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Public Works director outlines $4.6M operations budget, services and costly capital projects
Summary
Public Works Director Don Cisco told the Hope Mills board the department runs six budgets totaling about $4.6 million, manages cemeteries, sanitation, mosquito control and major capital projects (Bretonwoods resurfacing, East Patterson embank stabilization, Woodland Hill), and faces staffing and CDL recruitment challenges.
Don Cisco, Hope Mills public works director, briefed the board at the May special meeting on the department’s scope, funding and current capital projects.
Cisco said public works operates six distinct budgets (including streets, sanitation and POW bill funds) and that the department’s overall annual budget is about $4.6 million. He described the fleet and asset value (roughly $2 million in vehicles and about $1.4 million in resident trash cans), and outlined core services: streets maintenance, sanitation and recycling, cemetery upkeep, facility maintenance and event support.
Sanitation and recycling: Cisco said weekly trash and recycling services are required by ordinance (Chapter 78) and noted the town’s refuge tax is $323 per household; residents also pay $130 to the county for satellite-site maintenance. He said the town processed more than 5,000 tons of combined trash and recycling last year, and that recycling-disposal costs recently rose to $80 per ton with a minimum annual escalator.
Vector control and other services: Cisco described the mosquito spraying program that generally runs from late May through September; applicators are state-certified and equipment is calibrated annually. He said the product used, Biomist, is intended to be vector-specific.
Capital projects and grants: Cisco listed current capital efforts: Bretonwoods Road resurfacing (engineering underway; estimated at about $600,000 excluding engineering), a proposed East Patterson embankment stabilization project estimated at $2.5–3.5 million (state funding and ARPA contributions mentioned), and the Woodland Hill Street project (contract about $1.4 million with change orders for underground work). He noted an 80/20 FAMPO-funded Cameron Road sidewalk project from Hope Mills Middle School to Main Street.
Interagency coordination: Cisco explained maintenance agreements with NC Department of Transportation for DOT-owned roads and the town’s role in accepting subdivision streets once they reach completion thresholds and pass inspections. He also described the town’s temporary permitted debris site for post-storm cleanup and FEMA-related contract processes.
Workforce issues: Cisco said recruitment and retention — especially for CDL drivers — are a key constraint; the department is exploring trainee agreements that require new hires to remain with the town for a set period after the town pays for training.
During Q&A, commissioners asked about easement mowing, furniture-pickup scheduling (every other Thursday, scheduled through the town office), mosquito-truck gauge concerns and ADA curb improvements (truncated domes for visually impaired pedestrians). Cisco acknowledged access and gateway maintenance questions and said many gateways are DOT responsibilities, which limits what the town can do without DOT reimbursement and safety protocols.
Cisco closed by noting the upcoming budget process and the department’s continuing need for resources to maintain assets, staff certification and capital project funding.
