responsive
to
us
for
any
questions,
whether
it
be
during
the
funding
process,
whether
it
be
during
visits
asking
questions
about
how
they're
spending
their
their
money,
so
we
really
just
want
to
you
know,
support
those
non-profits
out
there
doing
such
amazing
work
as
doug
mentioned.
Our
committee
is
really
inclusive
and
collaborative.
R
We've
worked
well
together
and,
as
many
other
organizations
have
done
in
the
past
year,
we
put
a
lot
of
effort
into
trying
to
increase
equity
in
our
grant
making
process
this
year
and
that
felt
really
good
to
do
as
a
collaborative
effort
as
well
and
then
just
to
you
know,
re-emphasize
what
kate
said
and
what
the
early
childhood
group
said.
We
just
couldn't
do
this
without
the
staff
rachel,
angela
and
burnett,
and
others
gave
us
the
support
we
needed
to
be
able
to
do
this.
R
R
F
Thank
you
all
for
the
work
that
you
put
into
this.
I
didn't
always
get
to
watch
your
meetings
live,
but
I
would
go
back
and
watch
them
and
the
camaraderie
that
you
all
developed
with
each
other
is
really
impressive,
and
I
think
because
of
that,
that's
partially
why
you
were
able
to
make
really
tough
funding
decisions
that
you
develop,
that
camaraderie
and
and
and
seemingly
a
trust
that
can
be
really
difficult
to
do
via
online
meetings.
So
I
really
commend
you
for
that
work.
F
I
also
really
want
to
commend
you
for
reaching
out
back
in
the
fall
to
talk
about
equity
and
reviewing
these
applications
through
that
lens
of
equity,
and
you
all
took
that
incredibly
seriously
into
heart
and
it
was
exciting
to
hear
those
conversations
as
you
all
were
making
those
decisions.
So
I
really
appreciate
what
you
all
have
done
and
the
time
that
you
have
spent
to
serve
our
nonprofits
here
in
buncombe
county
to
ensure
that
they
have
funding
resources
available.
I
know
those
are
not
easy
decisions
to
make
and
finally,
just
to
each
of
you
all.
F
What
I
want
to
say
is
we
just
heard
about
making
decisions
as
commissioners,
and
I
think
what
this
commission
this
committee,
as
well
as
early
childhood,
shows,
is
how
important
public
engagement
is
to
the
work
that
we
do
as
commissioners
and
really
appreciate.
Not
only
you
all
our
early
childhood
and
everybody
across
buncombe
county
who
is
willing
to
volunteer
and
commit
their
time
to
serving
on
these
committees
and
commissions
and
boards
to
help
us
do
our
jobs
more
effectively,
efficiently
and
transparently.
So,
thank
you
all
so
much.
B
All
right,
thank
you
very
much
thanks
everyone
for
your
work
on
this
important
community
advisory
board.
We
appreciate
it
very
much
and
taking
it
really
seriously
and
taking
a
deep
dive
and
such
a
thorough
review
process
and
all
the
all
the
time
that
folks
have
invested
in
this.
Thank
you
very
much.
B
B
And
let
me
also
just
reiterate
for
folks
who
may
not
have
heard
this
at
the
beginning
of
the
meeting.
The
commissioner's
intent
this
evening
is
to
hold
the
public
hearing
to
hear
the
reports
from
the
staff
be
able
to
listen
to
the
community.
The
number
number
folks
who
have
signed
up
to
speak
during
the
public
hearing.
We
are
not
planning
on
voting
on
the
budget
tonight.
Our
intention
is
to
vote
on
the
budget
at
our
next
meeting
in
two
weeks
from
tonight.
B
S
S
Since
that
time
staff
have
worked
with
buncombe
county
schools
to
confirm
the
amount
for
their
known
expenditure
increases
the
increase
needed
to
fund
the
known
expenses
is
two
million
four
hundred
and
sixty
five
thousand
nine
hundred
and
forty
four
dollars.
This
represents
a
three
point:
five
percent
increase
above
fiscal
year
21..
S
This
equates
to
373
085
dollars
in
the
buncombe
county
schools,
local
current
expense,
which
fully
funds
the
proposed
certified
employee
pay
increase,
which
is
the
step
only
and
the
non-certified
employee
pay
increase,
also
a
step.
