For Transylvania County property owners still needing help to remove Hurricane Helene storm debris, county officials have changed contractors and will start using a newly formed state program.
The change comes after the federal funding that was being used to pay the Army Corps of Engineers ran out, according to the county, which announced a temporary pause June 30. Then, on July 8, the county announced that the funding had again been made available.
At Monday’s commission meeting, officials approved a memorandum of agreement with the North Carolina Department of Emergency Services State Mission Assigned Recovery Taskforce.
The Army Corps funding initially slated for Transylvania can now go to another Western North Carolina county that is completing work under the federal program.
The Services State Mission Assigned Recovery Taskforce, or SMART, program allows local governments to partner with the state’s Department of Emergency Services to take over management of remaining debris removal.
Residents who have applied for private property debris removal do not need to take any further action, as their applications will be transferred to the state.
Transylvania County officials said they are currently processing 412 applications for private property debris removal. That’s in addition to ongoing waterway and roadway debris removal programs.
The county also recently partnered with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to clear roadways of remaining debris.
