Hillsborough allocates over $1M for vehicle replacements after Chantal flooding, provided updates

The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners met for a special meeting Wednesday to make budget decisions and provide updates related to Tropical Storm Chantal.

Tropical Storm Chantal brought an estimated 10.5 inches of rain to Hillsborough, leading to a rapid increase in the levels of the Eno River. In addition to other damages to town facilities, the Public Works facility was inundated, causing a total loss of nine vehicles. The town said the estimated replacement cost for these vehicles will be approximately $2.3 million. 

The board approved on Wednesday assigning $1 million in savings in a fund balance and about $320,000 in the General Fund budget to replace the vehicles that were totaled due to flooding damages. 

The replacements will take place over two years. Any insurance payouts will be returned to the fund balance. The approval also allows staff to move forward with buying a replacement garbage truck. 

Assistant Town Manager and Community Services Director Matt Efird provided a presentation on the storm response, sharing photos for context of some of the damage.

He noted the vehicle replacements are the most pressing need for restoring service.

Additional upcoming expenses will include:

• Housing fleet maintenance and public works staff and equipment for about 12 months while the Highway 86 North Facility is expanded to include space for the Public Works Division.
• About $12,000 in repairs to Riverwalk’s boardwalk decking and handrails.
• Repairing the Gold Park restrooms with materials that are more water-resistant and easier to clean. 
• Repairing and stabilizing fencing at Gold Park, with mulch replacement in the dog park to come in the fall when less rainfall is expected.

Efird and Town Manager Eric Peterson provided additional updates and answered questions from the board. Some of the notable updates they provided were:

• Structural engineers have found all Riverwalk bridges to be structurally sound.
• Gold Park and Riverwalk trails from River Park to Gold Park could open in a few weeks. Eno River State Park still needs to make bridge repairs and stabilize areas of the trail it owns between River Park and Elizabeth Brady Drive.
• Staff are meeting with representatives of the Resco Products quarry off Eno Mountain Road this week to assess its damage.
• A longer-term stormwater drainage project is being considered for the area around Riverwalk and Eno Mountain Road.
• The City of Durham charged the town $25,500 for 7.5 million gallons of water last week.
• Some resources for the town and community will require state and federal disaster declarations. A state disaster declaration was made during the meeting and shared with the board.
• Orange County is working on a summary of services currently available to residents and businesses. 

Orange County residents still facing a housing crisis due to the tropical storm can call the Department of Social Services 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at (919) 245-2800 to speak with a social worker about local support that may be available. Most resources require a financial eligibility determination. Documentation of damage will be needed.