Following the four panelists’ presentations on addressing problems related to homelessness and crime in downtown Asheville, a question-and-answer period was held for about 15 minutes — prompting a flurry of questions — to conclude the early-morning March 3 meeting of the Asheville-based Council of Business Owners in UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center. 

Opening the Q&A session, an unidentified man asked, “I believe a significant part of this problem is ideological because we’re so liberal in our views, causing this problem. 

“I think this is as true of the community as of the government. I think we have a community problem — and we need to find better community discipline.”

Panelist Bill Carroll replied that he feels that a better way to approach the homelessness problem in Asheville is to follow the mantra of “We’re glad to help you, but you need to help yourself.”

CIBO member Mac Swicegood then noted that “I’ve got a lot in West Asheville” across the street from a large public housing project — and his lot constantly is getting trashed and he is being fined — for failing to clean it up — by the city.

“I’ve talked to you Ben (Woody, an assistant city manager) and the (Asheville) police department — and nobody can help me... and I got another notice of a violation today. 

“Now I’ve got a drug problem” on the West Asheville lot “because it’s a haz-mat site” now (with used syringes, etc), Swicegood said. “I’m 76 years old, with four bypasses and a stroke — and you (the City of Asheville) want me to clean up your mess!

“This lot is right across the street from Pisgah View (public housing complex) and three blocks down from Amboy Road... We’ve had two or three drug shootings (in that area). Nobody would want to live in Pisgah View because it’s not safe. It’s time y’all get with it!”

Addressing Swicegood, APD Captain Mike Lamb said calmly, “The problem is, it’s a capacity issue…. It (Swicegood’s dilemma on his lot) needs to be a partnership issue with us (the APD).

Next, Glenda Weinnert, a local businesswoman and chairwoman of the Buncombe County Republican Party, said, “It’s easy to push back a solution to property-owners. But I think it’s many-pronged. When you ask people to do” clean up as a result of homelessness and/or crime, “it’s a financial issue.”

Continuing, Weinnert asserted, “It’s a budget issue. You can’t ask people to build affordable housing when it’s not affordable to them... Let’s go back to stacking our police department and let them do their jobs”.

With a note of decided sarcasm, Weinnert quipped, “It seems like in Asheville “the last thing we need to do is enforce the law.” Her comment prompted loud applause from the CIBO audience.

At that point, Michael Woods, executive director of the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries, interjected, “Why can’t the city opt everyone in — and let those who choose to, to opt out? That would make more sense.” 

His comment triggered a roar of applause from the CIBO audience

Woody added, “I think the process we have is what’s allowed (by law)... Is that right, Capt. Lamb?

Lamb replied, “It is a great idea” that Woods suggested, “but we can’t do that statutorily. I wish we could. As a government, we would be overreaching.”

On the issue of the required willingness to stand by a letter of record filed with the APD indicating a willingness to lodge a complaint and a willingness to prosecute offenders, Woody said, “So maybe we could do all we can to make it easy for people to opt-into the system.

Woody then pivoted to Swicegood’s complaint, noting, “I’d like to help you solve this problem,” regarding what Swicegood descirbed as his “haz-mat” lot in West Asheville.

Further, Woods stated, “In the City of Houston, they made it illegal to camp within the city.” He urged the City of Asheville to follow the Houston model.

Another meeting attendee, Lou Bissette began his comments by quipping that “I was the past mayor (of Asheville) in the days of ‘Camelot,’” prompting laughter and applause from the crowd. (Bissette, a lifelong Republican and a prominent attorney, served as Asheville’s mayor from 1985 to 1989.) 

He then stated, “We’ve got a problem. And I think it particularly relates to the lack of staffing in our police department....” 

Rhetorically, Bissette asked, “What do we need to do to get 50 or 60 more officers on the force?

“I think City Council needs to make public safety the No. 1 priority,” Bissette asserted, triggering loud and sustained applause from the audience.

“The basic problem is we need law enforcement – and we need it as soon as possible. I hope law enforcement sees that.”  

Again, the audience enthusiastially applauded Bissette — and some even cheered.

At that point, an unidentified man asked for “the definition of a ‘low-barrier shelter’ — and what other cities have done.”

Woods replied, “It means very few or no rules for entry. So, for instance, you’d allow people to enter without weapons- checking... They could enter any time of the day, regardless of their condition – that’s considered ‘low-barrier.’”

He added, ”I’ve been to about 60 of them. The one that’s considered the best low-barrier shelter is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Every time I’ve been to that one, there’s been a fight.

“They’re now called ‘high-access shelters,’ as ‘no barrier shelters’ has become what’s considered... a bad term.”

Continuing, Woods said, “We’ve been in the business of warehousing people” in Asheville. “What we require (at Western Carolina Rescue Ministries), when someone comes and wants a shelter bed with us, we give them three days. How long can someone stay in the shelter? It depends on their shelter plan. They will be held accountable. Everyday them come in, they will be ‘breath-alyzed.’”

As for the additional homeless shelter bed capacity in the future, Woods said, “Asheville’s tried this twice. They did this with the civic center and they did it with the Ramada Inn. It failed. Now they’re doing it again because there’s a plan for more shelter beds.”

An unidentied man in the back of the room suddenly shouted out to Woods, “You need to run for mayor!” At that, Woods smiled, but did not respond.

As the meeting drew to a close, Asheville native H.K Edgerton, who bills himself as a Southern heritage activist, said, “The problem is you people keep re-electing people who promote these failed policies!”