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Ashe County moves to transfer roadside debris program to state amid contractor conduct complaints
Summary
Ashe County commissioners voted to approve not‑to‑exceed increases for disaster debris contractors and to request that the state assume administration of roadside debris removal after residents and staff reported contractor noncompliance.
Ashe County commissioners voted to approve not‑to‑exceed increases for their disaster debris contractors and to request that the state of North Carolina assume administration of the county’s roadside debris removal program, county staff said at the May meeting.
The request followed months of public complaints and county staff reports of contractor noncompliance. Patty (staff member) told the board both SDR and DebrisTech had reached their contract maximums and that finance staff were concerned about county cash flow if the county remained the billing authority. Patty said county staff would “clarify that with the state before we sign those as well.”
Josh Patterson, a representative of SDR, told the board the state‑managed option is being used in other counties to avoid county cash‑flow exposure on high‑cost waterway and public property debris removal. “Typically, it’s for the waterway and PPDR programs that are a lot more costly, and the counties don’t want to have the cash flow problem,” Patterson said. He described the state role as stepping in to “take the on the bench” for the work and its billing.
Commissioners and staff described specific compliance issues reported to county offices: contractors cutting trees that complainants said were off the right of way; piles left uncollected after crews passed (“cherry‑picking”); and trucks operating in curves without adequate flaggers or traffic control. Patterson said DebrisTech and SDR keep GPS and photographic records so that staff can identify which truck handled a specific load. “If we find out that happens, we can pinpoint the truck, the date and take action,” he said.
County staff said the federal/state reimbursement is being tracked and that the work is ultimately eligible for federal and state reimbursement; Patty told the board the overall requested increase in contract caps appears large and is a concern for cash flow. During discussion Patty estimated the increases in the packet amounted to “like, dollars 12,000,000 total” and said the county would ask the state to take over management of the roadside program to reduce county risk.
SDR described enforcement steps: contractors without proper traffic control or documentation are shut down until they can show they meet required standards; contractors who repeatedly deviate can be removed from the project. Patterson also described a retained 10% payment mechanism intended as financial leverage to compel completion of contracted roads and piles before final payment.
The board approved a motion that included the not‑to‑exceed increases and the staff request to transfer roadside debris administration to the state, with staff to review the MOA language before signing. Patty and SDR said county and contractor dashboards will be used to show photographic evidence and GPS points for each debris pile and each load as the state transition proceeds.
County staff said the majority of crews working locally had been cited by residents for good conduct, but a small number of subcontractor incidents prompted the pause and the push for state administration.
No additional local appropriation was proposed at the meeting; staff said they are seeking state management largely to address cash‑flow concerns while federally and state‑reimbursable work continues.
