From park projects to business support, Morganton keeps focus on resiliency post-Helene

Morganton leaders are moving forward with rebuilding Catawba Meadows Park’s maintenance facility after Hurricane Helene, using federal recovery funds to construct a safer, more resilient facility while freeing up $1.5 million for further improvements.

On Monday, the city council approved a construction contract for the new maintenance facility, which will replace two buildings that were heavily damaged during the storm. Rather than rebuild in the same vulnerable location, city staff chose to construct the single facility closer to the main road, Sanford Drive.

The city received about $4.5 million in reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild the buildings to their pre-storm condition. Since city staff opted to build the single facility, the project will cost about $3 million, leaving roughly $1.5 million available for additional recovery projects.

These projects could include restoration of Catawba Meadows Park and the Catawba River Soccer Complex, greenway, and raw water intake, but because the city is still waiting on fully engineered plans and bids for these projects, it’s still not clear where exactly the funds will go, according to Assistant City Manager Rob Winkler.

Domokur + Associates, PLLC of Brevard completed engineering for the project, and V. Stewart McKee General Contractors of Morganton was selected from six other bidders to handle construction. The facility will store Parks and Recreation maintenance equipment and is expected to serve the department for decades, according to Winkler.

Relocating the facility outside of the floodplain will help prevent future storm damage, Winkler said.

“As you know, two buildings sustained incredible damage through Helene,” Winkler said, noting one building was completely wiped off its foundation and the other went through significant flooding and is structurally unsound.

ADDITIONAL RECOVERY FUNDING OPTIONS

The council also held a public hearing on potential Community Development Block Grant funding, which can support neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure improvements, housing, demolition projects, and disaster recovery.

City Manager Sally Sandy said staff are planning to pursue additional funding for recovery projects and infrastructure upgrades, including for water and sewer projects. No one spoke during the public hearing, and the city council will hold a second public hearing once there are specific project proposals.

“This is a marathon,” said Ben Willis of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments. “We just want to make sure that the city is well positioned to be able to take advantage of every cent available.”

CHANGES TO SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAMS

Council members also approved updates to the city’s Main Street Loan Program and the CDBG-Entitlement Small Business Loan Program, setting expectations for repayment if a business defaults before its five-year mark.

Both programs, according to Sandy, have supported development and opportunity in the Morganton community. Though Sandy said there’s a very low default rate with the programs, updates provide clearer expectations based on whether a business defaults within the first three years of a loan agreement or between year three and year five of the loan agreement.

If a business defaults within the first three years of being open, they will be given a 30-day period to pay the remaining loan balance with no additional interest or they can choose a 12-month repayment plan for the remaining balance at a 4% interest rate, which could change depending on the economy, Sandy said.

For those that default between year three and five, the business owner would be given a 30-day period to pay a pro-rated portion of the remaining portion of the loan balance with no interest. The pro-rate would be based on years of being in compliance with the terms of the loan agreement. The business owner could also choose the 12-month repayment plan for the remaining balance at a 4% interest rate.

For small businesses, making it past the five-year mark sets the tone, Sandy said.

“Historically, if the business makes it five years, they’re over the hump and we’ve got a good chance of them being a successful business in your community,” Sandy said.