Residents near mountain roads urge council to fix ‘scout route’ trash service and access for emergency vehicles

At Tuesday’s meeting, multiple Black Mountain residents described ongoing trash-collection failures on narrow, steep roads served by the town’s smaller “scout route” trucks and asked the council for a durable solution.

Lisa Milton and a resident identified as “Biggie Bill” told councilors that some roads have not had regular pickup since late September. Milton said township sanitation equipment was left inoperable and that the temporary solution of centrally located dumpsters placed by the town had been removed after an employee received a threat. “Our tax dollars purchased the trucks that you failed to take care of,” Milton said, adding that many residents, including elderly people, cannot transport trash to the bottom of steep roads.

Biggie Bill said his Honey Lodge neighborhood had gone without pickup for more than two months and that older residents and people without vehicles cannot haul trash to temporary sites. “So my question to you folks…what is your solution to what we're facing with this scout route?” he asked.

Residents also raised emergency-access concerns. One commenter asked whether fire trucks could reach the same roads that smaller garbage trucks cannot. Council members acknowledged the safety worry and asked staff to follow up.

What the council heard: staff said the town had provided dumpsters temporarily; that only smaller hopper-style trucks can reach the scout routes; and that county haulers servicing properties outside town limits have been able to access similar roads. Councilors asked staff to assess whether driver training, temporary hires or equipment changes could restore regular service.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to report back with options and timelines; residents urged a rapid fix to avoid health, wildlife and public-safety problems caused by uncollected trash.