ASHEVILLE – Gov. Josh Stein has announced the distribution of nearly $50 million in infrastructure grants for local governments still recovering from Tropical Storm Helene, including over $2.4 million to the city of Asheville. The state is funding the projects after they were denied by or did not qualify for funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
As part of the Helene Local Government Capital Grants Program, grant recipients were announced by Stein’s office on Dec. 15, with top grants at over $2.4 million going to the city of Asheville for the reconstruction of Recreation Park and Haywood County for the relocation of its fleet services facility. Other grants included nearly $2.4 million for Hot Springs to relocate its wastewater treatment facility and $2.2 million for Clay County for the development of an emergency management complex.
The $50 million program was designed for rural governments whose projects were denied or do not qualify for FEMA aid under their Public Assistance program, North Carolina State Budget Director Kristin Walker said in the Dec. 15 news release. The state received applications for over double the amount of funding the program provided, Walker said, indicating “there continues to be great need in western North Carolina.” The program is run through the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management…