Montreat Minute for August 14, 2026
Mayor’s Summary of the August 13, 2026, Town Council Meeting
Greetings Montreaters,
We had a small but hardy group for our August meeting tonight. We appreciate their and everyone’s support for our Town.
I do these summaries so you know what is happening in Montreat immediately after our Town Council meeting and you don’t have to wait a month for the official minutes. You can also view tonight’s meeting recording by CLICKING HERE.
Public Forum
- Elizabeth Hamilton offered her appreciation to the people in our community, making Montreat a better place. She called out the Town staff as well as residents who do gardening on public grounds, those who raise funds for Town related projects, others who pick up trash, and so much more. She said Montreat is a wonderful place to live.
To read more, CLICK HERE
Suggestions for Bear Proofing
The Town posted a list of bear resistant trash containers and systems (CLICK HERE for the list) you can generally depend on to be bear resistant. But many residents have trash containment systems already in place that don’t necessarily need to be replaced but would benefit from some bear proofing.
Bears have uncanny strength. No doubt you have seen trash containment systems with lids bent up, allowing bears to get into the box or drum.
If you have a box, securing it with a padlock clasp on both front ends (or sides) and locking it with heavy duty carabiners or clips will generally keep bears from bending the corners up.
Notice the two padlock hasps on each end of the front to keep bears from peeling the lid back.
If you have a drum system, bears love to peel the top back like a tuna fish can as demonstrated below.
More recent models have steel reinforcement along the edge of the lid and the top edge of the can. You can add extra padlock clasps to each side of the barrel to make it more difficult for the bears.
Notice the two padlock hasps preventing a bear from peeling the lid back.
How do you know if you have a bear resistant container? Have it certified! Email trash@townofmontreat.org and ask that your container(s) be checked and certified. Include your name and street address. If they are bear resistant, a “Bear Aware” sticker will be affixed to your container(s). If not, you will be emailed as to what you need to do to make the container(s) bear resistant.
Need help making it bear resistant? The Town has arranged with several private individuals who can make alterations to containers. They will bill you directly. To make arrangements, again email trash@townofmontreat.org.
If you have questions, email trash@townofmontreat.org or call 828/669-8002, ext. 1.
FEMA Update
We’re pleased to share that our Hurricane Helene recovery efforts continue to make steady progress. Of the Town’s FEMA Public Assistance projects, all but two have now been obligated by FEMA. A “project” is not necessarily just one incident location. FEMA bundles similar projects together as a single project.
When a project is obligated, it means FEMA has completed its review, approved the project for funding, and set aside the federal funds for reimbursement. While obligation is a significant milestone, the Town must still complete the work and submit documentation before receiving reimbursement. Thus far, FEMA has obligated 23 different projects with a total repair cost of $4,328,788.
The remaining two projects for which we are awaiting obligation are our culvert repairs and embankment stabilization.
The culvert project entails eight different culverts around Town. The project is currently undergoing FEMA’s required Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) review. This is a mandatory federal review for all applicable FEMA-funded projects to ensure the proposed work complies with environmental regulations and protects historic and cultural resources before construction can proceed.
Unfortunately, our request for FEMA assistance for the embankment failure repairs was initially denied. We submitted four individual sites with severe embankment failure and they denied all four. In general, FEMA has a very high threshold for funding embankment failures and does not typically approve these projects unless there is a demonstrated threat to critical infrastructure. The Town believes these projects meet that standard because of the risk posed to essential public infrastructure. The Town is working closely with an engineer to prepare and submit an appeal, providing additional technical information to support our request for funding.
We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue navigating the FEMA process. While recovery takes time, each approved project brings us one step closer to restoring our community’s infrastructure and beauty.
Updates and Reminders
- Last week the Montreat Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend to the Montreat Town Council adoption of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) proposal by MRA for the lodge project. The Town Council will consider it at a future Council meeting. For more information, CLICK HERE for the recording of the P&Z meeting.
- 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!
