Black Mountain council reviews $27 million damage inventory, approves Hilltop Road stabilization

Assistant Manager Jessica Trotman told the Black Mountain Town Council on a recovery update that the town's preliminary damage inventory (DI) totals a little over $27,000,000, and that amount is a high-level estimate used to start project development with FEMA and the state.

The DI is not a lump sum the town can spend immediately, Trotman said. “We do not have $28,000,000,” she told the council, adding that the DI is a “very high level summary of damages” used to schedule site inspections and create projects for federal review and potential reimbursement.

Why it matters: The DI determines which projects the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State will review for public assistance and which items the town will need to advance with its own funds until reimbursements are processed. Trotman warned that federal reimbursement rules apply to projects funded up-front and that insurance proceeds reduce FEMA reimbursements on the same items.

Trotman outlined the major funding streams and constraints the town is tracking: FEMA public assistance (a reimbursement model), a state cash-flow loan program (she said there’s currently $100,000,000 in the state pot), a DEQ loan restricted to water system and green infrastructure, insurance proceeds (about $2,100,000 received so far), grants, private lending and philanthropic support. She said the…