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Goldsboro council adopts stormwater plan, directs ordinances to address ditches and illicit discharges
Summary
Goldsboro City Council on June 15 approved a new stormwater management plan that expands inspections, creates a public hotline and sets a fall timetable for ordinances to address ditches and illicit discharges. Council voted 7-0 to adopt the plan.
Goldsboro — The Goldsboro City Council unanimously approved a new City of Goldsboro Stormwater Management Plan on June 15 and urged staff to return this fall with ordinance language that will give the plan enforcement “teeth.”
Bobby Barnes, the city’s stormwater engineer, told council the program centers on six MS4 criteria including public education, illicit-discharge elimination, construction- and post-construction runoff controls, and municipal pollution prevention. "We have 6 criteria for our stormwater management program," Barnes said, and described new initiatives to expand inspections and outreach.
Key changes in the 2026 plan include a public stormwater hotline ((919) 580-4227), completion of GIS mapping of the storm sewer system, and an increase in outfall inspections from 5% annually to 20% — and 50% for major outfalls. Barnes also said staff will develop an illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) plan to accompany an updated illicit discharge control ordinance.
Council members pressed staff about ownership and maintenance of roadside ditches and culverts. "So have we got a plan to ensure that we identify the ditches and the culverts that belong to us to ensure that we make all type of efforts before, you know, it gets bad?" a council member asked, citing constituent complaints. Staff said GIS maps are being vetted to show whether conveyances are city, NCDOT or private, and that ordinance updates will follow the plan this fall.
Mayor (presiding) said the council’s directive was to add urgency so that ordinance changes are ready before the fall leaf season, when clogged conveyances often cause problems. The council adopted a resolution approving the stormwater management plan dated 07/01/2026 by a 7-0 vote.
The council closed the public hearing on the plan with no speakers and asked staff to return with specific nuisance and ordinance language for enforcement and public education efforts.
What’s next: staff will develop draft ordinances (nuisance, illicit discharge, stormwater control measures) and return to council in the fall for review. The public hotline and GIS maps are expected to be part of the city’s public-facing resources.
