# City Council Special Virtual Meeting – July 23, 2026

**Body:** City of Asheville — City Council Special Virtual
**Date:** July 22, 2026 8:00 PM EDT (2026-07-22T20:00:00-04:00)

**Link:** https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2989

## Summary

**Meeting Overview**
On July 23, 2026, the Asheville City Council convened a Special Virtual Meeting. The session was brief and focused exclusively on procedural actions regarding personnel matters. The meeting did not include open discussion of policy, budget, or community infrastructure issues, nor did it feature public testimony or community input.

**Key Decisions and Votes**
The sole action taken during this meeting was the decision to enter a closed session. Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley moved to close the meeting, citing two specific statutory reasons under North Carolina General Statute section 143-318.11a. These reasons included the need to protect information that is privileged and confidential, as well as the need to consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of a public officer or employee. The motion was seconded by an unidentified speaker. A roll call vote was conducted by Mayor Esther Manheimer, with Councilman Smith and Mayor Manheimer voting "Aye." The motion passed, and the Council officially entered closed session.

**Discussion Highlights**
During the brief open segment, Vice Mayor Mosley explicitly stated the legal basis for the closed session. She noted that the closure was necessary to protect the disclosure of information considered a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes and to evaluate the fitness of a prospective or current public employee. No other substantive debate or discussion regarding the content of the personnel matter occurred during the open portion of the meeting.

**Community Input and Follow-ups**
There were no public comments, testimony, or community input recorded during this segment of the meeting. Consequently, there were no responses from Council members to the public. Furthermore, no follow-up actions, directions to staff, or commitments were made by any members or staff during the session.

**Impact on Residents**
This meeting resulted in the Council entering a closed session to discuss a personnel matter involving a public officer or employee. While the specific details of the personnel discussion remain confidential due to the closed nature of the session, the action signifies that the Council is addressing internal staffing or appointment issues in accordance with state law. No new policies, budget changes, or public-facing decisions were enacted during this special meeting.

## Video & Transcript

- Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAeTliRAuHE
- Transcript: https://sunshinemeetings.org/transcript/2034/segments

## Sources

- [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAeTliRAuHE)