Special Meeting: City Council Work Session (In-Person) (Sep 24, 2026)

Meeting Overview On September 24, 2026, the Asheville City Council held a special in-person work session to discuss the strategic allocation of $30 million from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBGDR) program. This funding is designated for revitalizing commercial corridors damaged by Tropical Storm Helene, specifically focusing on the French Broad and Swannanoa areas. City Manager DK Wesley and Housing and Economic Development Director Nikki Reed provided an overview of the program, clarifying that the funds are intended for economic recovery and infrastructure rather than new housing construction. Staff presented data indicating over 1,300 acres of damaged commercial land and more than 1,200 post-Helene permit applications, noting that the vast majority involve repairing existing structures. The session included breakout discussions on corridor redevelopment, economic vitality, and infrastructure investment, aiming to establish a high-level vision to guide future staff actions.

Key Discussions and Council Feedback The primary focus of the meeting was determining how to apply the CDBGDR funds effectively while adhering to federal guidelines. Council members engaged in a robust debate regarding the scope and strategy of the allocation, with several members expressing concern that they were asked to provide direction without sufficient prior review of staff research. Council Member Maggie Ullman stated she was "not ready" for staff to engage the public until the council had conducted a deeper strategy discussion involving specific data on corridor status and best practices. She emphasized that a general vision statement was insufficient for guiding $30 million in funding and requested a follow-up meeting to review a research packet.

Council Member Kim Roney raised specific concerns about applying a uniform approach to both the Swannanoa and French Broad corridors. She noted that the Swannanoa area has not yet benefited from previous resilience investments, such as those in the River Arts District, and warned against expanding the parks portfolio without securing long-term maintenance funds. Council Member Esther Manheimer questioned the assumption that the city would issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for small grants, suggesting instead that the city might leverage this funding to execute existing long-term plans, such as greenways and bike/pedestrian infrastructure, which are currently "on a shelf."

Decisions and Outcomes No formal motions, votes, or binding decisions were made during this work session. City Manager Wesley explicitly stated that the goal was to establish a "vision" and "priorities" to guide staff, rather than to make specific funding recommendations. Consequently, the $30 million allocation remains in the program design phase. The City Manager confirmed that staff would use the council’s expressed priorities to shape the upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and conduct external stakeholder engagement. A program manual is targeted for completion by the end of the calendar year, but no final allocation decisions have been authorized at this time.

Follow-Up Actions Several specific follow-up actions were explicitly agreed upon by staff and the City Manager in response to council requests:

• Distribution of Notes: Staff agreed to share the full notes from the breakout sessions with council members.
• Research Packet: City Manager Wesley agreed to work with staff to prepare a packet containing research on best practices, current corridor status, and existing public investments for a future meeting.
• Follow-Up Meeting: The City Manager agreed to schedule a second meeting for council members to review the research packet and engage in a deeper strategy discussion before any public engagement or NOFO issuance.
• Opportunity Zone Updates: City Manager Wesley agreed to provide updates on the Opportunity Zone status for census tracts in Swannanoa, specifically Oakley and Shiloh, as requested by Council Member Roney.

Impact on Residents This work session highlights the city’s ongoing effort to address the economic and physical aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. The discussions underscore the tension between rapid recovery efforts and the need for careful, data-driven planning. By pausing public engagement to prioritize internal strategy and research, the council is attempting to ensure that the $30 million investment addresses specific local needs, such as maintaining existing infrastructure and supporting distinct corridor identities, rather than dispersing funds through a generic grant process. The outcome of this planning phase will determine how the city leverages federal disaster recovery funds to support long-term community resilience and economic stability.