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University of North Carolina
at Asheville Register for: |
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| Title | "Improving the Quality of Urban life" |
| Alt. Title | "Improving the Quality of Urban life" |
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| Type | text ; image |
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| Language | English |
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| Rights | Any display, publication or public use
must credit D. H. Ramsey Library, Special Collections, University of
North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the authors of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. |
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| Description | |
| Acquisition | 2007- |
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| Processed by | Special Collections staff 2008 |
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| CONTEXT | |
| ITEM I.D. | PAGES | DESCRIPTION | THUMBNAIL |
| Cover | "IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF URBAN LIFE" |
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| inside Cover |
City of Asheville Asheville , North Carolina MODELS CITIES AGENCY RICHARD A. WOOD, JR. ERNEST J. WARD DR. GENE E. RAINEY LOGAN D. DELANEY |
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| I |
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MODEL CITIES PROGRAM The Model Cities Program was enacted in 1966, under president Lyndon B. Johnson, as a result of a proposal by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Robert C. Weaver. The program was originally called Demonstration Cities, however, after many demonstrations began throughout the nation, the government began referring to it as Model Cities. The Model Cities Program is primarily funded by Federal funds and was set up to have local government and citizens to identify and attempt to solve their own problems. Local government and citizen participation are suppose to determine the actions the Model Cities program will undertake. Original federal guidelines provided that cities wishing to receive Model Cities funds had to identity and area of town having the largest concentration of social and physical problems. The area could contain no more the 20% population of the city. The main thrust of the Model Cities Program was to upgrade the quality of living in the area selected through education, social services physical environment, ect. |
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| II |
Table of Contents Letter from The Mayor of
Asheville.........................................................1 |
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| 1 |
The Model Cities program in Asheville has been significant to our entire
community. This brochure documents many of these successes. Immediately obvious are the direct benefits which have been derived by residents of the Model Neighborhood from specific Model Cities activities which have improved the social and physical environment and economic opportunities of these citizens. More intangible and difficult to measure, but of perhaps equal importance in the final analysis, is that the Model Cities program has contributed to an increasing awareness of the problems of our City and its citizens and has generated grater participation by our citizens in the planning and implementation of new and innovative approaches to solving these problems. Our community recognizes and deeply appreciates the dedication of those involved in the Model Cities program to the means and goals of the program. Richard A. Wood, Jr. |
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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: "The Administration of the Asheville Model Cities Program has faced some unparalleled challenges over the past five years. The record supports the fact that the program has benefitted all the citizens in this community directly or indirectly. Among the many challenges confronted by the local program was the effort required to create an open dialogue that would encourage cooperation and collaboration among all participants around critical issues. Integrating federal objectives with the goals of local government presented a constant and additional challenge. In that period approximately $10 million has been provided through the City Demonstration Program to assist the City in 'improving the quality of urban life. It should be realized that some cities were not equipped with the planning and management capabilities that could insure the development of strategies to promote an overall successful Model Cities Program. Some cities simply folded the resources into the existing system, complying with the official guidelines, however, making no real attempt to deal constructively with the basic problems of poverty that traditional brick and mortar concepts alone could never resolve. The figure mentioned above including a planning year allocation and based on three action years amounts to almost $3 million a year or almost a/4 as much as our yearly City budget. Although these funds have been used exclusively for the Model Cities Target Area, representing the lower 10% of the population of Asheville on the socio-economic scale, it has provided the City additional flexibility in planning and upgrading the whole community. It must be made clear that a primary goal of the Model Cities Program was to provide training and opportunity to Model Neighborhood Residents to develop skills that would enable them to become self-sufficient. A cadre of professionals with planning and management skills and hundreds of skilled and semi-skilled professionals and para-professionals have gained valuable job experience that can be transferred to other occupations. This documentary provides the statistics that quantitatively assess the benefits of the Asheville Model Cities Program. A pictorial review has been added in an attempt to qualitatively describe these efforts, however, it is my opinion that only the beneficiaries and/or the consumers of the services can fully appreciate the effect of the programs and