Local Organizations Announce Improvements Coming to City/County

Buncombe County is tackling multiple innovative strategic priorities, HCA-Mission Health Systems is expanding outward and upward, and the City of Asheville is working hard toward its goals of reducing homelessness and crime downtown. These were all topics discussed at the Oct. 4 Council of Independent Business Owners (CIBO) meeting. Based on the discussions, a lot of exciting and important initiatives are currently underway for our region. Speakers at this informational session included Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder, HCA Healthcare NC Division President Greg Lowe, and Assistant City Manager Cathy Ball.

Pinder unveiled Buncombe County’s four new strategic priorities:

• Environmental stewardship
• Educated and capable community
• Vibrant economy
• Well-being of county residents

Pinder also discussed the County’s plan to make these priorities a reality. Right now, County departments are planning what these goals look like, correlated deliverables, and plans to achieve them. There are eight input sessions coming up for the public so you can help us decide what success looks like for these goals. Find out if you will be available to attend one of these meetings by checking the schedule. The new strategic direction is set to begin in 2020. Find out if you will be available to attend one of these meetings by checking the schedule. The new strategic direction is set to begin in 2020. Make sure to visit Buncombe County’s website to learn how you can get involved and for more information on these priorities.

HCA-Mission Health President Greg Lowe announced the official opening of its North Tower. The new construction features 12 stories, two 20-patient rooms, and 97 ER beds. HCA has the largest medical educational advancement program for physicians in the region and will be expanding its programs by adding even more specialties. It’s also looking to expand and build a new facility for behavioral health. Lowe was also excited to announce the recent addition for 40 new staff positions. You can visit HCA-Mission’s website for more information and updates on these projects.

Assistant City Manager Cathy Ball discussed multiple safety programs in planning and implementation stages for downtown Asheville. Starting in January 2020, the City will staff downtown with a 24-hour police and fire presence. They are also working to reduce homelessness through outreach programs with community partners like A Hope Hospitality House and Homeward Bound. The City also announcement their partnership with the County in a harm reduction task force and the increase in cleaning services for street sweeping downtown. Visit the City of Asheville’s website to stay up to date on all of these initiatives and more.

CIBO was founded in 1987 by a group of local business owners who envisioned an organization prioritizing the:

• Education of business owners about the way local government works
• Flow of information between business and government
• Improvement of Asheville-Buncombe area as a better place to do business
• Encouragement of business owners to serve on boards and commissions and to run for public office

For more information about CIBO and for the schedule of their future events and meetings you can visit www.cibonc.com.