Town Council Regular Meeting Aug 24 2026

Town Council Regular Meeting Recap – August 24, 2026

The Town of Weaverville Town Council held its Regular Meeting on August 24, 2026, in the Weaverville Community Room. The session focused on administrative approvals, community updates, and operational reports, with Mayor Harris absent and represented by Assistant Town Manager Jackson. The council began by approving the agenda and subsequently approved the entire consent agenda by motion. This bundle included the approval of minutes from previous meetings, the FY 2025-26 tax settlement, the appointment of Morgan Worley as Town Tax Collector, and various budget amendments and zoning map changes.

A significant decision made during the meeting was the approval of the first amendment to the ground lease for the U.S. Cellular (now T-Mobile) tower at 15 Quarry Road. Council Member Nagel moved to approve the amendment, which extends the lease term to December 31, 2046, with options for renewal and adjusted rent. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously, authorizing the Mayor to execute the required documents. Additionally, the council received presentations from the Salvation Army and the Weaverville Business Association (WBA), along with operational updates from the Police and Fire Departments, though no new motions were passed regarding these presentations.

During the discussion highlights, Assistant Town Manager Jackson provided a town manager’s report covering upcoming community events, including "Music in the Park" and the September 11th Remembrance Observation. Jackson also noted that the town achieved a 99.89% tax collection rate, describing it as one of the most successful years for the county in collecting taxes. Regarding the Watershed Property Cleanup, Jackson explained that a contract with Main Line Natural Resources is in place to clear downed trees from the 300-acre property damaged by Hurricane Helene. Jackson emphasized that the selected contractor uses a cable logging system to minimize disturbance to the forest floor, aiming to restore emergency access and reduce wildfire risk.

Public comments were limited to presentations by community organizations rather than general public testimony. Captain Sherry Stokes and Phillip Stokes of the Salvation Army presented on their services, including the Center of Hope homeless shelter and food pantry. Stokes noted that 83-84% of funds raised in Buncombe County stay in the county and highlighted an 85% successful housing rent rate. Fionn Arroyo, President of the WBA, provided a quarterly update and requested that the public record be corrected to reflect the actual cost of WBA events as $18,825.26, rather than a previously stated figure of $85,000. Arroyo stated that the WBA respectfully asked for the correct figure to be publicly clarified and entered into the record.

Regarding follow-ups, Assistant Town Manager Jackson stated that Town Manager Harris is looking for a date to pose options to businesses regarding Merchants Alley and will bring it back to the council. Jackson also noted that permits for the Water Treatment Plant expansion are submitted or will be submitted early this week. Council Member Nagel asked about Fire Department overtime pay structures, and Fire Chief Summer stated he would love for the town to move toward paying overtime for anything over 40 hours, though he acknowledged this would not happen overnight due to significant financial impact. No other explicit commitments to specific actions were made by staff or council members at this meeting.