Questions for 2020 City Council Candidates

1) What is your position on an owner(s) sub-dividing their land for development (commercial or residential) and what actions will you take to implement that position? 

First, I want to say thank you for organizing to represent your neighborhood collectively. As the Chair of the East-West Asheville Neighborhood Association (EWANA), I value the work to advocate collaboratively. As we know, resilient neighborhoods are more than just housing. In general, I support subdivision of lots with accountability as an important tool for more dense, infill development on major corridors close to multimodal transportation infrastructure. Being able to access locally-owned businesses and services in our neighborhoods is the Asheville way, and being able to do so in our neighborhoods can decrease vehicular traffic overall. Having attended Council meetings for more than 5 years and reviewing decisions made in your neighborhood during that time, I know that not every development is the same. I look forward to reviewing changes to planning, zoning, and the unified development ordinance with you as we consider our neighborhoods as part of the network of Asheville neighborhoods.

2) If and/or when traffic levels return to 20,000 cars per day during any time period, will you support reversing the Charlotte Street Road diet? If yes, what steps will you take? 

I have walked, biked, driven, and used transit in your neighborhood, offering advice from my seat on Asheville’s Multimodal Transportation Commission for more than 4 years. Because I want all of us to get to our destination safely, I cannot support reversal of the Charlotte Street road diet. As we work to ensure the goal of safe travel for all modes of transportation in Asheville, we need to work from models of success. I know there will be a variety of opinions on this, and I want to hear them, but I hope we do agree about getting folks home safely.

3) What is your position regarding the defunding of the Asheville Police Department and/or the reallocation of resources? Please include the steps you would take to implement your position.

I stand in solidarity with the demands of intergenerational Black leadership and Black AVL Demands calling for divestment from police and investment in Black communities, and that “50% of the APD’s budget should be invested in long-term safety strategies.”

Policing isn’t about public safety because its purpose is violent. Policing is rooted in systemic racism, it’s not safe for everyone, and it’s disproportionately deadly for Black Americans. I reviewed last year’s 911 calls as presented by Asheville In Black and BeLoved Community as well as disparities in traffic data. As a community, we’re sending the wrong people and tools for the task at hand. 

For the health and well-being of our community, we need to expand our capacity to build something new, a strategic plan that brings the community together to reimagine public safety. Then, we need to end policing as we know it. There’s fear around divesting from police because we don’t yet know what humane, restorative justice looks like. We need to treat this with the urgency and dignity that our community deserves. I’ve posted a blog post, Reimagining Public Safety, on kimroney4asheville.com outlining some solutions we might be able to bring to Asheville, some work that’s already being done in our community that needs to be amplified, and some solutions like participatory budgeting that we can use to bring everyone to the table. Thank you joining me in what reimagining public safety could look like in Asheville.

4) The Grove Park Sunset Neighborhood Association stipulates that native trees and shrubs be used in new plantings in our neighborhood’s 3 public parks. In what other city-owned properties would you advocate for more native tree and shrub plantings that would reflect Asheville’s sense of place as a WNC/Appalachian community? 

I support and am committed to advocating for more native tree and shrub plantings on City owned properties as part of our formal plans and policies city-wide. The City of Asheville has the opportunity to partner in the work of groups like the Asheville Fruit & Nut Club, Bountiful Cities, and Asheville Greenworks, installing more local and edible plants in public spaces, and incorporating these plants into landscaping contracts while working to stop the rapid loss of our tree canopy. Maintenance of our tree canopy as part of our community health will require investment in an Urban Forester.

5) The City of Asheville is the only major city in NC that does not have some form of tree loss prevention program. Will you support the proposed Zero Net Tree Canopy Loss Policy Amendment to the UDO? If yes, what specifically will do you as a member of Asheville City Council? 

Yes, I will continue to support Asheville Greenworks, our Urban Forestry Commission, and neighbors pressing for formal adoption of a Zero Net Tree Canopy Loss Policy. This is part of climate justice in the work to heal the people and the planet, and it is among the demands that our youth including Sunrise Movement are advocating for as part of a Green New Deal for Asheville. As a Council member, I will specifically engage the community, shepherd the process in City Hall, and work to build support as we adopt the language of the UDO amendment.