projects on their lives. I would further suggest that aside from the obvious impact these resources have made in the lives of the recipients (Model Neighborhood Residents) that years will pass before a full evaluation is possible. The educational benefits enabling residents to prepare themselves for the world of work, the development of a multi-purpose center that will provide services to Model Cities residents for years to come, a senior citizens complex, a community center, a recreational park, health services, child care services, a demolition, transit, sanitation and street resurfacing program, a teacher training program can be tabulated on the plus side of the ledger. The Model Cities effort in Asheville has not eliminated poverty from the City. In the life of the program (three action years] Model Cities has regretfully been unable to successfully generate the action and resources necessary to resolve the acute and critical housing needs of Model Cities residents. Asheville and Model Cities in transition has failed to motivate sufficient economic development opportunities among low and middle income residents. Model Cities has perhaps for the first time in our history, conclusively demonstrated that our most important resource, the citizen, can be successfully motivated to co-author the activities that can improve the quality of life, and ensure self-sufficiency at any and all levels of human endeavor, regardless of previous condition or station in life. The Model Cities planning processes and concepts have demonstrated that given sufficient resources and commitment, life can be made better for every inhabitant of the community. It is my belief that the citizens of Asheville will generate a firm commitment to the solution of these problems and thereby further ensure a rise in the 'quality of urban life' that will benefit this generation and future generations of all of our citizens." |
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| 3 | ASHEVILLE'S MODEL NEIGHBORHOOD |
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PURPOSE OF THE MODEL CITIES PROGRAM The Model Cities Program was created to "improve the quality of urban life" in America. The program was designed to aide local municipalities to effectively treat decaying communities within their jurisdiction.The program advocated innovative planning and management processes that created a comprehensive approach in the delivery of services to residents residing in the Target Area to aide in the alleviation of poverty.Evaluation, monitoring, and citizen participation within the decision-making processes were major requirements of the Model Cities Program. It further provided a means in which public and private agencies used a coordinated approach in planning and implementing programs and/or projects.The Model Cities Program is funded through the U.S. Department of HUD. The cities are required to pay 20% of the Administrative costs of the Program which may be credited in cash or in in-kind services. Model Cities funds are the only federal funds that can be used in matching other federal funds in support of programmatic activities.The Model Cities Program was not designed to operate programs and projects. It was designed to develop programs and contract with public and private agencies for program/project implementation. |
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| 5 | ASHEVILLE'S MODEL NEIGHBORHOOD |
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PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
A. Citizen Participation structure B. Monitoring and evaluation system C. A public relations and information system D. Comprehensive planning mechanism and coordination of technical assistance resources to design Model Cities programs/projects with Model Neighborhood Area Resident participation E. Fiscal component under HUD guidelines |
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| 7 | EVALUATION In order that essential evaluation functions could be carried out, the Asheville Model Cities Agency established an Evaluation Department. This Evaluation Department was integrated into the Model Cities Agency's divisional structure, co-equal to Administration, Planning and Citizen Participation. The responsibilities of the Evaluation Department are as follows:
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| 8 | A prime
impact of the results of evaluation should be clearly noted in two
areas:
The latter effect is demonstrated best by viewing the following illustration: CONTINUING EVALUATION AND PLANNING MODEL The illustration above clearly depicts the essentials of the evaluation and planning relationship within the Model Cities Agency. Although the relationship recognizes that though the Evaluation Department is and should be a separate component, organizationally it does have the primary goal of being supportive of the Model Cities Agency's planning processes. Within the Model Cities Program the administration, planning, citizen participation and evaluation functions are each separated, yet so inter-related as to provide for objective unbiased appraisal of program planning, administration and operation. |
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| 9 | MICRO EVALUATION [image] MACRO EVALUATION [image] To develop the information base for each process demands a near optimum in time and resources; therefore, each data base should be developed step by step. As an example, in micro evaluation, efforts may be concentrated on certain priority projects. These projects would produce similar types of data that accumulate on a project basis (e. g. output measures, participants and beneficiaries data). In macro evaluation, a starting point will be the collection of a separate array of data from each program area. This data may then be compared with certain basic indicators of change generally accepted and/or appropriate. In keeping with the foregone, the Asheville Model Cities Agency's Information and Evaluation project attempted the development of a unique evaluation process, appropriately fitted to the local characteristics. Within this framework, two types of evaluation techniques were defined.
