By Sarah Richardson
At the latest Lewisburg City Council meeting, City Manager Misty Hill presented a Year in Review for 2024 that highlighted major projects, infrastructure improvements, and grant-funded initiatives.
“The City of Lewisburg has accomplished a lot,” Hill said. “One thing we haven’t finished yet is our water plant. It was quite an undertaking, but we have completed several projects.”
She explained that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding had to be expended before the end of the year, and the City utilized it for multiple projects with a significant focus on stormwater management. ARPA funds were used for culvert replacement and improvements at the foot of Dogwood Heights after the previous culvert was washed out, and funds were also used for a portion of the Lafayette Street Municipal Parking Lot hillside stabilization project, which totaled $8,700.
Projects budgeted in the previous year and completed in 2024 include a $38,000 interior renovation to City Hall and the installation of new street signs around the city, costing $40,464. “We’ve received tremendous feedback on how beautiful they are,” Hill said. The signs help identify areas in the historic district for both locals and visitors alike.
The “first ever” comprehensive stormwater study for the entire City of Lewisburg is also underway at a cost of $200,000, fully funded by a grant. The study will be presented to City Council and will then be presented to the public in upcoming months. Additionally, a historic district update, which revealed three distinct districts, will be presented to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in the fall at a cost of $30,000.
A comprehensive plan update is also in progress and is expected to be completed within a few months at a cost of $31,000. The city is required to maintain a 10-year comprehensive plan to identify areas of future growth and need.
Hill noted that a month ago, Public Works employees officially moved into the new $3.4 million Public Works building on Stonehouse Road beside the water plant. “I’m excited because it’s that big of a building and we came in under budget,” said Hill.
Other infrastructure projects completed throughout the year included Lafayette Street sidewalk repairs (heading down toward The Asylum) at a cost of $93,000, new mesh entrance signs ($6,500), and sidewalk demolitions as part of larger replacement projects ($6,000 from the Streets budget).
Community Development funding supported local events such as Healing Appalachia ($5,500), Taste of Our Towns ($7,500 for the street dance and $5,000 in general support), Chocolate Festival ($5,500), Chills in the Hills ($1,800), and the Magic of Christmas ($14,000). Other initiatives included the installation of Stratton Alley lights at a cost of $2,500.
Additional city improvements included an HVAC system upgrade for Station One ($21,500), training videos for water plant operations ($37,844), and the installation of downtown security cameras ($6,000).
Lewisburg’s $63 million water project made significant progress throughout 2024, with work continuing into this year, “but we are almost at the end,” Hill said.
Thanks to opioid settlement funds received by the city as part of a statewide lawsuit, an officer was added to the opioid task force at a cost of $357,008.
Fire Chief Joey Thomas secured grant funding for new message boards, which will cost $38,590, while the Lewisburg Police Department obtained a $14,000 e-bike grant. The e-bike will be used by officers during festivals and other high-foot-traffic events such as trick-or-treating.
One of the largest single purchases of the year was a new fire truck, costing $935,870. The funds came from the fire service fee, which had been accruing savings for many years in anticipation of this purchase for the fire department.
“I can say that we like to be busy in the City of Lewisburg,” said Hill. “If you can see everything that our team does, all the hard work, the hours, the oversight, everything that we do we are mindful of what we spend, and we are mindful to bring it to Council. I can just say that we are busy, and next year we kind of went a little easy on what we are going to spend, just because we are being a little cautious with what’s been added, and we are going to see what kind of grant money will be available to the City next year.”
