Buncombe County Shares Updates on Property Taxes, Recovery Efforts, and Community Resources

Property Tax Bills Deadline Reminder 
As the Jan. 6 property tax payment deadline approaches, Buncombe County encourages residents to plan ahead. Please note that North Carolina law does not permit property tax waivers or exceptions for natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene. For assistance with payment plans or alternative payment methods, contact the Tax Department at 828-250-4910 or visit in person at 94 Coxe Ave. Parking is available across the street. For FAQs about the tax bills and hurricane-related tax information, visit buncombecounty.org/tax.    

Code Purple Day Declared 
Today is a Code Purple Day, which activates emergency shelter options for people experiencing homelessness during cold weather. Code Purple is a coordinated effort between Asheville and Buncombe County shelters and other organizations to provide emergency overflow shelter during cold weather to people experiencing homelessness. During Code Purple events, the lights at the Register of Deeds and the Health and Human Services buildings will shine purple at night. Code Purple will continue to be called during as we continue to experience incredibly cold weather throughout the week and as we head into winter. Shelters include: 

• ABCCM – 20 20TH Street – open for single men - Intake starts at 4 p.m. - accessible via transit route WE2 at Bear Creek Road.  
• ABCCM Transformation Village - 30 Olin Haven Way – Single women and children – intake starts at 4 p.m. - accessible via transit route W2. 

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline 
The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is today. File claims online at des.nc.gov or call the Disaster Assistance Hotline at (919) 629-3857 (English) or (919) 276-5698 (Spanish) until 7 p.m. 

Free Flu Vaccines from Public Health Mobile Team 
Flu and other vaccines are available at no cost this week on: 

• Dec. 2: Bethel United Methodist Church & Sky Lanes Bowling Alley (11 a.m.–4 p.m.) 
• Dec. 3: Bounty and Soul Market, 55 Adams Hill Rd., Asheville 
• Dec. 4: AB Tech Stronger Together Resource Fair 

AB Tech Stronger Together Resource Fair 
AB-Tech is sponsoring the Stronger Together Community Resource Fair to help everyone in the community connect with essential resources to assist them in their recovery journey and beyond. The resource fair is on Wednesday, December 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the AB Tech Campus in the Ferguson Auditorium Building at 340 Victoria Road.  

Buncombe County will be there along with the City of Asheville, FEMA, Land of Sky, United Way, NC Works, Manna Food Bank, and others. This is a great opportunity to get help with hurricane recovery including applications, donations, employment, and more.   

Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program 
More than 400 Buncombe County property owners have applied to have qualified disaster debris removed from their property at no cost through the Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program. The program also covers the demolition of eligible unsafe structures.    

Here are three things to know about private property debris removal:     

1. Residents can visit one of four private property debris removal application centers located at the Asheville Mall, Barnardsville Fire Department, Swannanoa Fire on Bee Tree Road, and Fairview Library.  
2. Applications can be submitted online. 
3. PPDR is different than debris collection on public right of ways. Private property debris removal is where crews have to enter a property to collect debris. We have been and will continue to collect debris at public right of ways. If residents are able to bring their debris to public right of ways, they do not have to apply for PPDR.  

For questions, call the One Buncombe hotline at 828-250-6100 (select option 2). 

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) 
Starting today, eligible low-income households can apply for one-time heating bill assistance. Households including a person aged 60 or older or disabled persons receiving services through the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services are eligible to sign up for assistance from Dec. 1 – 31. All other households may apply from Jan. 1 – March 31 or until funds are exhausted. 

Households that meet the following criteria may be eligible: 

• Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria. 
• Meet an income test. 
• Have reserves at or below $2,250. (Resources will not be counted for this year's season from December 1, 2022-March 31, 2023) 
• Be responsible for its heating costs. 

Apply at epass.nc.gov, by phone at 828-250-5500, or in person at 40 Coxe Ave. 

City of Asheville Water Utility Billing  
The Water Resources Department paused all billing activities at the onset of Hurricane Helene until the full system achieved a return to potable water. As customers return to regular service operations, billing will resume. The “Water Consumption Charge” for water usage on all bills has been changed to $0. This covers all water usage from the last bill, before the storm, through the meter reading for the current bill. It encompasses the full period of non-potable water from the end of September through mid November. The City of Asheville will not assess any delinquent fees for utility statements until after March 1, 2025. 

Customers are encouraged to contact Water Customer Services at 828-251-1122 if they have billing questions or if additional time is needed to pay the bill. Payment plans will be made available to customers who request them.  

Regular rates will resume beginning with the next billing cycle. For more information, visit ashevillenc.gov. 

USDA Emergency Watershed Protection Program 
Buncombe County residents with damage or severe erosion from Helene causing a threat to a structure, road, bridge, culvert, or other infrastructure could be eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. The EWP Program assists landowners with repairing damage that is threatening their property's safety.  

EWP Assists with:  

• Debris-clogged waterways  
• Unstable streambanks  
• Severe erosion jeopardizing public infrastructure  
• Wind-borne debris removal  
• Steep slopes that have lost ground cover and are endangered of sliding.   

The disaster-related damage must be causing a threat to an existing structure, road, bridge, or other infrastructure to be eligible. While this program does fund repairs, the timeline for repairs is generally 1-3 years.   

Landowners who would like to be evaluated for EWP program funding should submit information documenting their damage at the County’s property Damage form. 

Please include photos of the damage if possible as that is immensely valuable during the review process.  

If you do not have access to a computer, you can call Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation at 828-250-4785 and provide their name, address, and a brief description of the damage and someone will reach out as soon as possible. 

Community Care Stations and Water Distribution Updates 
Most water distribution sites and care stations will close today due to reduced demand, except for the following locations: 

• Morgan Hill Baptist Church: 594 Barnardsville Hwy. 
• Bethel United Methodist Church: 1050 Riceville Rd. 
• Owen Pool: 117 Stone Dr., Swannanoa 
• Fairview Ingles: 225 Charlotte Hwy. 

FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Open in Barnardsville 
From Dec. 2–5, FEMA’s Mobile Disaster Recovery Center will provide one-on-one assistance at Barnardsville Fire Department Station 15, 100 Dillingham Rd. Fixed-site assistance remains available at the Asheville Mall. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov. 

Storm Debris  
Storm Debris pickup continues in the region, and as of Monday, Dec. 2, 347,000 cubic yards of debris has been collected in Buncombe County. 

FCC Transition 
Starting January 2, 2025, FCC Environmental Services will take over residential trash and recycling collection for unincorporated Buncombe County. Current Waste Pro customers must sign up with FCC Environmental to continue service in the new year. The County is coordinating the exchange of Waste Pro cans for FCC cans, which will begin the week of December 2. 

In December, Waste Pro will maintain regular collection schedules and begin retrieving their cans, while FCC simultaneously distributes new cans of the same size. Customers should monitor the transition and contact FCC if they experience a gap in service. Bear carts purchased from Waste Pro can still be used and will receive updated FCC stickers. 

Sign up with FCC Environmental to avoid service interruptions. FCC will provide quarterly billing and send mailers with service days and a calendar. Visit fccenvironmental.com/buncombe-county/.