6) All neighborhoods need trees and greenspaces. Will you support the Tree Canopy Protection Amendment to the UDO that will require developers to preserve percentages of existing trees and replace trees to offset tree removals? If yes, what will you do to ensure that this requirement extends to affordable housing developers, too? If no, what are your specific objections? 

From my public comment during Council’s hearing on the ordinance amendment:

• “I want to express gratitude that the intention is to incentivize preservation over replanting. That will of course require ongoing analysis and review.
• “Please ensure that a fee-in-lieu is of scale to replace and maintain the impact of canopy loss. A one-to-one square foot replacement is not acceptable acknowledging our canopy loss and that we are in need of canopy repair. [Learning from] sidewalk fee-in-lieu, the fee was neither high enough to incentivize construction nor enough to build a comparable length of sidewalk from our list of identified, highest-rank needs.
• “What I don’t see here is an opportunity to address our stated climate emergency with a race & class analysis, which is sorely needed. On page 30 of the presentation attached to the agenda, a concern from Planning & Zoning names “Access to shade and canopy is needed for residents at all housing cost levels.” While true, this does not address the loss of trees in historic Black neighborhoods and it does not account for trees removed for surveillance purposes in our Housing Authority neighborhoods.
• “Lastly, one might hope to see a greater balance of the conversation around barriers to construction with acknowledgement of the benefit to our ecosystem and our people. This looks like setting high standards for developers, new neighbors, and businesses joining our community as they join in understanding how seriously we take the impact of development on our natural and lived environment.”

7) Many older sidewalks in our neighborhood have significant damage and/or deterioration and are both hazardous for pedestrians and not ADA compliant. Neighbors using wheelchairs often must go into the street traffic due to the lack of adequate ramps and weeds/overgrowth. How will you address this in the Grove Park neighborhood as a member of City Council?

Equitable accessibility is key to public safety, and something we must do better! I will support and shepherd the forthcoming Greenway, Sidewalk, and Accessibility (GAP) Plan for Asheville. Community-led infrastructure solutions is one of the reasons I am running on participatory budgeting, a key tool for ensuring public engagement is met with meaningful action. When I see what our fellow North Carolinians in Durham and Greensboro are doing with their participatory budgeting program, it looks a lot like what I’m hearing we need in Asheville too. Expanding and overseeing resources for infrastructure is part of the work I’m signing up for. I am committed to seeking innovative and collaborative funding opportunities, and will continue the work to ensure transparency in our existing resource allocation, including our occupancy taxes and bond programming. 

8) The City of Asheville made sporadic repairs to the stormwater system in the Grove Park neighborhood with no improvements in some areas and unintended consequences of homes being flooded in others. What will you do as a City Councilperson to create and implement a holistic stormwater mediation plan?

Infill on main corridors, as part of a Strong Towns model, can be used along with zoning to protect our natural resources. Repair and maintenance of our urban tree canopy is key to successful storm water mitigation, and I appreciate how this shows up in part five of your neighborhood plan. 

9) Do you support the existing steep slope building restrictions, loosening current restrictions or tightening the current restrictions and what steps will you take to put your position into actions?

I support existing restrictions, but it seems we’re making too many exceptions. In the next couple years, it is anticipated that our Council will undertake a significant process to update our Unified Development Ordinance. It is my intent to center equity and to empower community voices in an engagement process that looks at our budget, plans, and policies as a whole so we can be proactive instead of reactive in our decision making. This includes careful assessment to address infill where we want it on major corridors with solid infrastructure while protecting our natural environment and resources. Steep slope restrictions will be part of a careful review to protect our ecosystem for our community and for future generations.

10) Private and city construction vehicles have seriously damaged drainage ditches in our neighborhood’s higher elevations creating drainage problems plus pedestrian and vehicular safety issues. Complaints by neighbors have been ignored. What will you do to hold construction crews accountable for damages during and after projects?

