Engage Asheville

Water Resources has hired a private engineering firm to design a route for a third transmission main coming from North Fork Water Treatment Plant. This new transmission main will serve as a redundancy to the existing 36-inch bypass at North Fork Water Treatment Plant.

The City of Asheville is dedicated to balancing the use of modern technology with the privacy, civil liberties, and safety of our community. This page serves as a central resource to provide transparent information on the technologies utilized in public safety by the City of Asheville, explain their operational purpose, and answer frequently asked questions. Our goal is to ensure you have access to clear details about the tools we use, the governing policies, and the safeguards in place to protect your rights, as we continue to evolve our public safety efforts.

The goal of the Anti-Displacement & Affordable Housing (ADAH) Project is to develop community-driven policies, tools and processes that strategically pair necessary housing production with clear, concrete anti-displacement protections for the most at-risk neighborhoods.

Welcome to the City of Asheville’s CDBG-DR Engagement Hub! On January 16, 2025, following a December 2024 Congressional appropriation, HUD allocated $225,010,000 in CDBG-DR funds for the City’s recovery from the unprecedented damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene. CDBG-DR is a federal disaster recovery program that provides funding to communities affected by major disasters. Unlike the City’s annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, CDBG-DR funds are not permanent and must be approved by Congress in response to specific events. These funds must be used to address unmet disaster-related needs, particularly in housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure restoration. Public participation is a critical part of the disaster recovery process. For more information on the City's CDBG-DR program, please visit www.ashevillerecovers.org/cdbg-dr         

The City of Asheville is supporting recovery and restoration efforts for public infrastructure in Biltmore Village following the catastrophic damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene. The core work, supported by a $2.94 million NC Department of Commerce grant, targets the restoration of historic brick sidewalks, granite curbing, and street trees on Biltmore Plaza/Kitchin Place, Boston Way, and Swan Street. This effort is designed to honor the district's historic character—adhering to design standards and considering elements of the original Frederick Law Olmsted plan—while improving overall ADA accessibility. We are also strategically coordinating the restoration with a separate project to fix damaged lighting, ensuring an efficient and holistic recovery across Biltmore Village. Learn more about both projects and subscribe for updates on this page.

Tropical Storm Helene severely damaged Asheville’s riverfront parks and infrastructure systems.  While significant efforts were made during the emergency period to clear debris and remove hazards, the time has come for the City of Asheville to plan for building back these important public spaces.  In 2025, the City started two projects aimed at repairing, reassessing, and enhancing the resilience of riverfront parks, greenways, and infrastructure following Helene. Visit French Broad Riverfront Parks project pageVisit Azalea Parks and Infrastructure project page

In September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene devastated Western North Carolina, causing unprecedented flooding and infrastructure damage across Asheville and Buncombe County. In the wake of this disaster, something remarkable emerged: neighbors helped neighbors, community spaces transformed into distribution centers, and trusted local organizations rapidly mobilized to provide critical services. The resilience hub mapping project sought to document and learn from the community hub network of facilities, programs and services that was activated in response to Helene. 

The Eagle and Market Street Enhancements project aims to improve public spaces with a cohesive and inspired design for the historically Black business district known as The Block. This investment will improve sidewalk safety and accessibility, support cultural expression, and enhance the overall pedestrian experience in and around the Block in ways that align with the community’s vision. Physical goals of the project: Replacement of existing brick sidewalk and addition of improved, accessible sidewalks in the project area  Addition of pedestrian lighting, site furnishings and street trees Creation of a physical gateway that incorporates cultural expression/neighborhood identity

The City of Asheville Water Resources Department will be managing several projects related to Helene recovery over the next 10 years.

The Asheville City Council established four Helene Recovery Boards to support the recovery process, increase transparency in policy making, and provide an additional mechanism for community input.  These boards include representatives from existing advisory boards and diverse community stakeholders who provide broad-based input that enhances Council decision-making and builds public trust.

