Montreat Minute 12/13/24
Mayor’s Summary of the December 12, 2024 Town Council Meeting
Hello Montreaters-
On this cold December evening, we were delighted to see about a dozen residents and friends in attendance.
My summary follows below, but the official minutes will be in next month’s agenda packet. Of course, you can view tonight’s meeting recording by CLICKING HERE.
Public Forum
Seth Hagler, an MRA VP, shared a status update on the Lake Susan dredging progress. He said there were three phases of the project— primary dredging, wetlands development, and streambed restoration. The first phase has been completed and the contractor is working on the wetlands phase. Seth commented that the enormity of the project has increased significantly since the hurricane. Initial pre-hurricane estimates of the amount of mud and silt to be removed was 6,500 cubic yards. But after the hurricane, the actual amount removed has nearly quadrupled to 25,000 cubic yards.
To read the complete summary, CLICK HERE
Final Storm Debris Pick Up
The final storm debris pickup from private property will be next week. It’s important that any vegetative debris is taken to the shoulder of the road as soon as possible for the contractor to pick up. Call the Town if you have any questions: 828/669-8002.
Other Storm Updates
Activity in Montreat regarding Hurricane Helene continues. Here is a quick update on various activities:
- The mountain of storm debris on Welch Field will be removed soon. The debris is from town property and rights-of-way only, yet has created a pile nearly 30’ high (to reference the height, note the top of the backstop on the right in the photo above). FEMA is hiring a contractor to remove the debris to another site to be chipped. The original plan was to do the chipping on site. But the pile became much larger than expected and would create a public hazard if done on Welch Field. The Town is extremely grateful to MRA for allowing the use of the field.
- Adjacent to Welch Field the Texas Road pedestrian bridge once stood. It endured significant damage during the flooding and was too dangerous for use. Earlier this week, the bridge was demolished and the banks on each side of the creek were stabilized. We are hoping the bridge will be replaced at some point in the future. The $250,000 budgeted this year for bridge replacement was redirected to Hurricane Helene expenses.
- Greybeard Road was recently closed for a few days for water line replacement after the hurricane. That work is now complete. It is not just a repair, but a permanent installation.
- In terms of financial cost, since the hurricane the Town has spent $545,667 to date on hurricane related expenses (and it increases daily). Most of the funds have been spent on repairs. Permanent “fixes” are beginning to occur.
Donations toward storm relief now exceed $200,000, for which we are extremely grateful. The balance is being paid from the Texas Road Bridge redirected budget and the General Fund. We expect to be reimbursed from FEMA for up to 90% of our expenses. We will keep you updated.
Hurricane Relief Donations- Make a Gift in Someone’s Honor
Looking for a unique gift for someone? Make a donation to the Town of Montreat Hurricane Relief Fund in their honor and send them a card announcing your gift. The cards are preprinted with room for a note or your signature at the bottom. Cards are available by request from Angie Murphy ([email protected]) or by stopping by the Public Works building temporary administrative office.
Donations are helping us stay strong financially. CLICK HERE for instructions regarding how to make online donations and gifts by check. Pass the link on to friends who love Montreat and want to see it rebuilt. And don’t forget to get your cards.
Firewise Update: Important that You Read This
Congratulations, Montreat! Our town, once again has had its Firewise certification renewed for 2025. We have been in good standing every year since first earning this status in 2020. Thank you for cleaning debris from your property, pruning those flammable shrubs, keeping firewood away from your house, and cleaning out those gutters. Please keep reporting your hours to Nancy Midgette ([email protected]).
Most of our focus is on debris and flammable plants, but we need to keep in mind four factors that cause that debris to catch fire in the first place:
- Open burning – with just a little bit of wind, a small fire can get out of control very quickly. Buncombe County just placed a ban on open burning due to dry, windy conditions. We should never have an open burn in Montreat because of our wooded environment. This applies to outdoor fire pits/rings as well.
- Downed live power lines – can spark a fire quickly. If a tree falls on a line and then a chunk of the tree falls to the ground it, too, can cause a fire even if the line itself does not come down.
- Sparks from a chimney – can easily ignite nearby vegetation. Does your chimney have a screen covering that allows smoke, but not sparks, to escape? Are you sure? Most chimneys have a cover, but that is not the same thing as a screen. When you next have your chimney cleaned, ask the technician to check for a screen covering. And if you don’t have one, ask to have one installed.
- Ashes from wood stoves or fireplaces – can still be hot enough to start a fire. Recently, a Black Mountain resident dumped wood stove ashes out in his yard, thinking they were completely out. But with the high winds, the ashes were fanned and an ember resulted. Unfortunately, the embers turned into a brush fire and the fire completely destroyed his house. Dispose of ashes properly- in a metal container and make sure they are completely out.
We all need to remain vigilant! Remember – if you see smoke, there’s probably fire. Thanks for all you do to keep Montreat safe!
- Town administrative offices are temporarily located in the Public Works building while hurricane related renovations are being done at the Town Hall. Hours remain the same, 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.
- We are grateful to the Town and Public Works staff for the Herculean effort in picking up bulk items and hurricane debris. Sanitation Worker, Drew Brown, stated it is the largest pickup in his memory.
- Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!
- Do you receive Montreat Code Red alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If not and you would like to be added to the list, email [email protected] and provide your name and phone number to be called in the event of an emergency.
Questions or Comments?
Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Have a great weekend!