Though these terms may be borrowed from the study of economics or the area of social research, each system, strongly related, was considered as a method having specific goals or outputs, and had specific characteristics readily indentifiable. |
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| 10 | CITIZEN PARTICIPATION The best available summary of Citizen Participation was voiced by the late John F. Kennedy: "Only when the citizens of a community have participated in selecting the goals which will shape their environment can they be expected to support the actions necessary to accomplish those goals".The aforementioned statement by the late President sets the stage relative to the major purposes of the Citizen Participation Project. This project was designed to provide the following services: A - Technical assistance and training to Model Neighborhood Residents B - Information and/or guidance relative to the Model Cities Program and similar community service agenciesC - Staff assistance in emergency situations in the procurement of goods and services for Model Neighborhood ResidentsD - Assistance to Model Neighborhood Residents in defining their needs and helping in the planning of program and projects to meet those needsE - Serve as a liaison between Model Neighborhood Residents, Model Cities Program and Community Service Agencies.The Citizen Participation Project can be summarized as an attempt to mobilize the human, political and economic resources of the community to attack both the causes and effects of physical and social blight affecting the Target Area. |
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| 11 |
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES |
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CONSOLIDATED HEALTH PROGRAM The Consolidated Health Program was started through the efforts for better health care in the Model Neighborhood Area to provide a systemmatic delivery of comprehensive health services to Model Neighborhood Residents. A multiphasic screening program, a program of innoculations, and a venereal disease control program have been developed and are available to all residents of the Model Neighborhood. In addition, other services have been developed for those who are medically indigent. These services include a full time physician and a full time dentist to provide for the dental and medical needs of residents. A special fund through the Consolidated Health Program has been set aside to purchase needed medication for neighborhood residents who cannot afford to have prescriptions filled. This service is provided on a one time only basis. A social worker is available to assist residents in obtaining needed services available to them in the Asheville/Buncombe County area. These services include the Mental Health Services, food stamps, AFDC applications, assistance in acquiring jobs and better housing, and there is free transportation available to residents who cannot provide their own. In addition to all of these services, there is a home nursing and homemaker service for those chronically ill or convalescing. This service provides a personal touch for the ill in the Model Neighborhood area and helps the resident to become self-supportive and self-sufficient. The main emphasis is on primary health care, diagnostic work, educational, curative measures when possible, preventive medicine, and the rehabilitative aspects of health services. |
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COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM The Comprehensive Family Planning Program provides family planning service to persons who heretofore have been denied access to such services. The program provides family planning, medical, clinical, outreach, educational and informational services. This program is attempting to expand the number of clinics and services available to low-income persons of the Model Neighborhood Area. These services include providing medical supervision, family planning, counseling, contraceptives, and other accepted birth control methods. Surgical procedures, such as vasectomies and tubal ligations are provided free through the program. |
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD FACILITIES PROGRAM EXISTING FACILITY The Neighborhood Facilities Program can be defined as a milestone in the Model Cities effort to eradicate poverty in the Model Neighborhood. This program is designed to offer Asheville's citizens a wide range of comprehensive services form one complex. The facility is located on Livingston Street and is operated by the City of Asheville through the Parks and Recreation Department. There are several unique and valuable features about this project, notably - a modern gym, space community meetings, theater for the performing arts and apace to house public and private agencies in coordination the delivery of social services. |
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| 15 | THE RIVERSIDE PARK PROJECT The Riverside Park Project was one of the largest physical environment projects undertaken by the Model Cities Program to address the recreational deficiencies in the Model Neighborhood Target Area. the park will involve 8.7 acres and will be located in the Montford Hills Community North Section. The park is designed to offer a variety of recreational service and activities for all ages. It will be equipped with a basketball court, tennis court, parking lots, toilet facilities, baseball area, park shelter, playground area, benches, and wading pool. Special note should be made of the fact that the funds allocated to Riverside Park were used as matching funds to obtain an Open Space Grant to upgrade the city park system. |
