Canton leaders re-imagine their town

Feb. 2—CANTON — As the Canton governing board gathered with key administrators Thursday for a work session and preliminary budget planning session, the enormity of the task ahead took root.

For the past several years, Mayor Zeb Smathers and board members Gail Mull, Ralph Hamlett, Kristina Smith and Tim Shepard have discussed their vision for Canton at these type of meetings, then adopted a budget to will help the goals be accomplished.

That process started for the 2022-23 fiscal year Thursday, but with an extra challenge of re-envisioning what the town will look like for decades to come.

Tropical Storm Fred saw to that. When the Pigeon River swelled out of its banks last August and floodwater hit the 5- and 6-feet mark in municipal buildings, it was deja vu for those who were around for the 2004 back-to-back flooding that similarly rendered town buildings unusable for months and months.

With changed federal rules for getting flooding disaster assistance, along with the realization that it's a matter of "when, not if" another flood strikes, Canton leaders are exploring ways the federal rebuilding funds will advance their vision for the town's future.

Town Manager Nick Scheuer guided the visioning portion of the day-long meeting held at Aramark in the Beaverdam Industrial Park, while Finance Director Natalie Walker led the budget part.

Scheuer said the town is "deep in process," of accessing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding.

"We're probably 25 to 30% through the precess," he said. "The silver lining is the amazing opportunities on the other side."

Smith spoke of the opportunities opened by Chestnut Mountain Park which is expected to attract visitors from all parts of the state and beyond, and how it can become the entrance to a recreation corridor for visitors who turn left and enjoy all that Canton will offer.

If the town facilities along the river become part of the FEMA buyout program, it could create a stretch of family friendly riverfront property offering multiple recreation and event opportunities, she said.

Smathers said this is a once in a generation opportunity to help ensure Canton embodies "the hometown of tomorrow."

Shepard spoke of the tremendous tourism potential of the Colonial, which could be leased out to a company committed to making full use of the building. This would take a burden off the town to manage it, plus generate revenue, he said.

The same opportunities exist with the Canton armory, Scheuer said, noting a commercial kitchen would open up the event space, not to mention the myriad possibilities for the second floor.

The how of it all

The town has between $15 million and $17 million in damages to town property, and expects FEMA funding and insurance to cover a large part of the costs. Exactly how the funds will be used — to repair, rebuild or relocate — are the looming questions.

Scheuer's presentation addressed repairing the armory by putting in polished concrete flooring as opposed to the wood flooring that buckled when it was flooded for a third time, and making needed repairs to the historic Colonial Theater, also using materials less susceptible to flood damage.

The outdoor recreation opportunities that existed pre-flood are well on their way to being repaired, he said, referencing the dog park, the Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center and the previously planned improvements at Sorrells Street Park where a splash pad, shade sales and other amenities will be constructed starting this spring with a Labor Day completion date.

The town is planing an all-abilities playground that will be expanded, and perhaps relocated within the town's recreation park. The Waynesville Kiwanis Club is helping spearhead the fundraising effort for this project.

That leaves the big question of what to do about the town municipal building, which housed the administrative offices and the police department. The fire department, with its concrete floors and rolling equipment that is fairly easily moved and is next to town hall, is projected to remain where it's at.

Scheuer floated the possibility of acquiring other buildings to remodel, which would drastically reduce the turnaround time.

"If we're able to identify a building, even if split up town hall and the police department, it would be a relatively turnkey operation so, instead of 36 months, it would be 15-18 months," Scheuer said.

As the insurance and FEMA funds become available, the board agreed the top priority needed to be getting the town hall and police department offices settled, with needs at buildings such as the Colonial Theater, the armory, the museum and Camp Hope, where three existing cabins were swept away and the bathhouse area is unusable, addressed later.

Revenue, expenses up

The good news is revenue is up for this year's budget. Tax collections are at 93% and anticipated to reach 99%; sales tax is up $73,000 at this point and there's $220,000 more is property taxes following the recent revaluation.

The N.C. General Assembly provided $9 million in funding for water and sewer needs; there's a statewide unmet needs account for flood recovery, and grants are rolling in to develop Chestnut Mountain Park, which will open in April.

State funding for streets is $160,000 annually, and $100,000 goes toward operational costs. That leaves enough money to pave 14,409 square yards, or less than a mile. That doesn't cover current needs, Scheuer said.

One dedicated revenue possibility is a $30 motor vehicle tax that would raise an estimated $120,000.

There was universal agreement that investing in town employees, the very people who will carry the load in rebuilding and implementing the town board's vision, is a top priority.

On the table for consideration is maintaining the $1,000 Christmas bonus, offering a cost-of-living raise of between 1-3% and providing more merit pay hikes of between $.50 and $3 an hour, maintaining 100% medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage for employees, and perhaps sweetening the pot for those who need family coverage.

In addition, the preliminary budget adds two new positions in the water/sewer department and two new positions in the street department, which will allow town staff to do much of the work that needs to be done. The town will also be hiring a town planner. Implementing the entire package comes with a hefty price tag — $631,000 over last year's budget.

The board will meet again in April to further discuss the budget and plans for the future.