City Council Priorities

City Council prioritized programs, policies and projects during their retreat held on February 25 and 26, 2021 and discussed their values and beliefs that guide them in their decision making as they strive to achieve their goals. 

2021 City Council priorities flyer

 

 

City Council Core Values & Beliefs

The City Council has adopted by resolution their Core Values & Beliefs that they will use in conjunction with the mission and vision statements to guide decision making.  

The City of Hendersonville believes municipal government should be non-partisan.

  • Political affiliations are not productive to solving problems of local communities.
  • City leaders and staff must lead by example and meet regularly with people who have different points of view.
  • City leaders and staff must maintain an awareness of local, state and national political trends but must lead the City in a manner that serves all community members.

The City of Hendersonville values open, transparent communication and trust with the community and each other.

  • The City will openly communicate with the public and each other to ensure information about services, policies and programs are available to all.
  • The City will build trust through ethical and transparent leadership.
  • The City will share information and solicit feedback prior to the implementation of new programs and policies.
  • The City will be open to concerns and comments from all stakeholders and will ensure the community can easily speak to leaders without fear of retribution/embarrassment.

The City of Hendersonville believes community members expect services to be delivered at a high level.

  • The City will deliver services at a high level to make people feel their taxes and fees are being used effectively and to encourage others to live in our community.
  • The City will deliver services in a manner that ensures the safety of the community.
  • The City will deliver services in a manner that limits the disruption of our community members’ daily lives to the greatest extent possible.

The City of Hendersonville values all community members through promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

  • The City must evaluate all laws, policies, and rules to ensure that they can be implemented and enforced in a fair and equitable manner.
  • The City must evaluate all current and future programs, projects, or initiatives to ensure they build a culture where differences are valued.
  • The City must ensure that leaders and staff consistently work to build trust and positive relationships throughout our entire community.

The City of Hendersonville values its employees and must support them to ensure the provision of high-quality services to its residents. 

  • The City must provide growth opportunities to employees and educational tools to allow them to grow in their roles and responsibilities.
  • The City must respect and pay employees fairly and competitively.
  • The City must support employees by providing a safe and hazard free workplace. 

The City of Hendersonville believes that it must pursue and provide opportunity for responsible growth.

  • The City will establish and maintain policies and programs that encourage economic opportunity and help grow small business and entrepreneurship.
  • The City will work with our community to provide educational opportunities about growth and its impact on economic vitality and quality of life .
  • The City will encourage responsible growth that provides opportunities for success to  all segments of our community.
  • The City will make efforts to generate affordable housing options and reduce the impacts of the high cost of living within our community.
  • The City will prioritize the protection of existing residential neighborhoods when making growth decisions.

The City of Hendersonville values the lives of all community members and must protect them through collective action.

 

  • Our goal is to make the lives of all residents better through collective action.
  • The City recognizes the sanctity of each person's life.
  • The City must be open to change priorities and polices as circumstances change in the world around us.

The City of Hendersonville believes environmental sustainability is critical to preserving the community for future generations. 

  • The City will evaluate the environmental sustainability of all projects and programs while maintaining a solid relationship with residential and business development.
  • The City believes that it is our responsibility to protect all our natural resources and the environment through the implementation of sustainable and responsible projects.
  • The City must lead by example by evaluating all city operations to ensure they protect or repair the natural environment and are environmentally sustainable.
  • The City will prioritize the protection of existing tree canopy and the development of greenspaces and parks.

Budget Dashboard | Focus Areas | Goals

The financial condition of the City may be accessed through the Budget Dashboard using an interactive software found here.  The City's budget dashboard provides an overview of City Council accomplishments and goals and the City's budget process and financial data. This software pulls data from the City’s financial system to allow public inspection to promote transparency surrounding the local government budgeting process and how public dollars are spent. You may view the Budget documents and resources here.

City Council main focus areas and goals as listed below.

Economic Vitality

  • $8M Business investments in MSD
  • City Council supplements 50% of employee dependent medical insurance coverage
  • 7th Avenue Revitalization moving forward since 2016
  • Property revaluation = increase of 18%

                       Goals:

  • Attainable Housing
  • Downtown Master Plan
  • Expand Main St. Infrastructure
  • Support Economic Development with Utility Infrastructure
  • Lower Unhoused Population
  • Higher Density
  • Two Large ED Projects (ex. Sierra Nevada)
  • Low Tax Rate

Financial Sustainability

  • $8M Business investments in MSD
  • City Council supplements 50% of employee dependent medical insurance coverage
  • 7th Avenue Revitalization moving forward since 2016
  • Property revaluation = increase of 18%

 

                        Goals

  • Other Revenue Options
  • Strong Fund Balance
  • City Facilities Sustainability Plan
  • Stormwater Rates
  • Solid Waste Sustainability Plan

Great Public Service

  • New Equipment – Sullivan Park
  • 72 new wayfinding signs placed
  • New finance staff customer service policy
  • SROs – all schools in city limits
  • HFD SAFER grant to hire 12 firefighters
  • City Council commits to build dedicated Police HQ
  • Farmers Market at Historic Depot
  • Streetsweeper wrapped to raise stormwater program awareness
  • Council Conversations with the community

 

                        Goals

  • Competitive Employee Benefits (Pay & Class; 401k Match)
  • Fire Protection
  • Increased Police Presence
  • Sustainability (Less Plastic; Recycling; Solar; Composting;             No Styrofoam)
  • Customer Service Renovations
  • Transparent Development Regulations
  • Safety
  • High Levels of Service

Numerous Amenities

  • Downtown Holiday Decorations
  • Whitmire/Tom's Park Improvements
  • Greenway Extension Phase 3
  • Wayfinding Signage
  • Sullivan Park Playground
  • Downtown Restrooms
  • Farmer's Market

 

Goals

  • Park Improvements (Berkeley Park Playground)
  • Splash Pad
  • Tree Canopy
  • 7th Avenue Phases II & III
  • Ecusta Trail Expansion
  • Greenway Parking
  • Whitmire Building Improvements

Sound Infrastructure

  • Bradley Creek dredging
  • North Main Sidewalk Project
  • Etowah Area Water System Improvement Project
  • 4th Avenue Streetscape – more pedestrian friendly
  • Multi-area streambank restoration project
  • New subdivision ordinance – updated from 1970
  • Water and wastewater treatment plant equipment upgrades
  • Fiber installed

 

Goals

  • Sound Public Transportation
  • Walkability (sidewalks throughout)
  • Zero Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)
  • Stormwater Improvements
  • Expand Greenway System
  • Excellent Water Quality
  • Fire Station #3
  • Main St. Avenues
  • Parking Solutions
  • Solar Panels on City Facilities
  • Urban Revitalization Area (URA)
  • Fiber

Strong Partnerships

  • Housing Assistance Corporation Partnership (HAC) additional workforce housing
  • Grey Hosiery Mill renovated into apartments
  • Water Sewer Advisory Council Reformed
  • HPD Mobile App Launched
  • Downtown Organizational Model
  • OSHA Review
  • Pavement Condition Survey

 

Goals

  • Development Assistance
  • Unified Water & Sewer Rates
  • Partnerships with County
  • Increased Community Participation (communicate, engage, diversity)
  • Hand's On! Museum
  • ETJ Discussions
  • Homelessness Assistance
  • HWY 64 Maintenance/Beautification
  • Local Gov. Internships (BRCC; local universities; HCPS)
  • Zero Hungry Children
  • Cohesive Council