Only
the
previous
discussion
and
what
seems
to
be
most
influx
is
around
the
percent.
Pay
increases
the
three
or
the
five
percent
for
the
state
budget.
S
Dollars
combined
the
cost
to
fully
fund
these
expenditures
is
four
hundred
and
forty
thousand
eight
hundred
and
ninety
five
dollars
above
the
county,
manager's
recommended
budget
from
may.
The
18th
the
county
manager
is
recommending
adding
this
amount
for
budget
adoption
and
offsetting
the
expenditure
increase,
with
a
corresponding
increase
in
appropriated
fund
fund
balance.
S
For
fiscal
year
2022,
the
recommended
general
fund
budget
totals
360
million
three
hundred
and
ninety
four
thousand
six
hundred
and
fifteen
dollars.
As
you
know,
this
is
a
revaluation
year.
The
recommended
tax
rate
is
48.8
cents,
two
cents
above
the
revenue
neutral,
calculated
rate
of
46.8
cents.
The
five-year
tax
rate
history
is
depicted
here.
We
have
been
able
to
keep
the
tax
rate
relatively
flat
over
the
past
four
years
and
will
continue
to
manage
the
budget
to
provide
quality
services
at
the
lowest
responsible
tax.
S
Rate,
the
general
fund
revenue
budget
is
adopted
by
source
the
fiscal
year.
2022
revenue
budget
totals
350
1.1
million,
with
an
appropriated
fund
balance
of
9.3
million,
which
now
includes
the
440
000
for
schools
for
a
total
amount
of
360.4
million
and
a
balanced
budget
highlighting
again
our
three
largest
revenue
sources.
Property
tax
revenue
makes
up
67
percent
at
an
estimated
234
million.
Intergovernmental
revenue
represents
the
second
largest
at
12
percent
and
43
million,
and
the
third
largest
revenue
source
is
sales
tax,
which
is
10
percent
and
36
million
proposed.
S
To
achieve
a
balanced
budget,
the
fiscal
year
2022
recommended
budget
includes
the
9.3
million
fund
violence
appropriation,
the
fiscal
year
21
year-end
projected
fund
balance
minimum
by
policy
is
50.1
million.
With
a
fiscal
year
2022
appropriation
of
9.3
million.
We
will
remain
3.5
percentage
points
above
the
15
minimum
by
policy.
S
S
S
For
education,
the
recommended
budget
includes
7.3
million
for
ab
tech,
which
is
a
2.8
increase
over
fiscal
year
21,
and
this
is
their
full
request.
A
total
of
85.3
million
is
recommended
for
the
combined
k-12
schools
at
an
estimated
average
dealer
membership
share.
This
provides
13.1
million
in
local
current
expense
to
asheville
city
schools
and
72.7
million
to
buncombe
county
schools.
S
The
recommended
budget
includes
27
new
general
fund
positions,
totaling
1.48
million
one
position
in
the
solid
waste
enterprise
fund
at
63
000
in
one
position
in
the
health
and
dental
fund
at
an
estimated
49
000.,
the
capital
review
team
made
recommendations
for
capital
projects
to
be
financed
with
debt
and
pay.
As
you
go
funding
for
the
upcoming
fiscal
year,
the
recommended
budget
includes
4.7
million
dollars
for
four
debt
funded
projects
and,
again
a
reminder.
The
1.2
million
is
proposed
to
be
funded
with
excess
proceeds
from
a
previous
debt
finance
project.
S
S
S
T
B
S
B
Okay,
thank
you
very
much.
Commissioners.
Are
there
any
questions
that
anyone
would
like
to
ask
before
we
open
the
public
hearing
all
right,
then
let's
go
ahead
and
do
that
now.
So
I'm
going
to
open
the
public
hearing
at
6,
23
pm
and
I
believe
we
have
a
number
of
folks
who
have
signed
up
who
wish
to
speak
during
the
hearing.
Is
that
right?
Mr
joyner.
U
B
Time,
that's
fine
yeah!
Could
you
raise
your
hand
if
you're
interested
in
speaking
great,
all
right?
Well,
we'll
start
over
on
this
side
and
we'll
kind
of
work
our
way
this
direction?
Okay,
so
you
you're
our
first
speaker.
Thank
you
for
being
here.
