ShareIn addition to covering today’s Asheville City Council meeting for an upcoming article in Mountain Xpress, staff writer David Forbes also turned in this coverage via Twitter, the micro-blogging program:
• 4:59 pm: City Council meeting is about to begin. It’s the last for council members Miller, Cape & Mumpower.
• Mayor Bellamy is presenting resolution of appreciation for Kelly Miller, praising his “leadership” on issues like graffiti, parks.
• Miller: “We did a lot this last year” on balancing budget, using stimulus dollars.
• Miller has received proclamation signed by mayor, council, council member-elect Cecil Bothwell.
• Council approves gun buyback for the 2 weekends before X-mas.
• At Mumpower’s suggestion, a clause is added that city will consider reselling guns instead of destroying them in future.
• 6:06 p.m.: Council votes 6-1 for 4 stimulus projects including improving sidewalks, repaving Coxe Ave.
• Mumpower cast the dissenting vote, citing concerns about stimulus adding to fed deficit.
• City is claiming 2.5% carbon reduction over last year, mostly from moving to 4-day work week.
• City budget estimates predict a $659,000 shortfall this year, and a “significant imbalance” in 2010-11.
• City health-care costs are a big part of shortfall, exceed revenues by over $1 million.
• 7:01 p.m.: Health care costs city $13 million annually, and have risen 10-15% each year for the last 4 years.
• Mumpower: Decreasing fund balance “comes from not living within our means… Nxt budget year is really scar.”
• City staff are projecting flat revenues, and an increase in costs of health care, transit, operations for nxt year.
• Cape: Council has dealt with capital improvements; “we’ve done the right thing
by our citizenry to deal with things long-neglected”
• Projected budget gap for Asheville next year: $5.1 million.
• The oft-opposed Cape & Mumpower are joking about possibility of post-council radio show “Cape & Carl.”
• 8:45 p.m.: Council unanimously approves parts of annexation agreement with Woodfin including a promise not to annex any parts of Leicester.
• Council delays decision on living wage requirement for city contracts until next year.
• living wage= $9.85 with benefits, $11.35 without.
• 10:17 p.m.: Council votes 7-0 to delay discussion on downtown master plan recommendations, including scaling back its own power over large developments.
• Mumpower expresses “measured pleasure” at leaving council, thanks “everyone for helping to make me smarter.”
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According to @drewreisinger on Twitter at 10 p.m.: “AVL City Council takes up a “living wage” policy for city. AVL Chamber of Commerce stands up against a living wage.” |
 Nov 24, 2009 at 7:29 PM |
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That is an interesting observation. Are they talking about increasing the cost of city business only or forcing this upon all businesses in the city? The most recent suggested wage I have seen (as supported by the NC Council of Churches) is $12.32 however for a family of 4 it is $21.28. Because of the types of businesses that pay less than this, I don’t think this would fuel an exodus out of the city but it would certainly lead to laid off employees and most certainly a great hesitation to add additional workers under any circumstance except rapid growth. |
 Nov 25, 2009 at 1:32 PM |
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Destroying all those guns is a major waste of tax dollars. |
Alan Nov 26, 2009 |
