Montreat Minute for April 24, 2026
Montreat Names New Police Chief
Yesterday, Town Manager Savannah Parrish announced that Justyn Whitson has been named Montreat Police Department’s new Police Chief, effective Monday, April 27. In commenting on his promotion, Savannah stated, “Justyn knows and loves Montreat, and I expect that he will have a long and successful tenure in his new role.”
Justyn has served as a full-time officer in Montreat since December 2024. But his experience and relationship with Montreat goes back more than 15 years. He came to Montreat in 2011 as a reserve officer then a full-time Patrol Officer in 2012. Justyn had been teaching Emergency Medical Training at AB Tech and continued to do so when he came to Montreat. He also became certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) to teach Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support classes. He also became the AHA’s Training Center Coordinator, overseeing 160 AHA instructors.
In 2019, he left the Montreat Police Department and began a teaching/training consulting business. Although he enjoyed life as a patrol officer, he appreciated moving from “reactive” responsibilities to “proactive” responsibilities in teaching.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue the mission and vision of the department for all members of the MPD”, Jason stated. “And I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship-building with Montreat’s residents and visitors.”
We are indebted to Captain Tim Bradley who served as Interim Police Chief after Chief Jeff Eaton left in the fall.
Make sure to congratulate Justyn when you see him around town.
State Revolving Funds Award
As announced last week, Montreat has officially been awarded $4.8 million in State Revolving Fund (SRF) funding to support critical water infrastructure improvements. Even more exciting, this funding comes as 100% principal forgiveness, meaning it will not need to be repaid.
This significant investment allows the Town to move forward with much-needed upgrades that might otherwise have taken decades to complete. It represents a major step forward in ensuring the reliability, safety, and long-term sustainability of Montreat’s water system.
A big thank you to Town Manager Savannah Parrish and Jarod McIntosh, our Senior Water Operator, for their leadership and collaboration with our consultants in delivering a strong, high-quality application.
Speaking of Water…
Montreat enjoys its own independent, reliable water system as evidenced by the effects of Hurricane Helene when Montreat was without water for only 10 days (even before Duke Power had electricity fixed) while Asheville and other municipalities were without water for more than six weeks! Nonetheless, our water distribution can be “quirky”.
Recently, Montreat’s Financial Officer, Rachel Eddings, prepared an informative and colorful infographic to help inform property owners about water issues. The graphic touches on responsibility (you and the Town), leak issues, and conservation. To download a copy of the infographic, CLICK HERE, And, thanks to Rachel for providing this helpful document.
Sanitation Ordinance Q & A
Recently we began sharing Sanitation Ordinance Q & A’s to keep Montreaters informed about the newly revised ordinance. For questions about the revisions, please contact Town staff by email trash@townofmontreat.org or call 828/669-8002. Please Note: there will be a community wide sanitation ordinance meeting on Thursday, May 7th, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm in the Town Hall Community Room.
Here are more Q&A’s from the Q & A document. CLICK HERE for a copy of the entire document,. We will soon be posting a section on the website including all the Q&As, a list of approved BRC containers and systems, and other important information.
Q: Will I be required to have both a BRC and a BRC permanent system?
A: No. You can roll your BRC out to the curb on pickup day and as long as all your solid waste and recyclables are inside your BRC, that is all you need. If you prefer to have a BRC system, you will not need to purchase a bear resistant container as long as you place all your solid waste and recyclables into the BRC system and nothing else is on the curb awaiting pickup.
Q: My neighbor has a construction job-box that she uses for a permanent BRC system. Is that OK?
A: It depends. There are several important factors to making a job-box truly bear resistant. Some of those factors include:
- The thickness of the metal or other material of the box. The thicker and sturdier the better. Bears can peel back metal sheeting like a can opener and chew through wood like a beaver.
- Anchoring the box into a concrete pad or several thick (4×4 at least) posts that are sunk several feet into cement.
- A dependable double locking system that cannot be thwarted by bears.
Buncombe County Candidate Information Session April 28th
Buncombe County Election Services will be conducting an information session on April 28th, at the Black Mountain Library for those interested in running for office in Montreat this November. Three Commissioner seats will be up for election. The meeting will be at the Black Mountain Library from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
The candidate filing period for Montreat starts at noon on Monday, July 6th and runs until noon on Friday, July 17th. This information session is to teach the basics of opening a candidate committee and complying with campaign finance requirements while running for office.
To RSVP, CLICK HERE. All are welcome to attend.
Montreat Cottager Spring Volunteer Project May 8th
Join other cottagers on Friday, May 8th at 9:00 am at the Gate to help plant a variety of flowers that will not only enhance the beauty of our town but also attract local pollinators, supporting the health of our ecosystem. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow cottagers, share gardening tips, and enjoy a sunny day outdoors.
For a copy of the flyer, CLICK HERE. Please RSVP to Beth Casper at casperbeth1@gmail.com.
Updates and Reminders
- A reminder that the North Carolina Forest Service still has a statewide open burning ban due to extreme fire danger conditions including low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels. There is still an abundance of fire fuel on the ground as a result of the hurricane, creating ideal conditions for uncontrolled wildfires. Be sure to clear debris, including downed trees, limbs, leaves and other fuel, from your own property to provide a defensive barrier for your home.
- The Sign Ordinance Subcommittee and Town Council will hold a joint workshop on May 1 at 10:00 a.m. in Town Hall.
- 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 CodeRED alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If not, CLICK HERE to register and ensure you will be contacted 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 info@townofmontreat.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Have a good weekend!
