# Briefing | Board of Commissioners | November 5, 2026

Buncombe County Board of Commissioners briefing, November 5, 2026: Staff and FCC reviewed the county’s seven-year waste and recycling franchise, which began January 1, 2025. The contract’s annual rate adjustment is tied to CPI and capped at 5%; because the relevant CPI increase was about 5.2%, the monthly household rate will rise from $28.65 to approximately $30.08 on January 1, 2027. Staff said the adjustment is established by the contract and does not require board approval. FCC reported improved service performance and plans to keep a recurring inventory order for bear-resistant carts. The board reached consensus to sponsor and promote a January 27 passenger-rail presentation; no county fiscal contribution was requested. In a CDBG update, staff reported a proposed modification of a $400,000 neighborhood-revitalization grant to $719,000 for Swannanoa sidewalks, pending state approval. For a separate $3.5 million recovery-housing grant involving ABCCM, an initial general-contractor bid process did not meet federal requirements and had to be restarted. A county-supported architect/engineer RFQ closed October 29 with five responses, now under review.

Staff also presented a proposed $250,000 county transit-plan project, including a $50,000 local match and federal planning funds; consultant selection is a next step, with a contract targeted for next spring. The board discussed its upcoming legislative agenda, including possible funding requests for infrastructure, passenger rail, storm gauges, and disaster recovery, but made no related spending decisions. The board voted to enter closed session to discuss economic-development incentives; no details were provided in the transcript.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Transportation
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 05, 2026

### Sources
- [Briefing | Board of Commissioners | November 5, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwnmn2mpAmk) - Buncombe County Government