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Envision Buncombe survey: infrastructure, housing and preparedness top community recovery priorities
Summary
County presented results from the Envision Buncombe recovery survey (about 2,600 responses). Top priority was infrastructure (water, roads, bridges, telecom), followed by housing and public-safety/resilience investments; staff will use input to shape the Helene recovery plan and project selection.
Jeremiah (recovery planning staff) presented Envision Buncombe survey results used to guide the Helene recovery plan. The outreach produced roughly 2,600 responses from in-person events across 13 ZIP codes and multiple online and paper venues.
Jeremiah said the public'identified infrastructure (water, roads, bridges and telecommunications) as the top priority—about 74% of respondents included it in their top 10 priorities. Other high-ranked priorities included housing, public safety/community health, wildfire prevention and resilient infrastructure. Jeremiah said the results were broadly consistent across localities in the county.
Staff described a three-part plan timeline: summer community engagement and project solicitation, subject-matter-expert evaluation of proposed projects, and a draft Helene recovery plan returned to the board and the public in the fall for comment and final adoption later in the year. Jeremiah said the recovery plan will align project selection with community priorities and existing county strategic plans and noted administrators will classify projects as near-, medium- or long-term and indicate funding strategies.
Commissioners commented on themes they said the survey validated: the public's focus on safety, the urgency of infrastructure repair, and opportunities to use mitigation funding (e.g., HMGP) to 'build back better' and integrate resilience in rebuilt parks, roads and public facilities.
Ending: Jeremiah said staff will return in August with specific candidate projects aligned to the survey results and recommended that commissioners consider how recovery priorities inform upcoming budget and strategic decisions.
