(a) Creation. It is hereby declared that the public welfare and interest of the citizens of the City of Asheville and County of Buncombe, North Carolina, will best be served by establishing and maintaining a commission for the sustainable development of the area’s riverfront corridors and districts as defined in section (b), below. In order to strengthen and maintain Asheville and Buncombe County’s riverfront corridors and districts as critical and sustainable contributors to western North Carolina’s economic, residential, cultural and visitor activities, there is hereby created and established a commission of the City of Asheville to be known as the Asheville-Buncombe Riverfront Commission, referred to in this document as “the commission.”
(b) Definitions and geographic area defined.
(1) The Regional Riverfront Corridors are defined as the areas within Buncombe County’s jurisdiction that are adjacent to the French Broad or Swannanoa Rivers, including non-adjacent yet nearby land having characteristics or features directly impacting the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the corridor(s). This area is fluid and may change over time, and serves as the general area of consideration for the commission’s work.
(2) The Riverfront District is defined as the area within the City of Asheville’s corporate boundary or extraterritorial jurisdiction adjacent to the French Broad or Swannanoa Rivers, including non-adjacent yet nearby land having characteristics or features directly impacting the economic climate of the Riverfront District. This area is fluid a may change over time. The Riverfront District, especially the areas outlined in the Wilma Dykeman Riverway Master Plan, shall be the primary focus of the commission’s work.
(c) Membership.
(1) Composition. The commission shall consist of 14 voting members appointed by various community boards or elected bodies. The appointing bodies and current members should act in partnership to identify and appoint members that help create a balance on the commission between diverse perspectives, skills, experiences and interests, and especially shall ensure their appointments are made to advance equity and inclusion.
a. The appointing bodies shall fill the commission’s membership seats as outlined below, in order to:
1. Ensure the commission maintains a focus on Asheville’s riverfront albeit with a regional perspective;
2. Equally support efforts promoting environmental and economic vitality;
3. Include expertise and experience from local stakeholders living and working in the riverfront;
4. Highlight the importance of urban design in sustainable development; and
5. Elevate the riverfront as a priority policy area for local governments.
b. All appointing boards are strongly urged to outreach to, and appoint members of the community that have a stake in the development of the riverfront but have traditionally been less involved in this or similar commissions; and are strongly urged to include residents from adjacent legacy neighborhoods such as Southside and Hillcrest.
c. The composition of the commission will be as follows:
1. Three members appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, with one being a County Commissioner, one preferably being a member of the Swannanoa Community, and one being a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront Corridor;
2. Five members appointed by the Asheville City Council, with: one being a council member; one being a design professional; one being a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in Asheville’s Riverfront District; one being a Housing Authority resident or Housing Authority support staff, or voucher recipient that resides in the committee’s service area; and one being an artist, arts administrator, or established arts advocate;
3. One member appointed by the Board of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, who shall either be a staff member, board member, or a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront Corridor;
4. One member appointed by the Board of RiverLink, who shall either be a staff member, board member, or a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront Corridor;
5. One member appointed by the Board of the Council of Independent Business Owners, who shall be a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront Corridor;
6. One member appointed by the Woodfin Town Council, who shall either be an elected official or a resident, business owner/manager, or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront corridor;
7. One member appointed by the Black Mountain Town Council, who shall either be an elected official, staff, or a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront;
8. One member appointed by the Board of Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau of Buncombe County, who shall either be a board member, staff member, or a resident, business owner/manager or property owner/manager in the Regional Riverfront.
(2) Representation and appointment process. Appointed members shall represent various segments of the Regional Riverfront community such as, but not limited to, property owners, renters, merchants, residents, artists, and event producers along the riverfront whose experiences will add value to the commission; and public sector administrators, sustainability specialists, outdoor recreation advocates, equity and inclusion specialists, economic developers, landscape architects, civil engineers, urban planners or others with skills and/or expertise that add value to the commission. All shall have a willingness to participate actively in commission efforts; and shall possess interest in the sustainable development of the Regional Riverfront Corridor and the Riverfront district. The process used to make appointments to the commission is at the discretion of the appointing boards.
(3) Terms of office. Members of the commission shall serve staggered, three-year terms, with the exception of the city council member and county commission member, each of whom will serve according to the length of their respective terms of office (ex-officio with voting privileges). Members are eligible to serve up to two consecutive terms; partial (less than three- year) terms served due to the initial, (staggered) appointment structure or to fill a vacant seat shall not count toward two full terms of service.
(4) Removal. Members of the commission shall be removed at the discretion of their appointing board. Appointing boards shall follow the City of Asheville’s attendance standard as grounds for removal.
(d) Organization and general operation.
(1) Bylaws. The commission shall operate under bylaws adopted by their membership. The bylaws shall be reviewed on a regular basis and updated when appropriate.
(2) Meetings. The commission shall adopt a regular meeting schedule. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or, in her/his absence, by the vice-chairperson, and special meetings shall be called upon the request of a majority of the members of the commission.
(3) Selection of officers. The commission shall select annually from its members a chairperson and a vice-chairperson.
(4) Attendance. The failure of any commission member to attend 75 percent or more of the meetings of the commission held during a 12-month period, without an excused absence being approved by the chairperson of the commission, may be grounds for removal.
(5) Voting. A quorum shall be constituted by a simple majority of commission members, excluding vacancies. The chair or the presiding member of the commission shall vote on all matters of business considered by the commission, unless recused by a majority vote of the commission.
(6) Transaction of business. The commission shall act as a body in the transaction of all business, unless a committee or member is duly authorized by the commission for a specific purpose.
(7) Compensation. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their service, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their official and authorized duties.
(8) Appointment of committees. The commission is authorized to appoint committees from its membership or the community at large. Committee functions shall be fixed by the commission at the time of appointment. Committees may be standing or ad hoc in nature and shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the commission.
(9) Periodic reviews and dissolution procedure. Periodic reviews of the progress of the commission will occur as deemed necessary by the city council and the county commission. The commission may be discharged or dissolved by a joint resolution of city council and the county commission.
(Res. No. 09-237, § 1, 11-10-2009; Ord. No. 3886, § 1, 8-24-10; Ord. No. 4264, § 1, 1-14-14; Ord. No. 4927, § 1, 1-25-22; Ord. No. 5040, § 1, 10-10-23)