Asheville Public Works Director Cathy Ball caught some flak from several attendees of a July 12 breakfast meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners at Biltmore Square Mall in West Asheville. 

Ball provided an update on Asheville streets and stormwater, after which she offered to answer questions — and she was grilled by several people at the meeting.

“What is the city’s schedule and priority list for street repairs?” Ball asked, to begin her presentation “You can hardly see a road that’s not in bad condition. So we just went into a contract for about $1  million to fix about 10 streets.

“Next year, we’ve got a contract for about $1.6 million. Every street in the city has a score of 0 through 100. So it’s an engineering calculation that determines rankings. Again, the message is... ‘We’re going to have more engineering work and construction work to be done.’’

Of the 3 cents approved in a recent tax increase, she said 1 cent will go into road resurfacing, “doubling the amount there. The additional 2 cents will generate money for general infrastructure improvements. We can increase the value of properties without increasing tax rates. The streets that are on the list for this year will be done,” but next year, she said, the plan is not firm, depending on how much money comes in to the city. “It could be more (roads to be repaved) or it could be less,” Ball said.

Rhetorically, she asked, “What is the state of the stormwater system? We have developed a capital improvement plan for stormwater. Sometimes — in-house — we will be doing some stormwater work, but we’d like to help the local economy” with outside contractors.

During the question-and-answer session, a man asked if there are any plans for the stormwater system on Charlotte Street?

“We made significant improvements on Nathan Street,” Ball replied. “We’re trying to evaluate the problem by better ditching” and other procedures. “We are looking at the problem.”

CIBO member Mac Swicegood said, “Biltmore Avenue and Maryland Avenue — every time it rains, it reduces down to two lans... because the storm drains don’t work. How’s the problem going to be fixed, beyond engineering the thing to death. What is the city doing besides studying it to death?’

With a smile, Ball said, :Everything you’re talking about is state roads.”

Swicegood shot back, “That’s the typical excuse for the past 20 years.... You have people with their backyards absolutely under water. 

Ball did not respond.

A man asked how much money is collected for stormwater runoff? 

“The biggest one is the stormwater fee that is collected,” Ball replied. “Nobody likes it because they can’t see it or feel it. We have tried to develop a CIP. We also get revenues from permit fees.”

A man asserted, “So what you’re saying, two-thirds to three-fourths (of the public works budget) goes to administration — rather than to fix the problems.”

“The only thing I’d add to that is it’s mandated administration,” Ball replied, 

Another man asked, “Regarding Merrimon Avenue... The reason these stormwater drains clog up is because these commercial landscaping firms blowing grass, mulch and leaves out into the street. It happens wherever there’s a lot of commercial property. So let’s go after the cause.”

He added, “The question I have is... Merrimon has two new grocery stores opening … and there’s already Greenlife Grocery and Staples... It’s a traffic nighbmare. My question is ... are we going to get two or three stoplights at that intersection?”

Ball noted Merrimon is a state road.

Another man asserted, “You were talking about the fact that people don’t see their stormwater money at work.... $1.3 (was spent) in wages and $195,000 spent on construction....”

Continuing, the man said, “I noticed in 2010... stormwater paid out $1.4 million (in wages) and (performed just) $347,000 in construction. It appears you’re spending a lot more on salary and wages than on construction.

In response, Ball said, “That $347,000 is just for materials and I’d have to get the information for how much in actual construction was done.”

A man asked, “What kind of contractors are you looking for?”

“Most of the work we’re talking about doing is pipe construction. … typically of a site nature,” Ball said. “Streetscape, landscape architects, that kind of thing. We’re also looking for someone to clean downtown sidewalks on a contractual basis. We’ve got $150,000 for that.”

A man asserted, “I’d like to make a suggestion.... You need to add a couple of good patch crews who know how to fix a damn hole. Your crews don’t know how to fix a hole.

Not missing a beat, Ball, with a smile, shot back, “So you’re going to hang around after th meeting, and tell me how to find these people who know how to patch a hole?”

In other action, CIBO heard:

• An update from Mandy Stone, assistant county manager and health and human services director, on how social services are impacting Buncombe County’s budget.

Stone began by saying, “All of the services we provide are required by federal and state laws.... I was asked to talk about Obamacare and what’s driving the increase in county funding.

“It’s actually up $4.8 million... and we’ve actually offset that largely ... with increases in technology and contracts for services whenever we’re legally able.”

Stone added, “I think for new county commissioners, they believe the area they can most impact is social services, which is the highest spending amount. But they soon find out they have no control,” when they find out virtually everything is state- and federal mandated.