Just
share
your
share,
your
name
where
you
live,
and
you
have
three
minutes
to
speak
and
and
the
the
colors
will
change
when
you
have
30
seconds
left
and
when
the
when
your
time
is,
is
up.
Please
stop
speaking.
We
want
to.
C
Okay,
thank
you.
My
name
is
david
greenson.
I'm
live
here
in
asheville.
I
I
wanna
talk
to
y'all
tonight
about
concerns.
I
have
about
the
property
tax
increase
that
that
is
in
this
budget,
9.6
million
property
tax
increase.
I
think
some
of
you
have
seen
the
recent
evidence
of
of
the
inequities
that
are
existing
in
our
property
tax
appraisal
system.
This
is
something
that's
that's
being
found
nationally.
C
The
folks
who
are
at
the
bottom,
ten
percent
tend
to
pay
twice
as
much
as
the
people
at
the
top
ten
percent
when
it
comes
to
property
taxes
and
in
asheville
it's
actually.
So
it's
twice
nationally.
It's
actually
five
times
more
here
in
asheville,
according
to
the
citizen
times,
folks,
in
in
historically
redlined
and
african-american,
south
side
saw
the
biggest
leap
in
their
appraisals
of
26
percent,
whereas
biltmore
forest
saw
only
a
4
increase.
C
So
we're
seeing
a
lot
of
evidence
of
this
here,
and
I
know
that
the
county
has
talked
about
doing
some
property
tax.
You
know
assistance
there's
a
program
in
durham
where
they're
doing
this
their
first
year.
They
got
a
whole
15
people
to
be
assisted,
and
in
the
second
year
they
got
30
people,
so
it
really
doesn't
seem
to
go
very
far.
C
I
would
say
that
we
need
to
think
about
what
we
can
do
about
this,
and
I
appreciate
that
last
year
you
all
declared
that
that
racism
was
a
public
health
crisis.
One
of
the
social
determinants
of
health
is
economic
stability.
So
when
we
knowingly
are
going
to
put
people
in
a
worse
economic
position,
we
know
that's
going
to
affect
them.
Likewise,
I
appreciate
you
all
passing
the
operations
resolution
last
year.
It
it
touches
me
deeply
and
the
un
says
that
the
first
condition
of
reparations
is
to
sus
the
cessation
of
harm.
C
C
I
would
say:
let's
put
the
the
application
for
fil.
You
know
for
the
for
for
being
part
of
the
program
in
the
same
envelope
as
the
bill.
You
know
I
mean
everybody
opens
that
envelope.
So
if
it's
right
there
we'll
get
a
lot
more
people
to
participate
in
that
program.
Thank
you
very
much
have
a
good
evening.
V
V
As
director
of
just
economics
and
a
member
of
the
asheville
regional
transit
coalition,
I
encourage
you
to
consider
your
role
in
supporting
transportation
options
in
buncombe
county.
I
would
hope
that
in
the
short
term,
county
funding
for
the
arts
system
would
grow,
but
it
looks
to
me
that
the
opposite
is
about
to
happen.
V
The
modest
request
from
the
asheville
regional
transit
coalition
was
to
restore
the
subsidy
for
paratransit
service.
Ada
paratransit
service
is
required
in
order
for
the
city
to
legally
operate
the
asheville
bus
system
and
the
county
used
to
charge
the
city
less
than
the
cost
of
this
service,
effectively
subsidizing
a
service
used
by
county
residents.
V
The
memo
on
the
consent
agenda
on
may
18th
suggests
that
the
county
is
planning
to
no
longer
subsidize
the
per
mile
cost
of
paratransit
service.
I
hope
the
county
will
reconsider
support
for
the
existing
arts
system
in
the
short
term
and,
in
the
long
term,
take
a
more
holistic
approach
to
providing
transit
services
in
the
county.
Consider
the
collaboration
in
how
the
county
meets
this
growing
need
for
our
residents.
Thank
you.
W
Since
2002
library
card
users
have
increased
by
57,
while
staff
has
decreased
by
23
percent
staff,
work
alone,
a
minimum
of
51
hours
a
week
leading
to
inequities
in
customer
service
and
access
to
resources,
as
well
as
raising
safety
concerns
during
the
coven
19
pandemic
library
staff,
quickly,
pivoted
to
add
new
virtual
services,
many
of
which
will
be
continued
during
after
the
pandemic
subsides.
