Local landscapers warn Senate Bill 391 will sharply cut roadside mowing, raise safety worries

Local business owners told the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners that a change in state law will severely curtail roadside mowing on state highways and threatened contractors' livelihoods and road safety. Precision Lawn Care and Landscaping owner Maria Rogerson said the change, tucked into a broader Senate Bill 391 that she learned about after it was adopted in June, contains two provisions that affect DOT mowing schedules: the Department of Transportation may not schedule mowing of any right of way during the period when placement of vertical political signs is permitted (30 days before early voting through two weeks after an election) and the department “shall not schedule mowing of highway right aways during the month of May.” Rogerson said those two limits together could reduce mowing availability for state roads from roughly 79% of the year to about 36% in a worst-case election year with runoffs. "You could feasibly not see anybody mowing in the state of North Carolina until June 1 if there's a primary runoff," Rogerson said. "Our finances are gonna be cut in half, if not down to a third, of what we normally make." She said Precision Lawn Care and Landscaping directly employs about 30–40 year‑round and works with subcontractors that bring the number of affected workers close to 100. Why it matters: Rogerson and some commissioners framed the change as a public‑safety and infrastructure concern. Reduced mowing, she said, can create sight‑distance hazards for drivers, increase deer‑vehicle collisions in eastern North Carolina and cause drainage problems as vegetation blocks gutters and roadside ditches. County response and next steps: Commissioners asked staff to invite a DOT representative to a future meeting so the board could ask for clarity and discuss local mowing schedules. Commissioner comments also urged contractors to coordinate with candidates on sign placement and timing; one commissioner suggested placing signs after scheduled mowing. What was said about the law: Rogerson described the changes as coming from the Senate and said DOT staff told her parts of the mowing language were not anticipated in the department. A county staff member said DOT Secretary Hopkins had publicly expressed safety concerns in media interviews. The county did not adopt or change any local law at the meeting; commissioners limited the discussion to outreach and information gathering. Ending: Commissioners and staff said they would work to notify DOT and the state association of counties, and to return to the board with any additional DOT response or options for protecting sight lines and drainage.