- Helene Recovery Boards & Advisory Boards Realignment
What’s happening:
At the Asheville City Council meeting on July 29th, city staff presented a plan to consolidate many of the current boards and commissions into four Helene Recovery boards, suspend the regular meetings of the preexisting boards and have them meet only on an “as needed basis.”
Just Economics does not support this plan as currently written by city staff. In a time of ongoing community recovery, we need more public input and community involvement supporting city council decisions and shaping the recommendations of city staff, not less. We need people with lived and professional experience at the table to guide policy decisions. A plan that would not allow boards and commissions to meet, is a missed opportunity to benefit from the strengths and expertise in our community.
The Boards and Commissions Realignment Working Group (BCRG) proposed an alternative proposal that “offers temporary, volunteer support that allows all current Boards to carry out
Council assignments and continue to serve our community through ongoing regular meetings — with no meaningful impact on City Staff’s workload.” This alternative plan is an option to allow boards and commissions to remain intact while addressing some of the city’s concerns.
There will be a vote about whether to move forward with city staff’s proposal at the upcoming City Council meeting on August 26th.
Call to action: Contact City Council and Make Public Comment in person or by email.
Ask council:
- Not to move forward with the plan outlined by city staff in July 29th Council meeting;
- Take the recommendation of the realignment working group and move forward with that plan instead;
- Prioritize and value public engagement!
See instructions below on how to contact the Asheville City Council and make public comment.
- Panhandling Ordinance Expansion
What’s happening:
Also on the agenda for the upcoming city council meeting is a vote on altering the public solicitation ordinance and expanding the areas in which panhandling is restricted. Violation of the city’s panhandling ordinance is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $50; some fines for being in a road or on a median can be up to $500.
Just Economics does not support the expansion of the public solicitation ordinance. In addition to further criminalizing poverty, this ordinance is moving forward without the guidance of the Continuum of Care (COC). Many of the organizations with professional experience working with and supporting people who are unhoused are around the table with the COC. Local policy can and should be used as a tool to help the most vulnerable people in our community, not to further criminalize those living in poverty, especially in a community still recovering from a natural disaster. Any decisions affecting our most vulnerable neighbors should be guided by the leadership of the COC.
Council will vote on whether to approve these changes at the upcoming City Council meeting on August 26th.
Call to action: Contact City Council and Make Public Comment in person or by email.
Ask council:
- Not to pass the expansion of the solicitation ordinance;
- Invite the COC to the table and follow their recommendations;
- Not to further criminalize poverty in our community!
To make public comment:
- People wishing to speak at the 5 p.m. meeting will be required to attend in person, and are required to sign up at the door.
- Remote comments via email ([email protected]) or voicemail (855-925-2801, meeting code 11607) will continue to be accepted and reviewed by City Council prior to the meeting so long as they are received by 9:00 a.m. on August 26.
As always, you can email City Council members directly by emailing: [email protected]
Just Economics has a history of success through public engagement!
Just Economics has a long history of working with Boards and Commissions to make change! In our work with the transit committee, we fought to have more transit rider representation on the transit committee in order to provide more informed recommendations to council – everything from how many bags of groceries can you take on the bus to where we need to add new bus stops.
With the comprehensive operations analysis and a new RFP coming up for the transit management company, we need bus riders and transit advocates at the table leading discussions and shaping decision making as much as ever before. Under the proposed plan, there is no pathway for the transit committee to meet at a time when they are needed most. Over the years, Just Economics has also worked closely with the Affordable Housing advisory committee, the Human Relations Commission and the Multimodal Commission to advocate and advance our work. Without the boards and commissions, it is unclear what avenues members of community will have to advocate and advance work around issues that affect their lives.
Moving forward with the panhandling ordinance without the comprehensive review of the CoC, is another example of not fully utilizing the help and experience of community members most knowledgeable about solutions to community concerns. The City of Asheville should encourage more community engagement in policy making and planning for the future of Asheville instead of reducing the opportunities for people with lived and professional experience to provide valuable insight and guidance.