The Public Works Department is made up of three divisions: the Street Division, Sanitation/Recycling Division, and the Water/Sewer Field Operations Division.

Street Division

Description and Responsibilities

The Street Division is one of the operating divisions of the Public Works Department. The division is primarily responsible for the maintenance of the Town street system. Typical work activities include street maintenance, painting and striping, sidewalk maintenance, cleaning of ditches, right-of-way clearing, sweeping of town street’s, patching pot holes, adding gravel to unpaved streets, snow removal, and leaf removal.

Several new subdivision streets have been added in recent years, and the division now maintains over 25 miles of road surface. The division also has a contract with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to remove snow and surface treatment another 4.2 miles of roadway, for which the Town is reimbursed.

Street Division employees also assist with the solid waste collection, the mowing of Town property, concrete finishing, and the installation and maintenance of the water distribution system and the wastewater collection system. This division also maintains Woodlawn Cemetery.

Staffing

The Street Division is under the direction of the Director of Public Works. Eight full-time positions are assigned to this division, including the Director, the Assistant Director, Mechanic, Heavy Equipment Operator, Light Equipment Operator, two Equipment Operators and one Laborer.

Sanitation Division

Description and Responsibilities

The Sanitation Division is responsible for the collection of solid waste from all residences and commercial properties in Blowing Rock. Residential pick-up is once-a-week (Monday or Tuesday) and is collected at curbside. Commercial service is offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The solid waste is hauled to a transfer station at the Watauga County Landfill in Boone. Watauga County charges the Town a tipping fee of $40.00 for each ton of commercial solid waste that is delivered to the landfill. The County does not charge a tipping fee for residential solid waste because each residential property owner is assessed an annual disposal fee on the County property tax bills. Based upon a study that was recently conducted, approximately 76% of the solid waste generated by the Town is commercial solid waste, and the remaining 24% is residential solid waste.

In FY 96-97, the Town adopted a solid waste fee for commercial establishments to cover the tipping fees that the Town pays for the disposal of commercial solid waste. The disposal fee assessed to each business is based on the size or type of solid waste container for that business. The disposal fee is intended to reimburse the Town for the commercial tipping fees that are assessed by the County.

The most significant activities of the Sanitation Division are the collection and disposal of solid waste and recyclable materials.

Over the years there has been a seasonal fluctuation in the solid waste that is collected, with the months of May through October being the higher months. The lower months, as would be expected are December through April; however, we are seeing some increases in those "off season" months.

Residential Solid Waste Pick-up Schedule

Recycling Program

Within the Town of Blowing Rock, it is mandatory that businesses participate in the Town’s recycling program. In FY 03-04, the Town transferred the responsibilities of the Recycling Department to the Public Works - Sanitation Division. The Sanitation Division collects the recyclable materials (cardboard & glass) on a Thursday-only schedule from small volume businesses, and then hauls the recyclable materials to the Watauga County Recycling Center. Large Volume businesses must privately contract for cardboard and glass recycling dispensers.

The Sanitation Division also provides a convenience center where residents may drop off recyclable materials. A new recycling container was recently added to help encourage and maintain the area to better serve the residents of Blowing Rock. The Recycling Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may recycle newspapers, plastic, glass and cardboard at this site.

Staffing

Five employees of the Public Works Department work in this division, one Sanitation Equipment Operator and four Sanitation Collectors. However, employees from the Street Division do perform work as needed within the Sanitation Division.

Water and Sewer Field Operations Division

Please see Water and Wastewater Department for description.