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By ROBERT SORRELL

Star Correspondent

The Carter County Commission has approved a resolution to borrow $4 million from the state of Tennessee to pay for debris removal.

On Monday, during an emergency meeting, the commission voted 14-5 to apply for a grant through the Helene Emergency Assistance Loans Program.

The HEAL program allocated $35 million to address water and wastewater system damage across eligible counties affected by Hurricane Helene. Utility systems across the region experienced extensive damage, and some were destroyed.

An additional $65 million has been allocated for economically at-risk and distressed counties to address dangerous debris removal.

The eligible counties include Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington, according to the office of Gov. Bill Lee.

“Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster for Tennessee, and many local communities can’t wait on federal reimbursements to begin the rebuilding process,” Lee said in a news release. “These communities need immediate relief, and that’s why we took swift action to develop and implement this unique program.”

With Monday’s approval, the county mayor will apply for the $4 million loan, which must be submitted by Nov. 5, according to the governor. The loan is interest-free, and the county has 10 years to pay it back; however, the county also hopes to be reimbursed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby told the commission that she recommended the county borrow $4 million. The county had a total of about $8 million in debris, she said.

The loan will help cover the costs of removing debris from rights-of-way and government property in Carter County. It won’t cover individual private property, but debris along roads will be removed.

Several commissioners, including Nancy Brown, Jason Clawson, Ginger Holdren, and Gary Kemp, were absent from Monday’s meeting. In addition, Commissioner Jason Rasnick recently resigned.

Woodby told commissioners that no utilities in Carter County have requested funds from the HEAL program.

Woodby also said the county has not received any guidance from the state or federal government on debris removal from rivers and creeks.