Good evening, Mayor Heninger and Members of the Town Council. I hope Spring is starting off great for you and I am looking forward to all of the warm weather projects, events, and activities the town has scheduled. Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in our town:
Hurricane Helene Recovery
Follow Hurricane Helene recovery 24 reports, October 2024 to September 2026
The town staff continues to work with FEMA, our engineering partners, wastewater project contractors, and appropriate regulatory agencies to work towards full restoration of infrastructure impacted by Hurricane Helene last Fall. All repairs are now complete related to the town’s water system. There is a door at the Fire Training Center that still needs to be addressed. Chief Haynes is continuing to work with the vendor for the door and related system since it is custom built hardware and can only be repaired by the original manufacturer. The influent pump at the wastewater treatment plant damaged during the storm is now replaced, but on installation it was discovered that some of the wiring was also damaged. This issue could not be seen until the pump was out for replacement. Mr. Lowe is working with the installation contractor to also replace this wiring.
The biggest and most extensive repair to the town’s infrastructure is still not complete, but progress continues forward. The design of the replacement crossings for the three aerial river crossings in the wastewater collection system is now complete and has been reviewed by the town staff. The plans have been submitted to FEMA for review and approval and, additionally, the JPA (Joint Permit Application) has been signed by me and submitted by the town’s engineering consultants with Hurt & Proffitt to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other pertinent Federal and state regulatory agencies. Their review process can take between 60-90 days and, assuming they approve the plans as submitted, our reconstruction process can be placed out for bid immediately after their approval.
The staff continues to work diligently with FEMA to track our reimbursement requests that have already been submitted as well as coordinate with FEMA staff on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis to craft all pending and future reimbursement requests in keen detail and ensuring the town provides all documentation required by FEMA for their process. In fact, just last week, the town staff worked with FEMA and VDEM representatives to officially request an extension for our project which should carry the town through construction completion later this year.
I cannot thank Ms. Eller and ALL Department Heads enough for all of their diligence, persistence, patience, and downright hard work as we have coordinated to pull together the laborious volume of information and documentation requested by FEMA.
Sewer Improvement Project Update
Follow the sewer improvement project 29 reports, January 2022 to March 2026
The relining of the planned sewer pipes is now complete, with the exception of a few small areas. The staff, engineers, and contractor have all thought we were very close to completion on more than one occasion, but as the project has progressed, areas have been identified that were not in need of repair, while other areas have been shown to be in need of repair. Obviously, every section that is found to not need relined results in a reduction in project costs. However, as the town is committed to the original project funding package, we are taking the opportunity to locate and address as many areas of the system as we possibly can to maximize these funds and reduce the I&I (inflow and infiltration) as much as possible.
The first Change Order resulting from these changes to the scope of the project allowed the town to address a very problematic section of the system along Bonham Avenue. Resulting from discussions at last week’s project progress meeting, I foresee a Change Order 2 very soon to address two sections of the system on the west end of town in the industrial park and near the intersection of Highway 11 and Sulphur Springs Road running toward the town shop. Town staff met with Hurt & Proffitt early last week to discuss other problematic areas of the system to consider in the Change Order. A manhole along Highway 11 in Seven Mile Ford and a manhole near Carlock Creek on Lyons Gap Road have also been identified for consideration.
The end result of this project should see a considerable reduction of the inflow and infiltration (I&I) entering our wastewater system. This reduction should correlate to reduced operating costs for our wastewater treatment plant, including reduced electricity consumption. Initial sampling at the wastewater treatment plant shows evidence that our project has been preliminarily successful toward this goal as flow rates have shown to be more steady instead of spiking during high rain events.
As a reminder, this $3.9 million project was funded through pilot program funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, so project reporting to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be ongoing for two years after project completion and closeout.
VDOT Communications
Follow VDOT and the Interstate bridges 24 reports, September 2024 to September 2026
I have attached a copy of the email chain between myself and VDOT representatives in the Abingdon Residency. Additionally, Mayor Heninger and I met with VDOT leaders on Monday, April 7th to discuss status of several projects within the town. They stated that the Bridge Division is still studying feasible options to address the pedestrian safety issues under the Interstate bridge at Exit 35. At the request of the town, they are also studying the possibility of rumble strips on the approach to the bridges to slow vehicular traffic.
The drainage issues related to the damaged metal grate on Whitetop Road across from McDonalds is slated to be repaired before July 1. The new concrete drainage tiles have been delivered to the VDOT shop in Chilhowie and the town will be notified prior to replacement.
On March 17, I emailed Mr. Chris Eggleston, an engineer with VDOT, to inquire about the status of the upcoming bridge replacement project on Interstate 81 near mile marker 34. I have attached his response to this report. Construction is currently slated to begin sometime in the Spring of 2027 with construction timeline estimated at 30 months. Both the northbound and southbound bridges are scheduled for replacement. In addition to disruptions to travel for members of our community, my primary concern for this period is response times and travel routes for our First Responders.
United Way of Southwest Virginia Impact Awards
I am extremely pleased that our town has once again won the SWVA Impact Award for our contributions to community charities through the Celebrity Bagging Event! I thank all of the elected officials and staff who dedicated time that day for such a good cause. The awards dinner is being held April 30 in Abingdon where the town will receive our award. I invite you to attend if possible so that the town is well represented on the regional stage.
Mount Rogers Planning District Commission Annual Meeting
Councilwoman Sturgill, Councilman Clear, Ms. Eller and I attended the MRPDC Annual Dinner Meeting on April 3rd. It was a good event and we thanked the MRPDC board and staff for their assistance to the town through the Mount Rogers Water/Wastewater Fund, which has provided over $500,000 in project funding to the town over the past few years, $100,000 of which has been in the past year.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Permitting Renewal
Follow the wastewater treatment plant permit 18 reports, April 2025 to September 2026
The town is currently working with Hurt & Proffitt and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to renew our operating permit under the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES). This renewal is required every five years and this is the first renewal since the town moved away from land application of biosolids and also the first since monitoring for PFAS is required.
Town staff met with Hurt & Proffitt staff last week for our “kick off” meeting. Work will continue to work towards our renewal deadline of Spring 2026.
Smyth County Museum and Historical Society
Last month the staff approved an annual sponsorship in the amount of $250 for the Smyth County Museum and Historical Society. The museum and offices are located on Main Street in Marion and in addition to the regular hours of the museum, several informational programs are held each year to highlight the history of Smyth County and our towns. I feel like more involvement from Chilhowie can ensure that our town’s story continues to be told.
Student Government Day
On March 27th, the town hosted nine Chilhowie High School seniors for this year’s Student Government Day. The students were driven to Town Hall by our staff where they were introduced to the processes that make our town run. They got to see the Town Code, some of the original documents from the town’s founding, then toured the Administrative Offices, Chilhowie Police Department, Chilhowie Fire/EMS, Public Works, and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
I would like to thank all of the staff members who helped provide these young Warriors with a glimpse into the workings of their hometown!
Questions
As always, I welcome any questions about the status of the town’s busy activities. Thank you as always for all you do for our town!
Respectfully Submitted,
J. Brian Martin
Town Manager