This
includes
doorside
material,
pickup,
zoom
exercise
classes,
radiorama,
drive-in
story
time
and
the
laptop
and
hotspot
learning
program.
W
W
W
Unfortunately,
the
friends
do
not
have
equal
fundraising
amongst
the
groups,
and
this
leads
to
an
inequity
amongst
the
different
branches
in
the
programming
that
they
are
able
to
provide.
This
is
why
the
library
board
is
requesting
dedicated
funding
for
programming
from
the
county,
so
that
the
essential
core
service
of
programming
can
be
provided
equally
between
the
branches.
Once
again,
thank
you
for
listening
and
library
bird
appreciates
your
support.
B
B
Is
there
anyone
else
who
would
like
to
speak?
I
think
that's
it
all
right.
I
think
I
appreciate
everyone
taking
time
to
come
out
and
speak
to
us
about
the
proposed
budget.
Again,
we're
not
going
to
vote
on
it
tonight,
but
we'll
have
a
chance
to
reflect
on
the
comments
that
a
lot
of
things
also
send
in
emails.
Commenting
on
different
aspects
of
the
budget
as
well,
and
our
plan
is
to
adopt
a
budget
at
our
next
meeting.
B
A
I
I
We
certainly
know
that
and
want
to
be
thinking
from
a
policy
perspective
about
making
sure
there
aren't
disproportionate
burdens
on
any
part
of
our
community
and
and
one
tool
that's
been
used
in
other
communities.
It
was
mentioned
during
public
comment.
Is
a
assistance
program,
basically
that's
based
on
income
eligibility
that
helps
to
offset
some
of
that
burden.
I
There's
you
know
a
city
tax
hike.
They
could
be
seeing
plus
a
county
one
and
just
want
to
make
sure
that
we
are
having
these
conversations
in
a
really
open
way
and
making
sure
we're
assessing
every
tool
available
to
us,
as
we
think
about
this.
So
thank
you
to
staff
for
preparing
for
that,
but
just
want
to
spend
a
little
bit
more
time
on
that
tonight.
Rather
than
kind
of
rushing
past,
it.
B
So
we'll
have
a
more
detailed
presentation
at
our
next
meeting,
we're
also
anticipating
voting
on
the
budget.
Of
course,
there
is
300
thousand
dollars
programmed
into
the
budget
correct
currently
for
this
sort
of
tax
relief
purpose
and
we'll
get
more
details
on
this
on
the
thinking
around
how
that
would
be
administered
exactly
how
the
policy
would
work
at
our
next
meeting
right,
great
we're.
Looking
forward
to
that.
B
Let
me
ask
just
and
if
there's
not
an
answer
to
this
now,
but
just
one
of
the
questions
I've
been
thinking
about
in
regards
to
this
policy,
which
I'm
really
glad
we're
doing.
This
is
durham,
is
doing
something
there's,
but
there's
not
been
a
lot
of
places
that
have
sort
of
tried
to
figure
out
a
way
to
provide
some
property
tax
relief
for
lower
income
homeowners.
So
this
I'm
glad
we're
I'm
glad
we're
looking
at
this.
B
You
know
there
are
some
existing
state
policies
that
provide
some
property
tax
relief
through
the
homestead
exemptions
right,
which
mostly
benefit
elderly,
low-income
homeowners,
as
well
as
disabled
homeowners,
and
I
believe
there
might
be
some
for
for
veterans
as
well,
so
they're,
very
specific
groups
that
are
eligible,
which
is
which
is
great
for
those
groups.
But
it's
not
for
for
anyone
who
doesn't
meet
this
specific
criteria.
B
Do
the
staff
currently
have
an
opinion
about
whether,
if
we
create
this
new
local
program,
whether
it
would
be
available
to
ever
to
folks
who
currently
are
qualifying
for
homestead
exemptions
or
if
the
idea
is
to
kind
of
help,
the
folks
who
don't
qualify
for
the
existing
tax
relief
benefits
to
kind
of
fill
in
that
pretty
big
gap
that
exists
for
folks
who
you
know
most
folks,
don't
qualify
for
that?
So
what's
the
current
thinking
around
that.
X
E
B
B
Okay,
and
without
going
into
all
the
details
about
it,
I
mean
you're
with
the
awareness
we
have
around,
like
what
durham
has
done,
the
300
000,
that's
budgeted.
