Morganton outlines $42.5 million in public-infrastructure damages from Hurricane Helene; multiple repair contracts approved

Sally Sandy, city manager for Morganton, told the City Council on Aug. 4 that initial estimates put public-infrastructure damages from Hurricane Helene at about $42.5 million and described ongoing efforts to secure insurance and federal reimbursements and to start reconstruction.

The city manager said the municipality has received roughly $2.5 million from insurance and $1,711,000 from FEMA for projects already approved by the agency, and that the state has obligated another $120,000 that the city is waiting to receive. "There's about another 1,600,000 that we have signed applications and done what we believe is complete to turn those into FEMA, but they have not yet approved those and sent them up the chain to be paid," Sandy said. She added that roughly $35 million to $38 million in damage remains to be funded.

Council members approved several contract awards and amendments tied to storm recovery and longer-running water- and sewer-system projects during the meeting. Key actions included:

- A resolution accepting state drinking-water infrastructure funds for the Silver Creek project (state award described in the consent agenda). The consent motion included acceptance of state funds tied to the Silver Creek project and was approved on a voice vote as part of the consent agenda.

- Amendment No. 3 to the engineering contract for the Silver Creek pump station upgrade with Highfill (transcript variants include “Hyfel”/“High Fuel” in places) for construction-administration and observation services, not to exceed $190,700. The council approved the amendment by voice vote.

- Award of a contract for engineering services for the raw-water intake/pump station to Garver Engineering (transcript also referenced the contractor as “Garner Engineering” in the motion) for up to $395,152; the motion passed by voice vote.

- Approval of contract awards for water plant sedimentation/basin improvements: the council approved an award to Lock Lane Construction for $6,382,363 with a $320,000 contingency, and subsequently approved a project-budget amendment of $807,263 and a transfer of $242,919 in electric funds to cover electrical improvements at the plant. The council also approved an amendment to the engineer’s contract (Highfill/Highfield variants in the transcript) for construction-administration services for the sedimentation project, not to exceed $229,600.

- Smaller repair and replacement contracts tied to storm damage: an award to Smart Electric Company for work at the wastewater influent pump station (not to exceed $55,873); a contract to Maynard Electric Company for electrical repairs at four sewer lift stations (Catawba Meadows, Doe Run, Lost Corners and Powerhouse Road) not to exceed $147,276; and a contract to Heritage Construction & Design of Morganton for interior and exterior repairs at Shuey Park, $129,900 plus a 5% contingency ($6,495).

Sally Sandy said the city is issuing RFQs for larger rehabilitation projects and is beginning to award engineering contracts to move construction forward. She said the Greenway boardwalk design is nearing bid-ready status with a construction estimate in the neighborhood of $3 million for an 800-by-15-foot boardwalk segment, and that larger parks including Catawba Meadows and the soccer complex remain a priority.

Brad (identified in the meeting as the project engineer who worked with Garver Engineering) described the raw-water pump-station work to be funded if the council approves the recommended contract. He said engineers will design a walkway above anticipated flood levels, perform vibration analysis on pumps to check for sediment damage, raise electrical equipment within the structure, and likely replace an emergency pump damaged by the storm.

Sandy emphasized the complexity of FEMA reimbursements and described the level of detail FEMA is requiring for mutual-aid and in‑house labor reimbursement claims, including dates, GPS coordinates, and itemized labor and material descriptions. "That's the detail you have to give them to get a reimbursement," she said.

The council’s approvals will allow staff to proceed with contract execution and to pursue additional reimbursement from FEMA and the state for eligible work. Several projects will use a combination of state drinking-water appropriations, electric department funds, insurance proceeds and other city resources.

Ending

Council members emphasized the multi-source funding approach and the lengthy timeline for large reconstruction efforts. Sandy said the work will proceed project by project and that some contracts would come back to the council for awards and budget adjustments as designs and bids are finalized.