City of Morganton awards contracts to push Helene recovery projects forward

As Western North Carolina approaches a year since Hurricane Helene swept through and devastated many homes, businesses, infrastructure, and natural areas, communities are still recovering and Morganton is no different. The city has been putting projects out for bid and awarding contracts, while asking for patience in the process.

The City of Morganton is pushing projects along to provide stronger water infrastructure and repair parks and green spaces, awarding several contracts within the last week. Mayor Pro Tempore Wendy Cato emphasized the long-term impact of Helene, noting that rebuilding decade-old infrastructure takes more than a single year.

DAMAGES AND REIMBURSEMENT

City Manager Sally Sandy gave an overview of where the city stands with total damages and efforts to receive funding, which she does at each monthly meeting. The most recent update in total damages to public infrastructure, she said, is running at about $42.5 million.

She said the city has received around $2.5 million so far through property and flood insurance provided by the League of Municipalities. The city has also received $1.7 million from FEMA. The city is awaiting an additional $120,000 from FEMA, leaving about $38 million in recovery needs still unfunded.

Sandy said that the city has completed applications for another $1.6 million from FEMA, though the funding has yet to be approved.

“As you’ll see, meeting by meeting, we are starting to award engineering for some of the larger rehab and rebuild projects,” Sandy said, adding that the city is also hiring more engineers.

The city has also received $844,000 in reimbursement for the electric department, covering what Morganton paid to other cities that provided mutual aid after the storm. She said the city is still working to get about $2.7 to $3 million from FEMA, which is what Morganton spent on electricity.

HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY PROJECTS

• Boardwalk replacement is still in design and is estimated to cost $3 million for the new 800-foot-by-15-foot boardwalk. The project will go out for bid after the design is complete.
• Rocky Ford Access repair has not made it to the design phase yet, but the city is pursuing engineering and permitting opportunities and will request funding from FEMA.
• The soccer fields at Catawba Meadows, which are still unusable, could be repaired soon. The city has extended an RFQ (request for quotation) to bring back to the city council at its September meeting. The plan is to award a contract to an engineer and then search for a turf rebuilder.
• Shuey Park still needs repairs to the exterior and interior of the buildings. These repairs include HVAC replacement, hot water heater replacement, and roof repairs. The contract has been awarded to Heritage Construction and Design in Morganton.
• The Silver Creek Pump Station Improvement Project construction is underway and will make the pump station more resilient by adding new pumps and electrical work, and the controls and electrical equipment will be lifted above the flood line. The facility will be more compact and considerably taller. The city approved an amendment extending the contract for construction administration with Highfill Engineering from 270 to 450 days.
• The Raw Water Pump Station at the water plant will receive several improvements to make the station more resilient in flood events. About 75-80% of the station was underwater during Helene and swift water rescue had to transport city employees to the station to evaluate the facility after the storm. To make the station more resilient, all of the electrical components will be raised to the second floor of the station out of the flood zone, the emergency pump will be replaced, and an elevated employee walkway will be constructed so that operators can access the top of the station during a flood event to conduct a visual inspection. The city has awarded an engineering and design contract to Garver Engineering, though the project has not yet started.

GENERAL WATER IMPROVEMENTS

Unrelated to Hurricane Helene, Water Resources Director Brad Boris said the city has had designs for the Water Plant Sedimentation Basin Improvement Project ready for some time, but was waiting to secure funding before moving forward. The project will include an electrical upgrade and adding plate settlers to the basins, which Boris said will slow the water down to allow for a better settling process.

“Right now, water just flows through the sedimentation basins naturally and the plant was designed to treat water and it’s doing a good job, but as technology has improved, settling mechanisms like plate settlers, they’re basically just an improvement to the process to make it more efficient and allow us to get better water quality,” Boris said.

The city approved a contract with Locke-Lane Construction for the project and Boris said the work is expected to start in the next couple of weeks.