ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
The Asheville City Council is scheduled to hold its first vote Tuesday on creation of a proposed downtown Business Improvement District, or “BID,” but some of the community’s concerns over details might need to be addressed in a separate resolution and future actions during a bid process.
The concept generated feverish debate at a crowded council meeting last month.
Business community leaders touted a BID as a way to generate more than $1 million per year from downtown property owners to supplement city services. Part of the plan calls for the district to hire downtown “ambassadors” to focus on public safety and cleanliness issues, and communicate with city departments when necessary.
However, dozens of residents also turned out to raise concerns. Some questioned letting an unelected board decide how to spend taxpayer dollars, while others raised concerns that downtown “ambassadors” would not have the right training to compassionately deal with the unhoused population.
HOMELESSNESS DOMINATES DEBATE OVER DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT
The Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall in downtown Asheville.
At an agenda briefing teleconference on Thursday, City Attorney Brad Branham said the action being considered Tuesday was limited and straightforward. The council is scheduled to hold the first of two votes on an ordinance that would establish a Business Improvement District, set its boundaries and set its intended first-year tax rate.
“This first vote, you’re only voting per statutory limitations on: Do you want a BID or do you not want a BID in this particular location? And what that initial tax rate would be,” Branham told council members.
If they vote in favor, it’s not a done deal. A second vote would have to take place in June.
Since public testimony already was collected at a marathon meeting last month, no public comment is scheduled on the ordinance itself. However, based on that earlier meeting, council members are anticipating plenty of participation during a general public comments period.
Council member Sage Turner was urging colleagues to consider a discussion toward a separate resolution that could inform the public of the council’s intentions on some of the more specific details, such as who should be represented on a new district’s board and more.
“I think it would be helpful for the community’s broader understanding of what’s going on if we try and as a council formulate some of our thoughts around what that resolution might contain at this meeting,” Turner said in the work session, “so there’s time to flesh it out, time to get a little input and then come together at the next meeting.”
If the council does enact such a resolution, it would clarify the council’s current intent. Mayor Esther Manheimer, who was not present at the briefing work session, told 828newsNOW last week that the council could enact requirements, such as mandating training for the ambassadors, during an Request for Proposals (RFP) process required to determine BID management.
The city attorney told council members that if the council takes the first actions to establish the BID, its boundaries and initial tax rate, there will be additional opportunities for public input throughout the RFP process.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly used the term “diplomats” to refer to the proposed downtown “ambassadors” conceived as part of a proposed downtown Business Improvement District.
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