Streets & Drainage Maintenance

The Streets Division is responsible for the repair of potholes on city maintained streets. Potholes on state maintained roadways are the responsibility of the NCDOT and should be reported to the NCDOT County Maintenance office at 252-459-2762. If you are unsure of whether the location involves a city maintained or state maintained street, you can report the location to the Streets Division at 252-467-4800 and the location will be referred to the NCDOT if appropriate.

Loose leaves are collected during the months of November, December, and March. Yard waste is composted and given away to residents at no charge for landscaping needs during the months of April through October. For information and directions to the mulch/compost site, please call 252-467-4800. While quantities last, mulch/compost give-a-way is every Friday from 8 am to 3:30 pm and the first Saturday of each month from 8 am to 12:00 pm. The amount that an individual or business receives may be limited based on the supply of mulch/compost which is available. Download a compost site map.

Yard waste consists of grass, weeds, leaves, tree trimmings, pruning, limbs and shrubbery no longer than 4 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter that result from homeowner maintenance of yards and gardens. A different collection crew will collect yard waste that is properly prepared and/or containerized in compliance with City regulations on the same day that your garbage and household trash are collected.

Your yard waste crew will collect limbs, no larger than 4 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter, that have been bundled and tied up with string or twine and weigh less than 50 lbs. For pickup of limbs and shrubbery that exceed 128 cubic feet (8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet in height), residents must call 252-467-4800 option 7 two business days prior to their scheduled collection day.

Tree and shrub trimmings resulting from work performed by a contractor(any one you pay to do the work) will not be collected. The contractor will be responsible for removal and disposal of this debris. The City will not pick up materials resulting from land clearing, landscaping or large improvement projects involving large or multiple tree removal.

Place all leaves, grass clippings, shrubbery and small limbs in a container (boxed, clear or transparent bags, yard waste carts purchased from the City or 32 gallon cans) for collection at the curb by 7:00 a.m.on your collection day. Containers should not weigh more than 50 lbs. Bags used for yard waste disposal should be left with top untied so that the driver can see that it is yard waste only. Yard waste will not be collected from wheelbarrows, drums, sheets, oversize bags or tarps.

Yard waste must be containerized or properly prepared and placed at curbside for collection on the resident’s property, not in the street.

Roll-out containers designated for yard waste disposal may be purchased from the City. Service will be provided for a maximum of two City roll-out containers designated for yard waste for each residence.

The City may need to designate where yard waste is to be placed by residents in order to provide safe and efficient service. Residences on corner lots will be collected from the street locations considered most serviceable for collection crews and equipment. The City will not pick up yard waste from vacant lots, abandoned structures, commercial establishments, or multifamily locations serviced by stationary containers (dumpsters).

The Streets Division collects loose leaves from residents during the months of November, December, and March. To facilitate collection, the City is divided into two (2) areas (North and South) with collection alternating from one area to the other weekly. To determine which route a resident is assigned to download the loose leaf collection map. In addition, most residents have a decal on the rollout cart serviced by the Environmental Service Division which identifies their route assignment. During loose leaf collection season, residents are asked to rake their leaves and pine straw into piles behind the curb or onto the road shoulder if no curb exists. Failure to adhere to this practice can lead to clogged storm drains, ponding water on streets, and localized flooding.

Loose leaf piles should be free of trash, sticks, limbs, bottles, cans, and other debris so that leaves and pine straw may be processed into clean mulch and compost. Collection crews will not collect loose leaves if these items are present. To provide for efficient collection, residents are asked to have leaves ready for collection by 7:00 a.m. on the Monday morning of their collection week. Every year, some residents ask us to deliver leaves to their home so that they can create mulch for their landscaping needs. If you would like us to deliver a load of leaves to your home, or if you have any other questions regarding the loose leaf collection program, please call the Streets and Stormwater Division at 252-467-4800. During the remaining nine months of year, residents are required to bag loose leaves in a clear plastic bags for collection by the Environmental Services Division on their normal day of trash and yard waste collection.

The Streets Division is responsible for snow and ice removal within the city limits. Exceptions include primary routes such as Wesleyan Boulevard (US 301 Bypass), US 64, and I-95. Either during and/or after a snow or ice event, snowplowing is performed to remove the material from the streets and to restore city streets to pre-event conditions. Plowing is only initiated when snow accumulations reach over two (2) inches. Accumulations less than two (2) inches or events that include more ice than snow are not appropriate for plowing.

Graffiti removal is a joint responsibility of the Streets Division and the Community Code Division. Graffiti is addressed in Chapter 14, Section 14-15 of the Code of Ordinances and is enforced by the Community Code Division. Graffiti is considered to be a public nuisance and is defined by the ordinance as any inscription, word, figure, painting or other defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn, painted, or engraved on or otherwise affixed to any surface of public or private property, natural or man-made, by a implement or chalk, without the prior written consent of the property owner. Once cited by the Division, a property owner is given seven calendar days to remove the markings. In the absence of action by the property owner to abate, the Streets Division may remove the graffiti from the property and bill the owner. For more information regarding graffiti abatement or to report a location of concern, please contact Community Code Division at 252-467-4952.