The City of Asheville is committed to a community-driven recovery process in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This page documents our recovery engagement efforts, shares community voices, and provides opportunities to shape our city’s future together. For up-to-date information about the recovery and other ways you can get involved, visit the main page at AshevilleRecovers.org. If you have questions about the recovery process, email AshevilleRecovers@PublicInput.com or use the question box on this page. You can also sign up for a weekly email to receive the latest updates directly. Together, we’re working toward rebuilding a stronger, more resilient Asheville.

A bond referendum allows voters to decide whether their local government can issue new debt to fund important projects. In Asheville, approved bond referendums in 2016 and 2024 involve general obligation bonds, which are secured by the City's commitment to repay them through taxes or other revenue sources.

The City of Asheville operates under a council-manager form of government. The City Council is made up of a mayor and six council members who are elected at-large for four-year, staggered terms. The mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over City Council meetings and serves as the ceremonial head of government. The Asheville City Council establishes the city’s policies. The City Council appoints a city manager who oversees day-to-day city operations and executes Council-established laws and policies. The city manager also ensures the entire community is being served. Asheville City Council meetings are held in-person in the Council Chamber, located on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 70 Court Plaza, typically at 5:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Meetings are live on the City’s YouTube Channel, and through the City’s Virtual Engagement Hub accessible through the front page of the City website.  The meeting will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel the following morning.  City Council agenda briefings are virtual and are typically at 11:00 a.m. on the Thursday before the formal City Council meeting.   Council meeting agendas are usually available on the Friday before the meeting date. Contact Maggie Burleson at mburleson@ashevillenc.gov or 828-259-5601 to be added to the email distribution list to receive City Council agendas and City Council related notifications. How to Participate in a Council meeting Persons wishing to speak live at a City Council meeting will be required to attend in person, and are required to sign up at the door.  To accommodate those who are unable to attend in person, City Council will continue to engage with those members of our community using the following options for participation: Remote comments via email (avl-city-council@publicinput.com) or voicemail (855-925-2801, meeting code 10332) 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 the day of the meeting.  The live meeting will be streamed on the City's YouTube Channel which can be accessed through the YouTube icon on the front page of the City's website or via the livestream at the bottom of this page.You may listen to the meeting through via phone (855-925-2801, meeting code 10332).Finally, the public can communicate with the Council by emailing them directly at any time - ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov.  For past City Council meetings that are not displaying on this page, you can find documents and information on this page. Presentations at the Meeting For those wishing to make a slide or PowerPoint presentation at a formal meeting of City Council, the presentation must be submitted to Maggie Burleson at mburleson@ashevillenc.gov by 12 p.m. the day before the meeting. Public Comment at the Meeting Individuals have up to three minutes to speak to City Council. A person representing a group of three or more persons (speaker plus three others - total of four) present in the Council Chamber has up to 10 minutes to address City Council. Public comment period for any item may not exceed one hour. Policy, Finance & Infrastructure Worksessions The City Council's Policy, Finance & Infrastructure Worksessions will provide guidance on policy developments, budgeting, financial oversight, capital improvements, sustainable infrastructure planning and public engagement. Chair: Mayor Esther ManheimerMembers: Vice Mayor S. Antanette Mosley, Council Member Bo Hess, Council Member Kim Roney, Council Member Sheneika Smith, Council Member Sage Turner, Council Member Maggie UllmanStaff Liaison: Assistant City Manager Jade DundasMeeting schedule: Fourth Tuesday of every other month at 3:00 p.m., during even-numbered months. Meetings are in held person in the City Council Chamber, located on the second floor of City Hall (70 Court Plaza).  Policy, Finance & Infrastructure Worksessions meeting details and materials.

The City of Asheville is taking additional steps to connect with people whose voices are often missing from decision making processes. “Your Voice, Your Choice” is an opportunity to sign up to receive invitations to participate in the matters most important to you.  The questionnaire is short and simple - choose your topics of interest. Participants have the opportunity to provide their name and email or only an email. Your Choice, Your Voice is available in Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian. You can unsubscribe at any time and the City of Asheville will not share your information. Responses will populate a contact list that will be used to invite you to contribute your viewpoints and experiences.  Simply choose the topics that truly interest you. We’ll send you information about projects and initiatives in those categories.   Click here for a version in Spanish. Click here for a version in Ukranian. Click here for a version in Russian.