The Ashe County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a motion to authorize not-to-exceed increases for two storm-debris contractors and to request that the State of North Carolina take over administration of the county’s roadside-debris operations.

The decision followed extended public concerns about crews removing trees and vegetation off private property and about traffic-control standards around large debris-removal vehicles. County staff told the board the requested contract increases and the transfer of administration to the state would ease local cash-flow risks because federal and state reimbursements will cover the work.

Why it matters: The county is working under a federal/state reimbursement model tied to a recent declared disaster. County staff said reimbursement is approximately 90% federal and 10% state; the contract increases are being requested because current contracts have reached their limits. Residents said crews had cut healthy trees outside rights-of-way and created unsafe road conditions; contractor representatives said they will fire trucks or crews that fail to meet work directives and that the county and contractor database can trace which truck picked up a particular load.

What the board heard
- Patty (county operations staff) told the board that both SDR and DebrisTech had reached their contract maximums and that the recommended increases are included in the meeting packet. She asked the board to approve the increases and to authorize staff to sign a forthcoming memorandum of agreement (MOA) transferring roadside-debris administration to the state. She said the county’s finance office was concerned about cash flow if the county remained the billing manager.

- Josh Patterson of SDR told commissioners the state’s program typically steps in for high-cost waterway and public property debris programs to avoid county cash-flow problems. He said contractors are required to provide traffic-control signage and flaggers and that crews who deviate from directives can be removed. Patterson described a process using GPS-tagged photographs and a project dashboard that records each debris pile and load so the county can identify which truck performed which pickup.

- Multiple residents and a commissioner described instances where trees were cut that they said were off the right-of-way, and instances of long delays or blocked traffic when tandems or large trucks stopped on curves without flagging personnel.

Board action and next steps
The board voted to (a) approve the not-to-exceed increases for SDR and DebrisTech as provided in the meeting packet, (b) request that the state assume administration of roadside-debris operations and billing, and (c) authorize staff to sign the state MOA when it is delivered. County staff said they will clarify the exact not-to-exceed amounts with the state prior to final signature and that the increases are expected to be reimbursable under the federal/state public assistance program.

Officials said enforcement steps include: requiring contractors to produce traffic-control equipment and flagging personnel before they may operate on county projects; photographic and GPS evidence used to identify noncompliant trucks; and termination of individual trucks or crews that persistently violate directives.

Resident concerns and contractor responses
Residents described occasions when crews cut trees they said were not on the right-of-way and when trucks stopped in curves without proper flagging. Patterson said DebrisTech and SDR maintain load-level records and GPS photos; with a date/time and location, staff can trace the load back to the truck and take enforcement action. He said about 12 trucks previously were removed or fired from the program for noncompliance and that the current running fleet had been reduced as a result.

County finance and reimbursement
Staff said the work is expected to be reimbursable under the federal/state program (staff described a typical 90% federal/10% state split) and that the state takeover is intended to prevent the county from fronting large sums and having a cash-flow shortfall. Commissioners asked staff to confirm whether the not-to-exceed increases remain necessary if the state formally assumes contract administration; staff replied they will clarify terms with the state before signing.

Ending
County staff said they will publish the debris dashboard (with GPS-tagged photos of piles and pick-ups) and work with residents to provide pinpointed locations for any alleged improper tree cutting so staff and contractors can investigate and, if necessary, remove individual trucks that violated directives. The board directed staff to finalize the state MOA and report back any changes to not-to-exceed amounts before signature.