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Council urges county contractors to finish debris removal; Feb. 27 deadline flagged
Summary
Council members said many Newland streets still have storm debris and stumps left after disaster cleanup. Staff will press debris-removal contractors, present photos at a managers' meeting in Asheville and inform residents of a Feb. 27 deadline tied to county notices and potential fines for continued dumping.
Council members told the Town of Newland on Feb. 1 that street-level debris from Hurricane Helene remains across many neighborhoods and that town staff will press county contractors and the debris-removal subcontractor for fuller cleanups.
“We have photos and almost every street still has debris to pick up,” Town Manager (S3) said, describing subcontractors’ practice of picking only easily removable items and leaving large stumps and trunks behind. S3 said the county issued a notice and a Feb. 27 date after which residents must stop placing debris in the right-of-way and could face fines if they continue.
Council asked staff to present evidence at a municipal managers’ meeting in Asheville and to follow up with county officials about whether the MOU covering debris removal includes secondary and side roads. S3 said the MOU covers every street, including secondary roads, and that staff will push contractors to pick up larger debris and coordinate follow-up sweeps.
Public works staff (S4) and multiple council members described problem areas such as Elk Street and Watauga, where large trunks remain. The council also agreed to distribute the county press release about debris deadlines on the town website and social media, and to document outstanding debris with photos to give to county supervisors at the Asheville meeting.
FEMA site inspectors were scheduled to visit town roads, culverts and the Riverwalk; staff said FEMA and DOT conversations will also determine whether sidewalk repairs fall to the state or to the town.
