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Commissioners discuss roadside litter, landfill hours and enforcement; staff to provide follow‑up
Summary
Board members and staff discussed widespread roadside litter, illegal dumping (including tire piles), landfill hours, enforcement options and volunteer cleanup programs. Staff said the county hired two additional litter crew members and will study extending landfill hours as part of the budget process.
HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — Commissioners spent substantial time Tuesday discussing persistent roadside litter and illegal dumping across the county, hearing staff and fellow commissioners describe enforcement, cleanup and operational options.
"If you haven't ridden around Harnett County and see... it's really bad," Commissioner Jaggers said, describing heavy litter on roads near the Ashland Creek landfill and linking unsecured hauling loads to roadside debris. Jaggers said some garbage companies have been cited in the past for unsecured loads.
County staff outlined current actions and constraints. Morgan Pope, coordinator for Keep Harnett Beautiful, maintains complaint logs and organizes volunteer cleanups; Marty Ivy, the county's environmental deputy, focuses on illegal dumping investigations and can trace some waste to addresses for citations. "He focuses mostly though on illegal dumping... he actually literally goes through the garbage and... finds addresses, and he can write citations," staff said.
Staff described programs and resources now in place: a spring and fall litter sweep that enlists volunteers and civic groups; juvenile restitution crews that perform pickup work; two additional county employees hired this fiscal year to pick up litter; and a working relationship with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on primary roads. Staff noted that primary roads are maintained under NCDOT responsibility but emphasized county coordination with DOT for cleanup priorities.
Board members raised several operational and policy issues: landfill and convenience‑site hours (the landfill's posted hours were described as 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), disposal fees for items such as mattresses or tires, whether to waive fees for certain bulky items to reduce roadside dumping, improved signage and targeted enforcement (including use of Highway Patrol and civil fines). Staff said scrap tires currently are accepted at the county landfill at no charge, and mattresses do carry a fee; staff indicated there is a $100 fine for illegal out‑of‑county waste found at the landfill.
County Manager Trapp said extending landfill hours is being considered in the budget process and will be evaluated for staffing and revenue impacts: "In our budget process, we do have plans to add an expansion request that would allow us to extend the landfill hours so that the board can look at that. That will change staffing requirements..." Trapp said.
Commissioners and staff agreed on several follow‑up items: coordinate targeted enforcement with the sheriff's office and Highway Patrol, check on DOT signage for litter fines, evaluate fee adjustments for bulky items to encourage lawful disposal, and provide the county manager an estimate of the remaining life of the Coats landfill. Staff also said organizers will publicize the spring litter sweep in April and provide outreach materials for civic groups and churches.
Why it matters: Roadside litter and illegal dumping affect public health, road safety, property values and county maintenance costs; the discussion focused on enforcement, operational changes at the landfill and outreach to change behavior.
Speakers included Commissioner Jaggers, county staff (Keep Harnett Beautiful coordinator Morgan Pope, environmental deputy Marty Ivy), County Manager Trapp, and other commissioners who raised enforcement, signage and operational concerns.
