# City Council Agenda Briefing – November 5, 2026


**Body:** City of Asheville
**Date:** November 04, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Construction & Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding


The City of Asheville held an agenda briefing work session on November 5, 2026, to review items planned for the November 10 council meeting. The briefing was for discussion only; no formal actions or votes were taken. Procurement and capital items included a proposed $510,000 increase to the city’s USGA security-services contract, consolidating multiple contracts and adding the water maintenance facility; a proposed $6.9 million agreement with NCDOT for multimodal and aesthetic improvements to the I-26 project; and a proposed 15-year public-purpose lease of 91 Riverside Drive to RiverLink for $1 per year, with in-kind site restoration, maintenance, and public amenities. Staff said the lease would preserve city control of the flood-prone property while longer-term hazards and nearby projects are assessed.

Other items reviewed included a budget amendment of just over $30 million to move CDBG-DR funding into the capital budget for French Broad and Azalea Park recovery projects; a submitted NCDOT grant application seeking $96,000 for the Smith Mill Creek Greenway feasibility study and phase-one design, with a $24,000 city match; and authorization to use preferred-brand alternatives for certain goods in bid processes to support standardization and cost and maintenance efficiencies. Staff also previewed home-repair and housing funding recommendations, including $1.4 million for rental construction, $3 million in HOME-ARP rental-construction funding, and $1 million for supportive services. The downtown cleaning contract’s RFP process was underway, with the successful bidder not yet identified. Council members requested a fuller briefing on fleet and vehicle costs for the upcoming budget process.

**Source:** City of Asheville