“While we’re the largest component of the county budget, the county is a very small sliver of our budget (6 percent). About 1 percent of what we do technically could be called optional. (Adult day care and... the most expensive cost for a senior is health care...) When you’re administering $440 million in benefits per year, only 5 percent of that sits in administration.

“One of the largest frustrations for counties... the state has no money on the administrative side. The challenge is it makes it hard to get the state interested in technology, etc., because it has no skin in the game.

“Adult protective services, child welfare, …. if you just don’t do it, the state comes in and does it — and sends the county the bill.

“The point I want to make is, there is no long-term welfare any more. People are required to work and the vast majority of people we serve do work. At least one person in the house work... in 86 percent of the cases. 

“The growth in Medicaid and food services.. We are very much driven by people” problems. “Most economists will tell you” in the U.S. that a first indicator of economic stress is a jump in food stamp recipients.”

 In Buncombe, she said food stamps are given to 20,000 households, composed of 40,000 individuals. “Those are pretty significant numbers when you think about it,” Stone observed.

 As for why it’s important to provide those services in the case of child welfare, she said, “The cost of serving an intact family is less than $8,000. If that child comes into foster care, the average cost is $80,000, so there is significant savings and it benefits the child most with the former system.

 “We have moved toward outsourcing more services. If somebody else can provide it as well or better, for cheaper or the same amount of money,” they will get the job.

 “We have invested heavily in technology. We have about 42 case workers delivering food nutrition. Our single most expensive cost is in our personnel,” she said.

 “One of the good things in Obamacare is it requires more resources be spent on detecting fraud” and other problems.

 Stone asserted, “In terms of Obamacare, it has inpacts for us, even though North Carolina. The state has “decided not to expand Medicaid... It’s anticipated there are about 2,000 people in Buncombe County who are qualified for Medicaid, but haven’t applied for it.

 “The system, as it’s built by the federal government, will screen other people. .. We also believe we will serve a portion of the population who can’t navigate the (health care) marketplace. The Obama system is built on debiting your account for those services?” She noted that this is so because many people do not have conventional bank accounts.

 A man asked, “Will there be pressures from the federal government to require those states that opted out” to return to the fold?

 Stone answered, “Yes, I do think the federal government” would go in that direction. “If about 25,000 people in Buncombe County need services, that’s about half of the county, if I have my numbers right.”

 Another CIBO attendee noted, “Between 85 and 90 percent of these are in the top 10 largest counties in North Carolina. What happens in an economic downturn, people move from rural areas to urban areas, seeking jobs.”

 A man asked, “Is that 125,000 different cases?”

 “Yes,” Stone said.

 “Is there a large increase in disability payments?” he queried.

 “Yes,” she replied. “I will send you the numbers.”

 CIBO member Mac Swicegood said incredulously, “Forty thousand people in Buncombe County receive food stamps... one in five Americans received food stamps last year.”

 • Jerry Vehaun, as emergency services chief for Buncombe County, gave an update on several properties around the county that have faced major problems following the record rain for the year to date.

 Specifically, he cited a situation with Beaverdam Fire Department dealing involving a house “sitting on a ravine. 

 “Of course, last Saturday it started slipping (from its foundation) ... We’re trying to work through this. It may ultimately mean the county will have to take care of this problem by taking down their house. 

 “Right now it’s so unstable, you couldn’t even put a backhoe in. … They went and explained to the people how dangerous it is.... So we’re watching that very closely.” d

 Vehaun added, “We’ve got some other problems in the county... but it surprises me we don’t have more problems, considering how high the water table is. We’re bascally in daily contact with people... There’s not enough damage in Buncombe County to request a federal disaster declaration, so we’re not going to receive (at this time) any federal assistance.”

 In answer to a question about government help,  Vehaun said, “We have to follow the legal procedures. It can be done in a relatively short period of time.... My suggeestion is, if you live in a subdivision with private roads, see if you can get the state to take over the roads.”

 In her separate presentation, Ball said of the problems stemming from the rain, “I will follow up with Jerry Vehaun on the road conditions... We have some roads that are closed right now.

 “Believe it or not, we still are having some trouble with people trying to drive around them... In some cases, we’ve put up water-filled barricades. I’m worried about the storm coming up from the Gulf.”

 Among road problems are Skyview at Sunset, Spooks Branch Road and Finley Avenue... “So it’s really a mess,” Ball said. “We’re looking for people to do business with. We’re looking for contractors. We need y’all to be spreading the word that, if people have issues with requirements such as bonding, tell them to come talk to me.”