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Public comments at Harnett County meeting highlight litter, park proposal, historical marker and fiber cuts
Summary
Several residents used the Oct. 20 public comment period to urge the county to address litter at convenience centers, propose a community park in Spout Springs, suggest honoring Cornelius Harnett with a Liberty Tree marker, and report multiple fiber-optic cable cuts tied to utility work.
During the Oct. 20 Harnett County Board of Commissioners meeting four members of the public spoke on separate topics during the public comment period.
Glenn Maughan, a resident of Lillington, asked the county to do more to honor Cornelius Harnett, the county’s namesake, and proposed planting or designating a “Liberty Tree” to commemorate local Revolutionary-era ties. Maughan said the large front-yard trees on county property are Willow oaks and argued a Liberty Tree would better reflect Harnett’s historical role in the Halifax Resolves and other colonial-era activities.
Larry Mitchell, a volunteer with the Harnett County Beautiful program, described recent litter-collection work at county convenience sites. Mitchell said he collected 41 bags of litter over nine days at the Ponderosa Road convenience center and then moved to Sandifer Road, where he found “a sea of litter” along more than a mile of road leading to the convenience center. He said convenience centers and access roads were the “focus point” of litter and asked the county to consider ways to engage citizens without increasing the county budget.
An unnamed resident representing Western Harnett (Spout Springs area) urged the board to consider converting a piece of county-owned land near Highway 87 into a community park and events space to attract visitors and give youth activities year-round. The speaker cited nearby housing development (Lexington Spring Lake), retail (a Walmart) and opportunities for festivals, cultural events and astronomy activities given lower light pollution in the area.
Kate Ryker, a River Road resident, reported that the fiber‑optic cable on her road was cut in four places on Oct. 10 during water-tap work. She said some neighbors still lack service and that a temporary line was routed across her yard to restore her household’s connection. Ryker cited an industry estimate of about $10,000 per cut and said four cuts would amount to roughly $40,000 in repair costs; she said she expects the county may be asked to pay for repairs and urged county departments to follow North Carolina’s “call before you dig” practice to avoid future damage.
The county manager acknowledged the comments and the board closed public comment to proceed with the agenda. No formal board action on the topics raised was recorded in the meeting transcript.