I
mean
we
do
have
some
optimism
that
we
will
be
able
to
deploy
that
to
a
much
larger
kind
of
universe
of
residents
who
would
qualify
than
what
we've
seen
in
like
the
durham
program
right.
X
And
to
david's
point
we
are
going
to
have
this
as
part
of
the
bill.
So
when
you
get
your
bill
to
be
a
conversation
in
there
that
you
can
read
yeah,
we
actually
holding
bills
until
you
guys
get
to
see
this
program
before
we
roll
our
bills
out
but
yeah.
So
our
bills
will
be
a
little
bit
late
this
year
because
of
the
timeline
to
get
this
done.
B
Which
the
one
other
comment
I
would
make.
I
really
appreciate
the
folks
in
the
community
who
have
kind
of
elevated.
The
issue
around
you
know
is
the
appraisal
process
itself.
As
you
know,
it's
it's
it's
obviously
based
on
you
know.
The
whole
idea
is
to
do
appraisals
of
properties,
right
property
values,
change
over
time.
B
So
I
just
want
to
say
that
I
think
this,
the
commission
really
takes
those
questions
really
seriously
and
we
have
been
seeking
to
kind
of
dig
into
them
more
working
with
our
tax
office
and,
looking
at
that,
it
seems,
like
there's,
been
a
lot
more
attention
to
this.
Just
in
the
very
recent
past,
over
the
last
several
months,
there's
been
some
more
national
coverage
of
the
issue
and
more
local
discussion
about
it.
So
I'm
glad
it's
coming
forward,
but
we're
not
going
to
be
able
to
you
know
resolve
those
issues
in
this.
B
In
this
you
know
budget
year
that
we're
in
right
now
you
know
a
lot
of
these
questions
kind
of
surfaced
after
our
appraisal,
reappraisal
process
was
essentially
already
complete,
so
we're
I
just
want
to.
Let
folks
know
we're
really
looking
at
this,
because
we
want
to
make
sure
we
get
that
we
really
get
that
right
like
this
is
an
important
process
and
so
and
the
staff
have
been
great
to
kind
of
work
with
us
to
start.
Looking
at
those
questions,
so
it's
going
to
be
a
process.
B
F
S
F
S
N
B
All
right,
I
had
just
one
other
comment:
it's
a
pretty
small
one,
but
I
just
you
know
I
know:
we've
all
had
a
lot
of
questions.
We've
been
emailing
staff
for
more
details
on
things.
One
of
the
questions
I
asked
about
was
the
on
the
sustainability
office
budget,
and
I
appreciate
the
staff
following
up
and
providing
that
I
think
it
looks.
I
think
it
looks
pretty
good
for
the
you
know
at
our
retreat
and
planning
sessions
we've
talked
about.
B
B
Reviewing
the
information.
I
believe
that
the
staff
requested
funds
to
be
able
to
do
like
two
additional,
like
solar
farm
type
projects,
similar
to
what
we're
doing
on
the
county's
retired
landfill,
so
being
able
to
do
two
more
projects
like
that.
I
just
looked
at
the
information
recently.
My
sense
is
that
there
might
need
to
be
a
little
bit
of
additional
funding
to
actually
be
able
to
do
the
two
projects.
B
So
I
agree
with
the
goal,
but
I
would
maybe
ask
the
staff
to
I
don't
know,
maybe
think
about
whether
the
amount
there
is
actually
adequate
to
get
the
like
two
projects
started.
So
that
was
my
only
other
comment
at
this
time.
So
if
there's
there's
not
a
specific,
these
are
these
are
sort
of
there's
not
a
specific
site
identified
yet
for
where
they
would
be.
It's
very
it's
beyond
earth.
It's
a
pretty
early
stage.
It's
just
funds
to
be
able
to
do
it
if
sites
are
identified
all
right.
Well,
commissioners
and
staff.
B
X
X
X
Our
first-year
spending
for
those
funds
by
the
u.s
treasury
will
be
august
31st.
So
initial
awards
will
be
announced
no
later
than
august
31st
by
the
commission.
So
once
we
get
those
rfp
backs,
we'll
be
bringing
those
to
you
as
we
then
decide
who
to
fund.
So
you
will
be
putting
that
on
the
street
in
june
due
back
in
july.
So
you
will
get
some
feedback
in
august.
