Asheville Citizen Times
HOT SPRINGS - The town of Hot Springs has suffered a roughly $300,000 shortfall due to Tropical Storm Helene and is in danger of not reaching its budget.
In the Hot Springs Town Board's April 14 meeting, board member Jeanne Gentry said Helene wiped out its water and tax records and software.
"Our Water Fund, the budget, is in very bad shape," Gentry said in the meeting.
In its 2024-25 Water and Sewer Fund budget, the town budgeted $356,500 in total appropriations.
"We went from $300,000 in the account, to $33,000," Gentry said. "But a lot of that got paid out, so we're hoping that we can be reimbursed for that. It does take some time, so we'll just keep our fingers crossed."
According to Gentry, the town is awaiting reimbursement of a bridge loan.
But if the town doesn't get reimbursed for its Helene expenses in time for the budget, it could be looking at the first budget shortfall in the town's history.
As part of the system rebuild, the board unanimously approved paying $600 for Southern Software to provide on-site training on the town's tax and water software throughout two days.
According to Gentry, Hot Springs Tax Collector Laura Holloway is performing an audit of the accounts.
Gentry said the town had no way to bill for October water usage, as the maintenance crew was performing meter assessments when Helene made landfall Sept. 26.
Maintenance Supervisor Jeremy Trantham said "the books all washed away," causing the town to start new records of its water bills in December.
"We were starting over," Trantham said.
Additionally, the town has cut off water at three residences, as the residents owed more than $500 in water bills.
"We have to be able to collect. It's a business, and we understand that some people are out of work," Gentry said. "Everybody's had trouble in this town. Everybody. We understand also there are agencies that help some people. Samaritan's Purse is one of them."
The town's water supply was not the only town infrastructure that was impacted in Helene's floods, as the town's main wastewater treatment plant was compromised in the storm.
State and federal officials, including EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber, visited Marshall and Hot Springs' wastewater treatment plants March 12.
McGill Associates, the engineering firm Hot Springs works with, recommended the town accept Integrative Water Services' bid for two package plans totaling nearly $2.2 million.
The board approved the package, which includes $96,000 for technical assistance for one year.
According to Mayor Abby Norton, the $2.2 million will be paid by the UNC Collaboratory
"They're already in Spruce Pine, so there won't be a charge to bring them on site, and there won't be a delay," Mayor Abby Norton said.
The North Carolina Collaboratory at UNC Chapel Hill will pay the $2.2 million out of the $4 million grant it awarded Hot Springs in 2023 for a new wastewater treatment plant, Norton said.
The collaboratory, in partnership with the UNC Environmental Finance Center, reviewed the application submitted by the town of Hot Springs for a proposed wastewater project and determined this project is eligible to receive grant funding under the Innovative Highly Treated Wastewater Pilot Program, Norton said.
The grant will allow the town to build a plant with a 200,000-gallon capacity, as the town had experienced problems with overflow relating to faulty overflow meters.
Fire department updates
Hot Springs Fire Chief Josh Norton said he plans to apply for a $500,000 disaster preparedness grant to assist the Spring Creek community with equipment, including a mobile command trailer, radios, and possibly a truck.
The board also approved Rebuilding Hot Springs Area Executive Director T.J. Phillips' request for Appalachian Trail markers to commemorate Earl Shaffer, the first hiker to thru-hike the Trail.
The Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, ranging from Maine to Georgia. The trail spans nearly 2,200 miles. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.
The weekend of May 3-4, Hot Springs will host its revamped Town and Trailfest event produced by Rebuild Hot Springs Area. The festival is meant to be a celebration of not only the Appalachian Trail but of Hot Springs, Madison County and Appalachian culture, Phillips said.
According to Phillips, Town and Trailfest will feature an appearance from Shaffer's nephew, David.
Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or [email protected].