In its first meeting in over a month, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is set to consider a rezoning request for an 8.9 acre parcel of land in Fairview at 104 Charlotte Highway, hold a public hearing on the use of Rural Operating Assistance Program (ROAP) funds, and adopt a new Code of Ethics.
The owner of the Fairview property, Jeffrey Martin, has requested that the board approve a request to rezone a section of it from neighborhood service (NS) to commercial service (CS) to allow for commercial development. The Buncombe County Department of Planning and Development conducted an analysis of the land and recommended approving the change. However, others have raised concerns that development of the site could exacerbate erosion problems.
The public hearing on ROAP is intended to offer citizens the opportunity to give the commissioners feedback on how the county should best use $392,639 in funding, most of which was acquired through North Carolina Department of Transportation grants. The program offers transportation services to rural, elderly and disabled residents.
The new Code of Ethics was drafted to establish guidelines for ethical standards of conduct for the commissioners and to help determine what conduct is appropriate in particular cases. Included in the code are directives to the commissioners that they must:
*Obey the law;
*Uphold the integrity and independence of the office;
*Avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities;
*Perform the duties of the office diligently;
*Conduct the affairs of the board in an open and public manner;
*Refrain from political activity inappropriate to the office.
The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 3, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 30 Valley St. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.
