Montreat Minute 6/20/25

June 20, 2025

Hurricane Progress Update

A few weeks ago, we gave a Hurricane Helene Progress Update. Here’s the latest.

A yellow excavator sits atop a large pile of cut tree branches and logs, with a green Welch Field sign in the foreground. Trees with autumn foliage are visible in the background.

Welch Field in October 2024…    

A grassy field bordered by trees and a wooden fence, with a sign reading “Welch Field” on the right side under the shade of a large tree. The sky is blue with scattered clouds.

And Welch Field today!

  • Welch Field has never looked better. It was used for debris staging, with more than 8,000 cubic yards of debris piled 25’ high. After it was removed to be chipped, the Town’s Public Works team went to work cleaning up the remaining debris, removing rocks, grading the entire field, top dressing it, and hydroseeding it. Today, adults and children enjoy the refurbished field, not knowing what it looked like just four months ago. Old time Montreaters can’t call it the “dust bowl” anymore!
  • After the streambank stabilization was completed between the dam and Lookout Road, new guardrails were installed. Gone are the old and unattractive guardrails, replaced with wooden rails. New split rail fences are popping up around town replacing those destroyed by the hurricane.
  • Town Manager Savannah Parrish announced that the Town received its first FEMA payment for work done on hurricane restoration. The payment was $24,801. Now, only $11,975,199 more to come!

Monte is Back!

A small, black-and-white spotted stuffed bird with a red beak is perched on a brown wooden railing near a stone bridge and a shallow stream.

After nearly 10 months of rest, Monte has returned! You may remember that last summer, Monte wandered around Montreat, with residents guessing where he was located.

The good news is that Monte made it safely through the hurricane. He bravely roosted on a high bookshelf in Town Hall until the water receded.

This year Monte has decided he will be the eyes on the street for Montreaters. He will be reporting on Hurricane Helene work and repairs, safety issues, bears, and other important information Montreaters need to know about. So, be ready for Monte next week!

Sign up for the CPR Class- Only a Few Openings Left

People practicing CPR chest compressions on training mannequins during a first aid or CPR training session, focusing on proper hand placement and technique.

The Montreat Police Department is offering a free CPR class for Montreaters on July 10th from 9-11am in the Town Hall Community Room. The class will be taught by Montreat police officer Justyn Whitson, who is certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) to teach Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support classes.

If you have not updated your CPR training in at least five years, take the course to learn the new updated CPR procedures.

Although the class is free, if you want to be certified, there is a $20 fee for certification, which Justyn recommends. To register, write Justyn at jwhitson@townofmontreat.org. We thank the MPD for offering this extremely important class. But do it fast, there are only a few openings left.

Water Rate Increases July 1

A hand holding a glass under a running kitchen faucet, filling the glass with water. The faucet is silver and mounted on a metal sink in front of white tiled wall.

The Town is announcing a water rate increase for fiscal ‘25-’26 beginning July 1. Water bills have two charge components: a water access fee and a water consumption fee. Water access fees will increase 31 cents per month while water consumption will increase 31 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used. Given average residential water consumption, property owners can expect a total increase of approximately $9.26 per year. The last increase was in July 2023.

The Metropolitan Sewerage District announced they will increase sewer fees and maintenance fees on July 1 by 5%.

Montreat Adult Summer Club Summer Speakers

A yellow banner with bold letters reads Montreat Adult Summer Club in black and green, with a jagged yellow sunburst design on the right side.

The Montreat Adult Summer Club has announced its lineup for its July summer speaker series starting on July 9 for three successive Wednesdays. Here’s the schedule:

July 9: David Fleming, author of Who’s Your Founding Father? David will speak about his research in uncovering the first true Declaration of Independence, often referred to as the Mecklenburg Declaration.

July 16: Righton McCallum, Montreat’s own Scottish expert, will share her knowledge about Scottish migration and life in the United States and, particularly, in Western North Carolina.

July 23: Gary Overton, a retired executive in the exciting Nashville country music scene, will provide an Insider’s view of the Nashville Music Industry, including his experience as head of Sony Music Nashville and EMI Music, as well as so much more.

Summer Club programs are free and begin at 2:30pm in Upper Anderson, followed by refreshments. Put these dates into your calendar now.

Updates and Reminders

A hand is writing the word REMINDERS in black marker, with a red underline, on a white background.
  • The Montreat Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, June 26th, at 5:00pm, in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed and all are invited to attend. For agenda items and streaming instructions, CLICK HERE.
  • Remember to keep car and house doors locked. Bears have entered several homes and multiple vehicles this year looking for food.
  • Tickets for the Cottagers’ annual 4th of July Barbeque will be on sale starting Monday, June 23rd from 9:00am to noon at the Post Office.
  • The Presbyterian Heritage Center continues to offer a weekly writing class: “Stories from the Storm” every Wednesday from 2;30-3:30pm  in June and July at the PHC, 318 Georgia Terrace. CLICK HERE to register.
  • 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 Redalerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane and wildfires? To learn more about Code Red or to be added to the list, CLICK HERE.

Questions or Comments?

Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angie Murphy at info@townofmontreat.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!