Helene Joint Recovery Board Meeting - June 23, 2026

The City of Asheville held a special joint meeting of the Infrastructure Recovery Board and the People and Environment Recovery Board on June 23, 2026, focusing primarily on recovery and infrastructure projects following disaster impacts. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a detailed presentation by Sasaki Associates on the French Broad River Park project, including design concepts, community engagement, and resilience planning. The estimated cost for the project was approximately $63 million, with funding anticipated from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Disaster Recovery funds, and other sources. The boards also discussed a substantial amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) action plan, proposing to reallocate $10 million from infrastructure funds to support a funding gap in single-family home repairs. This proposal sparked debate among board members regarding the impact on water infrastructure projects, funding certainty, and prioritization between single-family and multi-family housing repairs. A motion to support the staff recommendation to reallocate funds resulted in a tied vote (5-5), reflecting the complexity and division on the issue. The meeting concluded with announcements of upcoming meetings and a call for continued collaboration among recovery boards.