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We saw that w/ locals berating #avlgov for its refusal to bar ICE from staging on city property.

City hall, with the many horrible things its done over the years, is not popular.

May the day come soon when its clear that standing up to fascism and gentrification is their only option.

Manheimer adjourns tonight's meeting and quite mercifully the last meeting of city manager Debra Campbell's tenure.

#Avlgov is horrible, but locals are fighting back, and we definitely saw that with their caving to opposition to the Haw Creek development they supported two summers ago.

Next commenter also supports resolution banning ICE from staging on city property.

"People are getting lost or disappeared into the system."

"The time is now." #avlgov

Marcia Castillo speaking up for community as a Mexican American.

Among other fears, "Neighbors are afraid to speak in their native language."

"I urge you to not submit."

"Families are being torn apart."

Supports resolution banning ICE from staging on city property #avlgov

Next commenter also speaking to danger posed by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.

Immigrants not being able to go to work or keep their businesses open hurts all of us.

Expects #avlgov to immediately support resolution banning ICE from staging on city property.

Clare Hanrahan names ways that immigrants make Asheville. "Will these immigrants be safe?" Supports resolution #avlgov refused to take up tonight.

Tovish: "I would like to see the list of communities who have escaped authoritarianism by remaining quiet." #avlgov

Onto general public comment.

Nina Tovish talking about growing up learning about Holocaust committed by Nazis.

Asking questions. "What will I do."

"What will we do?" Supports the resolution that #avlgov refused to take up tonight that would have banned ICE from staging on city property.

Damn, even council members saying there's not actually been much public input about the recovery plan. It's bad when even they're admitting it.

Also due to their actions. Decades of giving the public a middle finger and doing whatever the chamber wants ain't a recipe for public interest. #avlgov

Council's back. They're talking Helene recovery plan, and are adamant that they will not shift any of the river district away from the flood zone, which will cause yet more devastation next time there's a serious flood but it's what commercial property barons want, so here we are. #avlgov

Public hearing over.

Council member Sage Turner: Agree with commenter who said we shouldn't let Helene scare us away from doing things.

This is nonsense. Overwhelmingly approach since Helene has been "build everything back the same and pretend another storm will never come." #avlgov

Of the ways out of the crises we face, here and elsewhere, "unleash the magic powers of the unregulated market" or "elaborate property rules made up by landed gentry" ain't any of them.

People being shut out of housing is a major problem, but the expensive units YIMBY groups generally get most enthused about aren't going to go to locals outside the gentty, and it's telling their reps are well-off property owners, not working class locals.

Once more. #avlgov

NIMBY gentry are also awful, of course, and we'll give them

Current speaker, part of YIMBY group, claiming opponents "say they're ok with housing" but are against any specific plan.

I mean, yeah, the dangers of paving a flood plain, on a wetland, are...actual reasons to be concerned. #avlgov

It gives the game away that YIMBY gentry (especially here) generally oppose affordable housing requirements, airbnb bans and any measure that ensures working class has access to newer units

It's because their concern isn't housing, it's developer profits. #avlgov

Handing things off to @davidforbes.bsky.social to cover the next part of tonight's meeting.

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Chris Flemming now speaking. Again, vast majority of commenters oppose the project. This commenter is no no different.

"Project would exacerbate downstream flooding."

Commenter wants storm water mitigations at the very least to lie outside the flood plain. #avlgov