City Council Agenda Briefing Recap: December 4, 2025

The Asheville City Council held a virtual agenda briefing on December 4, 2025. The primary purpose of the meeting was to review the upcoming formal agenda for December 9, 2025, as well as to provide an eight-week look ahead at future legislative and administrative items. No formal votes or decisions were taken during this briefing session; rather, staff presented the materials and context for items scheduled for the upcoming formal meeting.

Upcoming Consent Agenda Items (December 9) Staff provided detailed overviews of several routine items scheduled for the December 9 consent agenda. A significant portion of the discussion focused on infrastructure and public safety. The Council is expected to consider a resolution authorizing a contract with JR Merrimon & Co., LLC to perform a service line inventory in the Shiloh Community. Staff clarified that this inventory is a necessary step to identify lead pipes, fulfilling requirements from the USAPA and NCDEQ, and is part of a broader, ongoing effort to replace lead service lines. Additionally, the Council will consider ratifying a lease agreement with TANGER ASHEVILLE LLC for a new location for the West Asheville Police Department’s office and resource center. Staff noted that concerns had been raised by the West Asheville Business Association and the Heart of West Asheville business coalitions regarding this project, and meetings are scheduled to address these concerns.

Other consent items include the acceptance of a donation from the Asheville Police Foundation, which includes a pickup truck, trailer, and ATV, valued at over $200,000. The Council will also consider resolutions related to transportation and planning, including supporting the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Safe Streets for Western North Carolina plan, applying for a grant to conduct a feasibility study for Hilliard Avenue improvements, and applying for a NCDOT Public Transit Apprenticeship Grant. Furthermore, the Council is expected to approve a budget amendment to address accounting treatments and carry-over appropriations, as well as resolutions to execute or amend contracts with vendors such as Loomis Armored US, LLC, Benevate LLC, CDR Maguire, Inc., and Southern Disaster Recovery, LLC, many of which relate to Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts.

Policy, Finance, and Infrastructure (PFI) Worksession (December 9) The briefing also covered the agenda for the December 9 PFI worksession. This session will include the approval of minutes from previous meetings and a presentation on the Fiscal 2020 audit by the Director of Finance and a consultant. Staff also previewed a discussion on Capital Improvement Program (CIP) updates and facilities investment rules, using the transit maintenance garage as a case study to illustrate how the city evaluates facility investments.

Future Agenda and Legislative Updates Looking ahead, staff outlined items scheduled for the January 13 and January 27, 2026 meetings. The January 13 agenda will include the ratification of a B Tree Debris Removal Study and the Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) for Water Distribution. The January 27 meeting will feature public hearings on UDO Amendments & Rezonings. Additionally, staff provided a legislative update regarding a state amendment that removes the one-year waiting period previously required after a rezoning application denial.

Follow-ups and Next Steps During the briefing, a council member inquired about the timeline for developing programmatic proposals for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds and the level of Council involvement in prioritizing these funds. In response, staff committed to providing more information on this topic at a future PFI meeting. The Council’s next formal meeting is scheduled for December 9, 2025, where the items reviewed in this briefing will be placed on the agenda for vote.