Board of Commissioners Recap: Sept. 1, 2026
At its regular Sept.1 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved proposed project applications for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Community Infrastructure grant, approved a budget amendment accepting funds for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), viewed a presentation and accepted a grant to develop a workforce and innovation center, and more.
Proposed Project Applications for CDBG-DR Community Infrastructure Grant
The Board approved a resolution allowing staff to submit proposed applications for the CDBG-DR Community Infrastructure grant. The projects include:
- Buncombe County Parks Recovery & Resilience: Proposes rebuilding County parks damaged by Tropical Storm Helene, restoring park service, and mitigating parks against future disasters. The estimated grant cost for this project is $11.2 million.
- Ferry Road Infrastructure to Enable Affordable Housing: Proposes building and improving essential infrastructure that enables affordable housing development on Ferry Road. This would include the construction of 0.65 miles of access road. The estimated grant cost for this project is $13 million. The development would result in the construction of 645 housing units while also conserving portions of the property for public green spaces.
This application approval follows a public comment period from July 31-August 28 and a public hearing in August. Three comments were received by mail, and eight residents spoke at the public hearing last month. Applications will be submitted by the September 16 deadline. If grant funds are awarded, a second public hearing will be held.
CDBG-DR funds support rebuilding disaster-impacted areas by funding housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization activities.
County Accepts HMGP Funds to Oversee Third Round of Properties
Buncombe County Government has been awarded $4,124,262 to administer the third round of properties under the HMGP program, which includes 152 properties for acquisition. The County serves as the point of contact for homeowners, from application intake to project completion. This management fund is 5% of the total cost of the project for Group 3. Eligibility is determined by the state.
Board Authorizes County Manager to Accept Economic Development Award for Workforce Training and Innovation Center
Lead recipient Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB Tech) and co-recipient Buncombe County Government were awarded funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) FY2025 Disaster Supplemental program. This funding will be used to develop WNC Futures Factory, a 70,000-square-foot workforce training and innovation center.
This initiative aims to support regional recovery from Tropical Storm Helene by boosting economic opportunities, reskilling the workforce, and repositioning the area’s manufacturing base. The project also relies on partnerships with universities, community colleges, and industry partners.
After the County Manager signs an Acknowledgment of Funds, a 60-day special condition period starts, during which funds cannot be spent until a 13.18-acre parcel is transferred from Biltmore Farms to AB Tech.
Land of Sky, AB Tech, and Buncombe County Government entered a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in this grant opportunity. The County is managing construction and financial administration, while Land of Sky is leading grant management and AB Tech is overseeing programming and procurement for innovation components. Grant recipients have 52 months to complete and close out the project, which starts from the date of the award notification.
Learn more about the center.
View the EDA Award Package.
Budget Amendments Allow FY26 budgets to be Carried into FY27
The Buncombe County Budget Director presented an ordinance that allows fiscal year 2026 budget amounts from certain departments or functions to be carried into fiscal year 2027.
These budget carryforwards are completed due to purchases made in fiscal year 2026 that were not delivered prior to June 30, 2026, due to shipping or vendor delays, as well as services obligated in fiscal year 2026 that were not able to be completed by June 30, 2026.
The budgets include:
- General Fund: $126,981 - $58,335 of this expense will be transferred to the Capital Fund for the purchase of ambulances not yet received.
- Mountain Mobility Special Revenue Fund: $392,147
- Health, Employment, Property & Casualty Insurance Internal Service Fund: $33,483
Total: $552,611
View the Budget Carryforward Ordinance.
View the FY26 Ambulances Ordinance.
County Health Insurance Updates
The Board supported the two proposed changes to County employee medical insurance: a transition to the RxSaveCard for GLP-1s for weight loss and a new standalone pharmacy benefits manager. Buncombe County works to ensure employees receive robust benefits packages and, at the same time, we work with our providers and brokers to evaluate cost-effectiveness and identify possible areas for savings.
These recommendations were proposed by Buncombe County’s benefit broker, USI, along with County management.
Good News: LEAD Fellow Madison Harms
County Manager Avril Pinder introduced LEAD Fellow Madison Harms. As a host jurisdiction for the competitive Lead for North Carolina program, Buncombe County Government selected AmeriCorps Fellow Madison Harms to complete a year in service with the County. The recent Appalachian State University graduate will assist with the Swannanoa Small Area Plan, the Helene Recovery Office, the I.D. Bureau Department, and more.
Watch a recording of the meeting on the County’s Facebook page.
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