B
X
B
B
X
We
can
schedule
another
work
session
to
talk
through
that
with
the
board.
Our
plan
was
to
get
that
input
from
the
community
and
then
have
a
work
session
with
you
as
we
go
through
those.
So
our
goal
would
be
once
we
get
the
proposals
in
then
we
can
categorize
them
and
group
them
and
said
we
have
so
much
in-house
in
our
so
much
and
homeless,
and
then
we
will
bring
those
to
the
board
and
we
can
decide
on
our
funding
limits
and
what
we
want
to
actually
award
at
that
time.
B
B
X
Of
the
ideas
that
staff
has
been
talking
about
is
a
rolling
funding
plan,
so
we
could
say
here's
what
we
want
to
start
now.
We
can
keep
working
through
the
rest
of
them,
but
our
goal
would
be
try
to
start,
especially
if
there's
some
that
I
show
already
to
start
those
right
away
so
they're
not
waiting.
We
still
have
until
2024
to
obligate
that
funds.
X
X
B
All
right,
thank
you.
We
don't
have
any
old
business
under
new
business.
The
first
item
is
a
resolution
approving
the
memorandum
of
agreement
between
the
state
of
north
carolina
and
local
governments
on
proceeds
relating
to
the
settlement
of
the
opioid
litigation
and
michael
frew
senior
staff
attorney
will
explain.
T
Thank
you,
mr
chairman
commissioners,
I'm
here
today
to
recommend
to
you
that
you
approve
this
memorandum
of
agreement,
which
has
been
negotiated
between
ncaacc
groups,
north
carolina
association
and
county
commissioners,
a
555
committee
of
which
our
own
jasmine
beach
ferraris
commissioner,
was
a
member.
So
there's
five
members
of
the
county
commissioners,
five
county
managers
and
five
county
attorneys
helped
negotiate
this
with
the
state
attorney
general's
office
and
the
department
of
justice.
T
So
that
what
I'd
like
to
do,
first,
just
to
lay
a
little
groundwork
as
to
how
we
got
here
on
a
national
level.
There's
thousands
of
local
and
state
governments
involved
in
lawsuits
against
the
opioid
manufacturers
all
intended
to
hold
those
pharmaceutical
supply
chain.
Participants
accountable
for
the
damage
caused
by
the
opioid
endemic
at
this
time.
T
There's
information
that
there
is
a
global
settlement
in
the
works,
and
that
would
be
all
these
lawsuits
against
the
name:
defendants,
johnson,
johnson,
amerisource
bergen,
cardinal
health
mckeison,
as
well
as
the
purdue
pharma
bankruptcy
fund.
So
it's
anticipated
that
in
the
very
near
future,
26
billion
dollars
would
become
available
for
this
settlement
and
it's
in
anticipation
of
that
announcement
and
settlement
that
the
work
was
done
with
the
association
of
county
commissioners
department
of
justice
to
to
be
able
to
facilitate
compliance
by
the
state
and
local
governments
with
that
national
settlement.
I
Yeah,
just
briefly,
we've
talked
about
this
a
few
times,
but
just
to
re
reinforce,
first
of
all,
just
the
level
of
appreciation
for
everyone
in
buncombe,
county
who's.
So
much
on
the
front
lines
of
responding
to
this
issue,
and
also
that
you
know,
I
think,
the
way
this
settlement
moa
is
structured,
really
positions
us
to
be
able
to
move
funding
quickly
to
some
strategies
that
we
know
are
working
really
well
to
help
people
get
the
treatment
that
they
need
and
within
the
language
of
the
moa.
I
I
So
the
good
news
in
this
situation,
I
think,
is
that
once
the
settlement
is
reached
and
the
funds
start
moving,
they'll
be
able
to
go
to
work
that
is
already
underway
and
helping
people
get
the
treatment
they
need
and
begin
rebuilding
their
lives
and
their
families,
so
that
none
of
that
would
be
possible
if
it
weren't
for
people
working
very
hard
every
single
day
on
this
issue.
For
many
many
years
and
I'm
excited
to
see
buncombe
county,
hopefully
this
will
pass
tonight
poised
to
be
one
of
the
counties.
I
Helping
move
move
forward
with
this
being
a
statewide
effort
for
this
moa
to
work.
It
has
to
be
truly
statewide.
