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Thursday, 01 December 2005 05:47 |
BY DAVID FORBES
Asheville City Council voted 5-2 on Nov. 22 to accept state grants for the development of a plan for bike paths around the city after some members questioned the usefulness of such an expenditure.
Originally on the consent agenda, Vice Mayor Carl Mumpower pulled the item for separate consideration, noting his concern that even though the city is only paying for $16,000 of the $40,000 plan, it was still an unwise expenditure.
?®This is from my perspective (that) something that feels good, looks good, but it??s $40,000,?∆ Mumpower said.
?®With all the cost factors to provide bicycle access, with all the transportation and traffic issues, I have to question if this is the best way to spend $40,000.?∆
Councilman Joe Dunn echoed Mumpower??s concerns.
?®Yes, this grant money comes from somewhere else and council only has to raise $16,000 of it,?∆ Dunn said. ?®But this money comes from taxes ?? taxes on the old, the young, all races and all genders.
?®This is still money. It??s a good thing, but is it very practical?
Forty thousand dollars is a lot of money... (for) trying to figure out
ways so people don??t have to use automobiles.?∆
In contrast, Councilman Brownie Newman said he viewed the money spent
for the bike plan as something the community both wanted and needed.
?®A lot of people really want to make Asheville safe for pedestrians and safe for bicycle traffic,?∆ Newman said.
?®Our neighborhoods want to be walkable. This will help make that a safe
option. Saying we??re not going to help that happen and help these
people to get around would not be the right thing to do.?∆
Agreeing with Newman, Mayor Charles Worley noted that he has seen an increase in the number of bicycles in Asheville.
?®This may be helpful for a lot of citizens,?∆ Worley said.
In reply, Mumpower said that while such paths may be helpful, he
doubted the money would seriously help to make Asheville more
accessible by bike.
?®The reality is that we??re still tied to the automobile,?∆ he added.
Dunn and Mumpower??s concerns did not resonate with the rest of council
and their negative votes were the only dissenting ones on the measure.
This was the final council meeting for Worley and Dunn. Worley failed
in his bid for re-election in the Oct. 11 primary, while Dunn chose not
to run for re-election to pursue the mayor??s seat, which he lost in the
Nov. 8 general election to fellow council member and Mayor-elect Terry
Bellamy.
In other action, council:
?ÿ Unanimously approved a budget amendment of $100,000 to help families
displaced by Hurricane Katrina find more permanent homes. The city will
be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
?ÿ Unanimously approved the voluntary annexation of property located off Patton Mountain Road.
?ÿ Unanimously approved a proposal by the Civic Center Commission to
negotiate with the American Indoor Football League to bring indoor
football to the Asheville Civic Center.
?ÿ Passed a resolution of support for National Guard and Reserve. The
resolution also promises that no city employee will ever be
discriminted against because of their service in the National Guard or
Reserve.
?ÿ Unanimously authorized the mayor to enter into a $692,835 contract
with Schnadbel Engineering South to update reservoir plans and maps.
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