County may end sign-up period around mid-July
The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners approved a contract to begin removing storm debris from private property last week.
Sign boards have been put up around the county to make sure everyone knows how to sign up to have storm debris removed from their property. The phone number to call or text to sign up is (828) 537-1441. Residents can also sign up via email at restore@mitchellcountync.gov.
County Manager Allen Cook said that private property debris removal will probably continue through mid-July, however a deadline for signing up has not been set yet.
Cook said that the private debris removal is limited to the “improved,” or mowed area of a property.
“Private property debris removal is a program where in the improved area around your house,) if you have debris and it’s piled up, we can bring a truck in to pick that debris up and haul it off for you,” he said. “ We also, with that same program, can chop down leaners (damaged trees) that are threatening your critical infrastructure, that being your house, your garage, your outbuildings.”
In order to get debris removed, property owners will need to sign documents allowing contractor Crowder Gulf onto their property.
“It would be a ‘hold harmless’ agreement so that neither we nor Crowder Gulf would be responsible for the tire tracks that tear up the grass or things like that,” Cook said.
Cook said that while there isn’t yet a firm deadline for signing up for this program, the county may end sign-ups around mid-July.