Resident urges council to diversify economy amid housing affordability concerns; outgoing official urges paid parking, charter updates

During the public‑comment period, resident Tommy Wick described a widening affordability gap in Blue Ridge, saying local home prices were roughly 11 times local household incomes. Wick urged the council to study stronger short‑term‑rental regulations and enforcement, support missing‑middle housing near existing infrastructure, and invest in a second economic engine—examples included fiber infrastructure and small manufacturing or maker industry to reduce dependence on tourism.

Later in the meeting, an outgoing councilmember offered parting recommendations to the incoming council: audit and inventory city assets (including the train and the Swan Drive‑In), consider implementing paid parking on East and West Main to capture parking revenue (the speaker estimated potential returns in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars annually), update the city charter and establish a city ethics program to strengthen accountability. The speaker credited recent staff work for improving the city's financial position since the loss of a permanent city administrator and finance director.

Council members thanked the outgoing official and noted the need for workshops and briefings on the topics raised. The meeting adjourned shortly after those remarks.