The consent agenda for tonight’s meeting of Asheville City Council is replete with booty from the federal deficit and fired teachers:

  • The city would like to apply for $1,958,256 from the Federal Transit Administration “under the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.” The funds are for capital, operational, planning, and security activities. Specifically, the city hopes to spend funds on ADA service and an automated vehicle location system.
  • Riding Partners, Inc. will install three prototype solar charging stations for electric vehicles using a NC Green Business Fund Innovation Grant (amount not researched).
  • The city would like to partner with the Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments to oversee the Long Range Transportation Demand Management Study. The program is FREEEEEE! because the FTA is expected to contribute $80,000; the NCDOT, $20,000. Funds will be used to study ways to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles in use.
  • The city would like to apply for a $3 million HUD Sustainable Community Challenge Planning Grant. The funds will “complete pre-development activities” to bring new and diverse housing in a crime-infested area “to the point of being ‘shovel-ready.’” Funds may be used to support the passage of form-based zoning, lobbying for legislation to make more citizens adopt greener lifestyles, planning, support for artists, and promotion of healthy foods.
  • The city would like to accept $49,850 for the North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Arts Program Grant. You guessed it. It will help children and the economy.
  • The NC Department of Public Instruction wants to give $78,000 to the City of Asheville 21st Century Community Learning Center, which will promote parental involvement with at-risk youth and provide “opportunities for increased positive interactions between law enforcement officers and program participants.
  • There are, in addition, a few projects that are actually tolerable, such as the replacement of a bridge and mass transit between Asheville and Black Mountain.

On the open agenda, the city will consider a $1,669,030 grant from the FAA for improving the fire station at the airport and freeing up other (evidently non-fungible) funds so its services may be extended to the neighboring community. CORRECTION: Brownie Newman clarified at last night’s council meeting that the fire station improvements were in no way connected to negotiations underway to create a joint city/airport fire station in South Asheville.