Haywood County authorizes Southern Disaster Recovery to begin emergency stream and private-property debris removal

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize the county manager to issue a notice to proceed to Southern Disaster Recovery (SDR) to begin emergency stream debris removal and private-property debris removal for sites already approved by state and FEMA reviewers.

The action came after presentations and questions from SDR President Chip Patterson, Joe Stanton of North Carolina Emergency Management and Benjamin "Benji" Abbott, a federal coordinating officer assigned to the recovery. Commissioners emphasized speed, use of local contractors where practicable and careful documentation to secure federal and state reimbursement.

SDR President Chip Patterson said the contractor is prepared to begin work on the first approved stretch of the Pigeon River within about a week, pending issuance of rights of entry. "We'll be tooling up first to be able to go and start the debris clearance, mobilize them for that right away, in order to be in the water within the week," Patterson said. He told the board SDR's waterway work is performed in two phases: an initial in-stream clearance using different equipment, followed by a haul/load phase that resembles right-of-way debris removal.

Patterson said state and FEMA determinations identified four drainages in Haywood County for the emergency program; the first Pigeon River package accounts for roughly 22 sites cleared for permitting and eligibility review. He described the debris stream covered by the contract as woody vegetative material, construction and demolition material, vessels and appliances—the same waste streams his crews removed after Tropical Storm Fred.

Assistant Director Joe Stanton of North Carolina Emergency Management outlined eligibility and timing constraints, including that this emergency phase is intended to address "imminent threat" to public infrastructure such as bridges and roads and is more limited than the longer-term Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) work. Stanton said EWP funding for hurricane-related work was not currently available from USDA at the time of the meeting and that EWP is a subsequent phase that can expand cleanup beyond the emergency-limited footprints.

Benjamin Abbott, the federal coordinating officer representing FEMA's public-assistance cadre, told the board federal and state teams are working to speed reimbursements. Abbott said the Disaster Relief Fund has been replenished and that the joint field office will seek ways to expedite obligations and payments, including a state pilot for advance payments. "We will be here for the long term," Abbott said. "We have pushed our team to make sure [we] find a way to get to yes, and we need to do that expeditiously."

Commissioners and staff pressed SDR on use of local subcontractors. Patterson described outreach steps SDR has used in other counties—workshop meetings for local contractors to brief them on requirements, equipment needs and insurance expectations—and said SDR intends to engage local firms where feasible. Patterson said typical initial mobilization will require roughly 20–25 pieces of equipment for in-stream clearance and about 10 haul trucks for the load-and-haul phase; mobilization and rights-of-entry work together take about a week to 10 days.

Board members also discussed risks and safeguards. Patterson said crews will document additional sites that emerge as work proceeds; those would be submitted to the joint field office for quick review and, if approved, added to the contract. He added that in-water operations require temporary ingress and egress across private property and that restoration of those access points and compliance with MPDES (Multi-Sector or state permitting requirements) will be part of work plans.

After questions and discussion, a commissioner moved to proceed with SDR and another commissioner seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

The board's authorization covers the emergency stream debris removal package tied to the 22 approved Pigeon River sites and allows the county manager to sign related documents and begin rights-of-entry and contractor workshops. The county retains oversight responsibility to ensure documentation and compliance required for state and federal reimbursement.

The board's choice leaves available the alternative of requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform the work; state and federal staff reminded the board that Corps-led projects typically involve longer assessment, procurement and contracting timelines (commonly 30–60 days) and can be more expensive. County staff and some commissioners said timeliness and local contractor participation were key factors in choosing SDR.

The county also approved the consent agenda and two reappointments to the Smoky Mountain Event Center board earlier in the meeting.