Special Meeting – Monday at 9:00 AM Yancey County Commissioners – Budget Work Sessions Friends of the Library- April 25 Weekly News Roundup- NCDOT Rebuilding of 19W and 197
James Marshall Allen Roeder
The Yancey County Commissioners have sent out this special meeting notice about budget work sessions for next fiscal year.
I have not attended one of these meetings before, but from last year's minutes, the flow seemed to be:
1. Meet at the announced date/time
2. Discuss a draft
3. "Recess" for a couple weeks, but do not publicize the date/time at which they will reconvene the meeting
(repeat)
This process no doubt led to many people being completely in the dark about the massive budget increase until it had already been approved. I wasn't aware of all the recesses/reconvenings until much later, when the minutes were publicized.
There was even a public hearing about the budget, held on June 24, 2024. You'll have to look in the minutes for the June 13, 2024 meeting to find it, because it was technically a reconvening of that special meeting.
The only announcement of this public hearing appeared in the "legal notices" section of the newspaper. It was not sent out to members of the sunshine list (who are supposed to receive notices of all meetings). It was not posted on social media. Every effort seems to have been made to ensure there were no members of the public aware of or at the meeting, and in fact, there wasn't a single public comment made at the meeting.
This year, let's show up to every work session, ask questions, and publicize when every step occurs. Let's hold our elected officials accountable, and ensure they are responsibly managing our county's finances and considering the wellbeing of all of Yancey County's citizens.
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Friends of the Library
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____________________________________________________________________________NCDOT is asking for public input regarding the rebuilding of 19W and 197.
I’ve emailed to request that ABLs (Advisory Bike Lanes) and bike passing lanes be included where feasible. I also shared this in several local Facebook groups, and it has received a lot of engagement—both in support and opposition.
Email: helenerepairs-yanceymitchell@publicinput.com
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I am not a cyclist. I'm a driver who would like to have safe places to pass cyclists included in the rebuilding of these roads. Passing cyclists can be stressful and, at times, dangerous for both drivers and cyclists.
Tourism is vital to our county—it brought in $74.6 million in 2023. I’ve included a document from NC Economic Development showing tourism spending across all 100 counties in the state. You can also contact our local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development office for more information.
Please help me flood this email inbox with requests to include Advisory Bike Lanes (ABLs) or Bike Passing Lanes in the permanent repair plans for our roads.
Adding these features will make our roads safer for both cyclists and drivers—and contribute to our economic recovery.
Email: helenerepairs-yanceymitchell@publicinput.com
Advisory Bike Lanes (ABLs)
Best for: Narrow rural roads where full bike lanes aren’t feasible.
How they work:
Dashed bike lanes are painted on either side.
The center lane is shared by vehicles traveling in both directions.
When two cars approach, they momentarily enter the dashed bike lane to pass—yielding to any cyclists present.
Pros:
Ideal for low-traffic rural roads
Affordable and efficient to implement
Visually alerts drivers to expect cyclists
Cons:
May be unfamiliar to some U.S. drivers—requires signage and education
Not suited for high-speed or high-traffic roads