We
certainly
know
that
the
opioid
crisis
doesn't
respect
county
lines
any
more
than
it
does
any
of
the
other
lines
that
may
divide
people,
and
this
is
a
moment
where
we
need
every
community
that
could
sign
the
moa
to
do
so.
So
I'm
I'm
hopeful.
We
will
do
that
tonight.
Thank
you.
T
T
5
would
be
used
as
a
county
incentive
fund
that
that's
a
that
pot
of
money
for
buncombe
county.
It
would
put
a
little
bit
extra
into
our
percentage.
The
bunking
county
percentage
is
roughly
2.5
percent.
I'm
not
going
to
pretend
to
describe
how
they
came
up
with
this
formula,
but
after
the
decimal,
there's
15
other
digits
that
follow.
So
it's
a
pretty
precise
number
city
of
asheville
share
and
they're
the
only
other
municipality
in
buncombe
county.
That
would
complies
well.
That
would
be
eligible
since
they
have.
T
T
T
T
If
that
doesn't
happen,
then
there
won't
likely
be
a
national
settlement
if
the
numbers
would
change
and
we'd
go
into
a
default
mechanism
which
comes
from
the
national.
The
draft
of
the
national
settlement,
this
memorandum
of
unders
of
agreement
also
has
a
number
of
transparency
elements
involved.
It's
going
to
require
a
dashboard
going
to
require
a
yearly
audit
and
reporting
to
the
local
government,
commission
and
again
national
account.
T
T
C
R
B
Discussion,
I
just
want
to
say
thanks
to
all
the
people
who
worked
on
this.
Obviously
we're
function
is
just
one
part
of
a
much
bigger
movement
across
the
country
to
try
to
hold
people
accountable,
who
helped
create
this
horrible
catastrophe.
Our
country's
experience
around
the
opioid
epidemics,
but
I
really
appreciate
buncombe
county
being
willing
to
get
involved
in
this
early.
A
D
B
S
Thank
you
so
I'll
begin
with
the
local
fiscal
recovery
funds.
I
think
that
was
first
on
the
agenda,
so
you've
heard
from
both
strategic
partnerships
and
the
county
manager,
and
several
times
previous,
we
have
received
the
first
tranche
in
the
amount
of
25
million
366
645
of
the
local
fiscal
recovery
funds.
S
We
are
proposing
to
go
ahead
and
budget,
the
full
award
of
fifty
million
seven
hundred
and
thirty
three
thousand
two
hundred
and
ninety
dollars.
The
second
tranche
is
expected
to
be
distributed
to
the
county
within
12
months.
What
this
enables
you
to
do
is
that
if
the
funding
plan
is
decided
by
august,
the
31st
and
incorporates
the
full
50
million
dependent
upon
the
template
that
comes
from
the
department
of
do
believe
treasury,
then
you
would
be
able
to
work
to
at
least
encumber
or
obligate
projects
for
that
future
period.
F
G
B
S
Yes,
so
this
is
a
request.
Additionally,
for
our
grants
project
fund,
we
are
in
receipt
of
the
first
forty
percent
of
a
proposed
six
million,
two
hundred
and
thirty
three
thousand
three
hundred
and
ninety
dollar
award.
In
keeping
with
the
same,
we
would
like
to
propose
to
budget
the
full
award
we
would
be
due
to
receive.
S
I
don't
know
that
we
know
that
maybe
march
of
2022
is
the
anticipated
second,
the
later
60
percent.
It
is
allowable
to
use
up
to
15
of
this
grant
for
administrative
costs.
We
do
anticipate
using
some
to
continue
the
staff
that
have
continued
to
support
some
of
the
other
crf
and
the
era
round,
one
so
we're
requesting
to
budget
the
full
award
and
we'll
work
to
use
a
minimal
portion
for
the
administration
and
would
use
the
risk
for
the
remainder
eligible
direct
assistance.
A
S
E
B
P
B
U
U
X
B
Are
you
are
you
available
amanda?
You
have
a
two
o'clock
okay.
Well,
if
we
do
one
o'clock,
I
think
we
can
get
them
done
in
an
hour
and
then
you
could
does
that.
Give
you
time
to
get
to
where
you
need
to
be
okay,
let's
plan
on
starting
at
one
o'clock
and
we'll
try
to
start
promptly
at
one
o'clock
to
make
sure
we
do
on
the
15th
and.