Asheville City Council is launching a new structure for Council Committees to strengthen transparency, streamline decision-making, and better connect advisory board efforts with Helene recovery. This new model also includes a roadmap to re-engage advisory Boards and Commissions, ensuring that community voices continue to play a central role in recovery efforts.
This roadmap includes a phased restart of advisory boards which began in January 2025 with the resumption of meetings of the City’s statutorily required quasi-judicial boards—the Civil Service Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustment, and Asheville-Buncombe Historic Resources Commission. These boards carry legal authority under North Carolina General Statutes and are essential to land use decision-making. Their timely resumption supports property owners and businesses—especially in hard-hit areas like the River Arts District and Biltmore Village—as they work to rebuild and recover.
“Advisory boards are critical to informing City Council’s policy direction, and we deeply value the expertise and service of our board members,” said Assistant City Manager Ben Woody. “However, restarting boards without a clear structure and alignment with Council’s recovery goals risks diluting limited resources. Our aim is to bring everyone back to the table in a way that is focused, strategic, and impactful.”
New Council Committees
Council Committees will play a central role in shaping policy direction and guiding advisory board contributions moving forward:
- Policy, Finance & Infrastructure (PFI)
Focuses on budgeting, financial oversight, capital improvements, sustainable infrastructure planning and public engagement in the policy-making process. - Housing & Community Development (HCD)
Supports affordable housing, homelessness response, HUD investments, and post-disaster housing needs. - Planning, Economic Development & Environment (PEDE)
Guides land use, transportation, economic recovery, climate action, and resilience planning. - Public Safety (PS)
Advises on police, fire, emergency preparedness, and recovery-related public safety policies.
This approach ensures that advisory board work plans are informed by Council priorities, recovery goals, and the need to coordinate resources efficiently as the City continues rebuilding efforts.
Roadmap to Restarting Advisory Boards
The process to reinstate the City’s remaining boards and commissions is tied closely to the launch of four new Council Committees, each of which will provide policy leadership in key areas. This effort includes coordination with department directors, staff liaisons, advisory board chairs, and community stakeholders.
Key milestones include:
- April/May 2025: Development of department and organizational work plans that align with Council recovery priorities and goals.
- May 2025: The launch of the new Council Committees (HCD, PEDE, PS).
- June 10, 2025: A facilitated Policy, Finance, & Infrastructure Council Committee work session to discuss organizational work plan projects for each Council Priority.
- June 2025: A facilitated workshop with Boards & Commissions Chairs/Co-Chairs. Following the workshop, staff will begin working with advisory boards to develop work plans that are aligned with Council recovery priorities and goals.
- July 2025–2026: Phased relaunch of Boards and Commissions under the new framework.
Next Steps
Department Directors and staff liaisons will begin developing work plans with advisory boards this spring, using Council Committee priorities as a foundation. Boards and Commissions will relaunch in phases beginning in July 2025, with some resuming earlier based on readiness and recovery priorities.