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THE DEMOLITION PROJECT since the inception of the Asheville Model Cities Program the need to address the housing condition in the target area was always one of the top priorities relative to the programmatic strategy. The Demolition Project was developed to remove dilapidated structures from the target area. There were many direct and indirect benefits derived from this project such as the removal of environmental eyesores, and health hazzards, the increasing of property values, and clearing of lots for the new home construction The project removed 161 dilapidated structures in Precinct No. 1 and No. 4. Demolition activities in Precinct No. 2 and No. 3 were carried out by the local Urban Renewal Program. This project had tremendous impact on the environmental conditions of the Model Neighborhood Target Area. STREET RESURFACING PROGRAM The overall conditions of public streets in the Model Neighborhood were unsafe, seriously in need of repair. The local Model Cities Program made a successful attempt to address this problem by implementation a street resurfacing project during the Second Action Year. A total of 84,480 feet of public streets were resurfaced in the Model Neighborhood while this project was in operation. FIRE PROTECTION (HYDRANTS) PROGRAM In an effort to provide better fire protection, the Model Cities Program developed and implemented a project to install fire hydrants in the target area where they were most needed. The project permitted homeowners in the service area to purchase prior to the implementation and/or completion of the project. |
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RELOCATION PROJECT The Relocation Project was created for the purpose of providing relocation services to Model Neighborhood Residents affected by the Local Code Enforcement Program or a Model Cities physical Environment Project. The services provided through this project were designed to assist individuals and families in relocation into standard housing. Along with other supportive services (counseling, finances, moving assistance etc.). The project is operated by the Relocation Agency of the Urban Renewal Program, and since the inception of the project, individuals and families have received assistance from the project. The project compliments and supports the activities of the Demolition Program which is another example of the coordinated and comprehensive approach of the Model Cities process. |
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THE COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAM AND DATA PROGRAM Developing and maintaining a sophisticated data system for planning and evaluation purposes is a major goal of municipalities throughout the country. The Asheville Model Cities Program made the initial steps during the Second Action Year to develop a sophisticated computerized data system through the Metropolitan Planning Board in Asheville. The information program today is called ABIS (Asheville Buncombe Information System). The program will provide current, accurate, and immediate data to participating principals for evaluation and program planning purposes. The system completed will serve as a planning and management tool providing a new dimension in the city's capability to provide services with greater efficiency and more economically on an unprecedented level for years to come. |
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SANITATION PARTICIPATION PROGRAM The purpose of this program is to supplement the present City sanitation system:
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IMPROVED MASS TRANSIT PROGRAM The Improved Mass Transit System was designed and created for the following purposes: (1) To provide better public transportation route service in the Model Neighborhood (2) to subsidized fares to residents 55 years of age and older, residents who were the head of the household with incomes less than $3,500 annually. The program further provided Sunday Route services to Model Neighborhood Residents. Since the beginning of the project 765,590 one way fares have been issued and 100,200 passengers have been served by the improved route service in the Model Neighborhood. |
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| 21 | SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM |
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SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM The Senior Opportunities Program's main thrust is to provide a more effective social services program for the elderly citizens of the Model Neighborhood Area.This program lends dignity, a sense of worth, value, and meaning to the lives of participating Senior Citizens and enhances their functioning in a complex society which is often apathetic or indifferent to the needs of the elderly. The Senior Opportunities Program offers an employment counseling service to Senior Citizens, a craft shop where the elderly make quilts, dolls, ceramic ware and other items that are offered for sale through their craft shop, a Meals-On-Wheels Program offering a nutritionally balanced hot meal to those sick and shut-in Senior Citizens, an adult basic education program, Bible study, and residents of Asheville and surrounding areas are entertained by the Senior Opportunities' cultural and social activities, which include special programs displaying the talent, dexterity, and capabilities that provide an unlimited resource to our community. Of special significance is the pending acquisition of the Senior Citizens building located on Grove Street. The program has operated from this facility since its inception and is desired as a permanent haven by a majority of Senior Citizens participating in this important and stimulating program. |
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CRIME PREVENTION- RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS Cultural enrichment and recreational programs provided a wide range of exciting experience for Model Neighborhood youth during the summer months and year round. Many of the recreational and cultural programs added a new dimension in the meeting the needs of Model Neighborhood youth. |
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CRIME PREVENTION- RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS |
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| 25 | SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM The Summer Lunch Program provides lunch during the summer months. The program serves as a nutritional supplement to young people of the Model Neighborhood. Each mean prepared complies with the United States Department of Agriculture as a " Type A" lunch. |
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INNER CITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Boy Scout Program offered the following opportunities to boys of the Model Neighborhood
INNER CITY CHALLENGE The program was designed to involve more Model Neighborhood girls in scouting activities in the Asheville area. The following services were provided:
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| 27 | AFTER SCHOOL CENTER This program provided tutorial, educational, and recreational activities and service to elementary and secondary school children of the Model Neighborhood Area. The program was conducted from the four centers; Livingstone Street School Annex, Herring School, William Randolph Elementary School, and South French Broad Middle School. |
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| 28 | TEACHER AIDE PROGRAM (Career Opportunities Programs) The primary purpose of this project is to provide an education opportunity for Model Neighborhood Residents at acquire teacher certification in addition to employment opportunities in the public school system. |
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| 29 | COMPREHENSIVE CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Comprehensive Child Development Program was designed to provide early childhood education to Model Neighborhood children freeing the non-employed parents to seek employment. The program offered the following services to Model Neighborhood Residents:
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| 30 | COMPREHENSIVE CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM |
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| 31 | EMPLOYMENT SERVICE SYSTEM The Employment Service System had several components which provided a comprehensive service to the Model Neighborhood. The components of the Employment Service System are:
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| 32 | EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY Mobile Learning Lab The Learning Lab is a multi-media, multi-level communication skills system designed for use by under-educated adults, out-of school youths, and potential dropout. It is unlike the average classroom in that it provides for a highly motivating, stimulation, and exciting atmosphere for learning. This, it prevents student boredom and resultant failure. Being mobile makes it accessible to adults who must remain close to home because of small children and other reasons. The purpose of the Learning Lab is to provide residents with the opportunity to upgrade themselves educationally by teaching communication skills. |
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| 33 | ASHEVILLE MODEL CITIES AGENCY- BUDGET
SUMMARY [see image] |
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| 34 | [pie chart. see image] |
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PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION One of the major requirements of a city seeking a Model Cities Program was to make an application for a Planning Grant to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Asheville began preparation of its planning grant application in January 1968, through the Metropolitan Planning Board, in coordination with local units of government, civic organizations, public and private agencies. The major objective of the Planning Grant Application process was to establish and describe the general, social and physical conditions and causes which created the blight in the degenerated Model Neighborhood Area. The Planning Grant also required the City to develop a comprehensive treatment program designed to have an impact on a wide range of social and physical problems in the Model Neighborhood Area. During Asheville's Planning Grant Application process, the following major chronological events occurred: January-1968: March- 1968 November- 1968 January- 1969 January- 1969 April-1969 April -1969 July- 1969 September- 1969 October-1969 December- 1969 The major purpose of the Planning Grant was to establish a definitive need for a Model Citied Program in Asheville to treat the rapid Social and Physical deterioration of a section of the urban community. |
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"The Asheville Model
Cities Program, in only a short period of three years has become
increasingly involved in improving the quality of life in the City of
Asheville. It has addressed itself to the social, human, environmental,
and physical needs that are encountered by our community. In addressing
these needs we have recognized the enormity of our task. Among the most important developments to emerge from these efforts has been the meaningful involvement of citizens in the internal planning and policy-making processes of our community. City Hall is no longer a citadel of bureaucratic decision-making and often complacency. The results are visible and tangible. We have a community on the move, developing the sophisticated planning and management techniques to sustain the progress and capture the momentum generated through the Model Cities Program. Sixty years of physical and human deterioration and blight cannot be overcome except through the continuing efforts of a concerned community dedicated to 'improving the quality of urban life' in the Asheville community." |
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ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL Mayor Richard A. Wood, Jr. Vice-Mayor Calvin A. Marshall Councilmen: City Manager: Executive Director CDA: MODEL CITIES COMMISSIONERS Dr. Gene E. Rainey Chairman Elected Appointed |
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