ELIZABETHTOWN — Town officials remain hopeful FEMA will be footing the bill for repairs to the Elizabethtown Cemetery.
The property that is adjacent to the Cape Fear River about a block off the eastern side of Poplar Street sustained major damage following Hurricane Florence and its flooding. In meetings Monday at lunch and at night that included the swearing in of the mayor and three councilmen who won re-election in November, the council was briefed on a proposal from W.K. Dickson.
“As it is right now we are about six months from beginning any construction,” said Town Manager Eddie Madden. “And it sounds at though from our last meeting we may hear something back in the month of December.”
The town has been in discussions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency about funding. Scott Sigmon, a vice president, represented W.K. Dickson on Monday.
The cost of a first phase is expected to be $334,600.
“We need to move forward with engineering and design,” said Madden.
He explained those elements will allow the project to move forward pending FEMA’s commitment.
“It has been recommended that we show effort beforehand,” Madden said.
Sigmon’s proposal included a retaining wall, repair to roads with buckles and installation of an upgraded storm drain system.
It was also noted that no graves would be disinterred or moved during this process, that the goal is to keep everything in its current place. However, an updated map of the cemetery would be created to assist in future usage due to the shifting of the current sites.
That map would be created with machinery that would not disturb the ground, with similar technology to a sonar system used to measure the depth of water.
Three members of the Elizabethtown Town Council and Mayor Sylvia Campbell won November elections and were sworn in Monday night. All were re-elected. With Campbell is (from left) Dicky Glenn, Howell Clark and Ricky Leinwand.