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CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE, N.C. — The Chimney Rock Task Force convened this week with crucial updates on the ongoing recovery from last year’s flood disaster following Hurricane Helene. With business owners, consultants, and officials gathered in the fire department hall, discussions ranged from sewer infrastructure to federal buyouts, funding gaps, and the challenges of coordinating local and state response.
Engineer J. Meliski, who owns a business in the village and is the son of council member Buck Meliski, detailed technical progress and upcoming decisions affecting the reopening timeline. At the same time, Task Force Chairman Don Cason reminded attendees that while the committee is offering recommendations, it is up to others, and ultimately the town council, led by Mayor Peter O’Leary, to make final decisions: “I personally am not going to tell anybody what to do, what not to do, or be liable or accountable,” Cason said. “But I’m anxiously awaiting everybody’s reports.”
Here are 10 direct quotes and facts from the April 14, 2025 meeting:
1. Sewer project nearing critical milestone
J. Meliski explained: “I’m told we still got a month and a half and we’re on track… That directional drill is the only thing that gives me pause because of rock, but I think that’s the best option.” (The horizontal directional drill is a Lake Lure infrastructure project.)
2. Lake Lure connection seen as preferable to temporary plant from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Meliski added: “My recommendation would be that we connect back as we were because then it’s less stress on the village to operate… once we put [a temporary treatment plant] in the ground, it’s going to be sitting at the River Park. It’s two feet off the road. It’s not pretty.”
3. FEMA buyout process continues in phases
Penny Martinez of Foothills Regional Commission said: “There are these waves of submissions that are going in… it’s not something that you have to decide right now. You can always decline at any point.”
4. Small Business Administration process is frustrating for applicants
“I also reported to our federal partners that, in our opinion from the Commission, [the SBA process] is a disaster in itself,” Martinez said. “The system [is] going down… caseworkers that don’t know anything about the program.”
5. 15 businesses destroyed, all affected
Ron Hancock of Destination by Design said, “There’s 45 businesses, and 15 were completely destroyed… 100% of these businesses have been impacted.”
6. Restroom project moving forward
Shane Zoccole of Spokes of Hope said, “I think we’re ready—the bathrooms finally got approved. We’re ready to figure out where that sewer is… we’ll move towards that quickly.”
7. Major parking losses confirmed
Hancock stated: “It looks like there were about 320 [spaces]… but there’s a significant difference.” Zoccole added: “That number probably got cut by a third minimum. Everything on the Old Rock (Cafe) and all the parking at the Old Rock was gone.”
8. Gravel parking may be used temporarily
Task Force member Nick Sottile (who also works for FEMA and owns businesses in town) said: “That could be temporary parking down low… we understand the restrictions with nothing concrete, just gravel.”
9. Grant applications continue, with short deadlines
Penny Martinez said, “I tried to push the one for here [Chimney Rock], but they gave us such a two-week turnaround time… my suggestion [is] let’s put this one in for next year.”
10. Accountability, not control, is the goal
Don Cason concluded: “Again, summarizing what the committees have found—what a reopening date and cost and liabilities… I’m just saying here’s the format, here’s the process, here’s what we’ve done… I’m not going to be liable or accountable, but I am anxiously awaiting everybody’s reports.”
The task force also discussed restoration of sidewalks, FEMA documentation, and continued uncertainty around permitting and infrastructure. With the master plan expected to be ready in June, and critical systems potentially online by late May, Chimney Rock’s future remains tied to collaboration, communication, and transparency.
Opinion & Analysis: Cops & Congress commentary
Who's Accountable Here? Why a $93K Salary Should Come with Answers
Don Cason, who chairs the Chimney Rock Recovery Task Force, says he won’t be “liable or accountable” for the village’s reopening. But Cason isn’t a neutral bystander — he’s a public official who earns more than $93,000 a year from Rutherford County taxpayers to run the Tourism Development Authority. And he’s the appointed head of the very task force shaping Chimney Rock’s post-disaster future. He and his wife are former owners of the Esmeralda Inn, which was sold for $4.6M to an Orlando, FL-based LLC in 2022, according to public records. He calls himself an “Innkeeper” on LinkedIn. Every person on the Chimney Rock task force has a conflict of interest because they are small business owners. They want the town to reopen as fast as possible, but they (literally) need a road for recovery.
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Under North Carolina law, anyone who chairs a government-appointed body and directs its work is accountable for what that body produces. The task force was created by the town council. That doesn’t mean Cason personally signs off on every construction detail, but it does mean he is responsible for the leadership, transparency, and coordination of the task force he leads.
So when he told members, “I’m not going to tell anybody what to do or be liable or accountable,” it raised a question: Then what is he doing?
Cason is being paid to promote tourism. That includes helping rebuild one of the county’s most iconic tourist destinations. So why does it sound like he’s trying to duck the responsibility?
As Chimney Rock inches toward recovery, here are three things to watch:
1. Leadership Clarity
Who is in charge? Who’s taking the lead on coordination, communication, and community engagement? If the task force chair doesn’t see himself as accountable, then residents and business owners deserve to know who is. It can’t just be a patchwork of consultants and volunteers — not when FEMA, NCDOT, and the state are all in the mix.
2. Funding Accountability
Millions in federal and state dollars are on the table. As buyouts, sewer lines, and grants start to move, someone needs to ensure transparency. Who tracks how that money is spent? Who reports back to taxpayers? Chimney Rock’s public trust can’t be built on fuzzy lines of authority.
3. Clear Communication with Businesses
Business owners in Chimney Rock have lost everything — and they’re still showing up. The least they deserve is honesty. If the town isn’t ready to reopen, say so. If it is, explain what that means. Don’t ask struggling families to take a leap of faith while officials hedge their responsibilities.
Cason may not want to be the face of reopening, but by accepting the role of chair, and the public’s trust, he already is. Accountability isn’t just about blame. It’s about leadership. It’s about showing up when it matters. (Watch previous meetings in my archive.)
And in Chimney Rock, that moment is now.
Thank you for reading and watching. Learn more about this newsletter and my background. I am guided by the Society for Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Follow me on X (Twitter), Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Send constructive criticism, fan mail and tips with public documents for future stories: CopsandCongress@gmail.com.
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