Briefing highlights: lead testing contract, stormwater recovery contracts and $7.2M FEMA budget amendment

Assistant City Manager Ben Woody walked council through several consent items and recovery investments that will appear on the April 28 agenda.

Woody described Item D: a small budget amendment (just over $8,700) that reimburses Code Purple service providers who stayed open during a February winter storm. He then described Item E, a not‑to‑exceed contract to provide free lead testing for all City of Asheville water customers; staff said the contract could provide up to 10,000 tests and also supports mandatory testing required under the EPA’s lead and copper program. Woody said an amendment to an existing contract (Item F) would cover unexpected fuel costs tied to field work for a lead and copper predictive model.

Woody grouped items G–N as recovery work: replacement of the tipped fuse gate at the North Fork Dam auxiliary spillway, design and engineering work for an alternative transmission line out of North Fork to increase redundancy, and three design/engineering stormwater contracts (items A, J, K) to cover more than 50 projects. He said the three stormwater contracts total over $2,600,000 and are funded through the FEMA Public Assistance program.

He also described Item M as a budget amendment putting $5,100,000 of FEMA funding and $2,100,000 of insurance funding to work (a $7,200,000 total amendment) to continue recovery projects, and Item L as a federal fund pass‑through to NCDOT to make repairs to storm‑damaged city streets that previously received federal funding.

Woody said transportation items P–S include renewal of the parking deck access system contract and several routine federal transit grants supporting operations. He paused for questions and said staff will be available at the formal meeting if councilors want additional detail.

Because this was an agenda briefing, no votes were held and staff will bring these items to the formal April 28 meeting for council action.