Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Illegal Dumping topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press board on illegal dumping; county staff points to DOT right-of-way jurisdiction and launches tracking improvements
Summary
Residents told commissioners Feb. 10 that trash, tires and household waste are being dumped along roadways — sometimes on DOT right-of-way — and county staff said the department is improving complaint tracking and will coordinate with DOT on specific sites.
Several residents and commissioners raised illegal-dumping complaints at the Feb. 10 meeting and asked the board what the county can do to stop repeated trash, tires and household waste being dumped along county and DOT rights-of-way.
Public commenter David Piscato described dumping near his property at 287 Brookside Drive and said prior contacts with law enforcement and DOT yielded limited results; he asked for cleanup and “no dumping” signage. Commissioners and staff discussed the jurisdictional complexity when the debris sits on NCDOT right-of-way versus private property.
Lee (county staff) explained county practice: if material is on DOT right-of-way, DOT maintenance is typically responsible; if the trash sits on private property the county’s solid-waste and zoning ordinances allow the county to pursue the property owner. Lee said DOT’s roadside cleanup by Department of Corrections crews was curtailed years ago and DOT maintenance crews no longer pick up back roads as frequently.
Planning staff also described an improved internal tracking workflow built from the OpenGov permitting/complaint platform. Staff reported that since OpenGov tracking began about four years ago the county has recorded 565 total trash complaints (225 in 2023 and 219 in 2024). At the meeting staff reported 63 active complaints assigned to John and 29 assigned to Adam, and noted a vacant zoning-officer position the department is recruiting to fill.
Commissioners asked staff to coordinate with DOT on the specific site behind Piscato’s house and to post guidance on the county website about how residents report illegal dumping. One commissioner recommended using motion-activated “deer cameras” at frequent dump sites to gather evidence for prosecution; commissioners generally supported increased enforcement and outreach to keep residents from dumping on others’ land.
Why this matters: Illegal dumping creates blight, potential environmental hazards and recurring cleanup costs. Jurisdictional overlap (county vs. DOT vs. private property) complicates response and can leave residents facing slow cleanup times.
Next steps: County staff will coordinate with DOT on the pictured site, post reporting instructions on the county website and continue to use the OpenGov complaint workflow; the county will also recruit for a vacant zoning officer position to help handle the caseload.