I hear and understand this frustration. Using the Asheville app is among the innovative tools the public can use to communicate with departments in City Hall, but we also expect follow-through and response in return. Communications and public engagement are areas we can improve on, and I look forward to continuing to utilize some of the digital communication skills we’ve had to learn during this pandemic as we find more accessible, inclusive ways to respond to neighbor concerns. 

From experience as a manager of staff and volunteers, we need more robust accountability and support for the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk offices, and I am of the opinion this includes bringing the Office of Equity & Inclusion to report to Council directly. Metrics to hold our top-level staff accountable for their management of daily operations is the role of Council. We need a proactive, courageous Council to provide bi-annual reviews and follow-through, especially with the City Manager. This is an opportunity to encourage a job well done while ensuring staff have the authority and resources to achieve our community goals, and to follow through when goals are not being met.

11) The Charlotte Street Road diet did not include the much needed widening of the sidewalks along Charlotte Street. What will you do to widen these sidewalks? 

This gap in improving multimodal accessibility and safety for all is an example of how we need to come together for shared success. Resources are always going to be an issue, and in the case of sidewalks, it is often a matter of property easement. In coming together, we need property owners at the table to grant easements, which defrays the cost of infrastructure investments for our mutual benefit. 

12) As a member of City Council, how will you address the city-wide problem of unsightly litter including cigarette butts especially along Charlotte Street and the 240 interchange? 

We need to cultivate a culture around waste reduction, which means partnering in our community, then we need a place to put our waste, which includes ensuring trash and recycling receptacles are accessible on major corridors. I have experienced the community building and personally empowering benefits of community clean-ups, organized with Asheville Greenworks and our local business community. I encourage all of our neighborhood leaders to participate in and share innovative ways we’re organizing people-powered solutions. This seems in line with the spirit of your stated neighborhood vision, which I interpreted from part three of your neighborhood plan on a page.

13) Many Asheville residents, especially senior citizens, have food insecurity. What can you as a member of Asheville City Council do to provide resources to address this Asheville-wide problem? 

Addressing food insecurity, food desserts, and food apartheid must be part of our resiliency work, especially with increasing cost of living and in the face of climate change. Delivering food during emergencies is important, but we also need leaders to address why our neighbors don’t have what they need. Our successes will be shared, because we are woven together and need each other to be diligent in this work. This means I will be seeking community-led solutions as we bolster our community centers, increase access through expanded transit hours, support the local community garden network, and focus on strengthening our regional food system. The City needs to partner for use of city-owned land for community gardens, and work with the County on meaningful emergency preparedness planning. 

14) Cars travel at high rates of speed on the all-residential street of Kimberly between Country Club and Griffing Blvd. and APD does not have the resources to provide a regular presence. What specific traffic calming measures will you support to address this serious safety issue in our neighborhood? 

This goes back to my answer to question #2, and what I hope is our shared goal for everyone to get home safely. To ensure equitable and safe access to our roads for all modes of transportation, we need to adhere to NACTO standards as we design roads for safe travel. We have a great opportunity to learn from Street Tweaks projects in our community, including the 30% average speed reduction along Coxe Avenue. Testing what works before investing in permanent infrastructure includes a chance to utilize our tremendous asset in implementation–people power!

15) Repairs of the collapse of Old Toll Road are now nearly a year behind schedule. What will you do as a member of City Council to expedite the repairs and reopen this important road in our neighborhood?

Upon reviewing the public documentation, it is not clear why the project has been delayed. For some infrastructure projects, delays happen when a contractor can make more money taking another project because our fees for delayed timelines are not high enough to incentivize the project being done on time. In a case like this one, I would ask the City Manager to determine what the delay is and for information to be clearly communicated with the neighborhood. 

As we wrestle with the impact of climate change and take responsibility for deferred investment in our infrastructure, we will have urgent needs like the rainfall that amplified the situation on Old Toll Road. Updated and clear communication, even if it’s not what we want to hear, is important in building and maintaining trust with the people most impacted by decisions along the way.

In closing, I will add that I will rely on your insight and experience in order to move our City forward in a progressive, inclusive way. Thank you for the opportunity to address these issues in your neighborhood and our community!