Public Works

The Public Works and Utility Director, Keith Alligood, is responsible for supervising employees in the electric, public works, water/sewer, stormwater, public buildings, and fleet maintenance departments.

The Town of Ayden Public Works Department is responsible for a number of job functions to include street maintenance, sidewalk maintenance, drainage, right-of-way maintenance, refuse collection, cemetery opening/closings, and landscaping of town property. The Public Works Department is comprised of 3 crews who work diligently to maintain an appealing aesthetic appearance for the Town.

Sanitation

“Where do I put my trash cart?”

Starting August 4th, 2025, GFL will assume the responsibilities for collecting Ayden business and residential household waste and recycling. The information that follows contains the highlights of what each customer should expect.

What is staying the same:

1. Household waste will be picked up according to the usual schedule: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Example: If your trash carts were picked up on Mondays by the Town, they will continue to be picked up on Mondays by the GFL crew.
2. Billing for trash and recycling services will continue to come from the Town, and the fee will show up on your monthly utility bill.
3. If your trash and recycling cart is in serviceable condition, you will continue to use the Town cart(s). If your cart is damaged and you cannot use it, please contact the Town Hall to request a replacement. Any damage that is not a result of normal wear and tear may result in a fee being charged to the customer.
4. Any and all questions, or reports of missed pick-ups should be directed to the Town Hall at (252) 481-5817.
5. The current fee for trash and/or recycling services will remain the same until an approved change is made by the Governing Board.
6. Carts should be placed by the curb no sooner than 5:00 pm the day before collection and must be removed from the curb and taken back to the residence no later than 7:00 pm on the scheduled collection day.
7. All garbage must be bagged and placed in the cart for proper collection. 
8. Recycling must be contained within the blue bin or blue roll-out cart. Please do not bag your recyclables.
9. The Town will continue to provide pick-up of yard debris, according to the regularly scheduled dates (please see the current schedule).
10. The Town will continue to provide pick-up of bulk waste items every other Thursday (please see the current schedule).

What is changing:

1. GFL will not be picking up an bags, waste, or debris that is not inside the cart.
2. GFL will be using automated side-loading trash trucks, which means they can only pick up carts along one side of the street at a time.
   • After they get the first side of the street, they will come back and pick-up carts along the other side of the street.
   • Do not remove your cart from the curb until you confirm it has been emptied.
3. GFL vehicles are equipped with video cameras, and they record all activities that happen in or around the vehicle.
   • If a customer reports their trash/recycling cart was missed and the video shows the carts were present when the truck went by, GFL will return and pick-up the missed waste.
   • If the trash/recycling cart was not present when the truck went by, GFL will not be returning to collect the waste.
   • GFL will provide the Town with video/photographic confirmation for any report of missed pick-ups.
4. In August we will inspect the condition of all carts. Some trash and/or recycling customers may receive a new/used cart from GFL. Not everyone will get a GFL cart.
5. In August, we will confirm the number of carts at each address.
   • If you are missing a cart, please let us know so we can remedy the issue.
   • If you have more carts than you are billed for, please let us know and we will pick up any cart for which you do not want to be billed.
   • If the Town finds extra carts at a location, we will contact the customer.
     • If you want to keep the extra cart, we will add the fee to your monthly bill.
     • If you do not want to keep the cart, we will remove it from your property.
6. Recycling will continue to be picked up on Thursdays, but we are changing to a two-week schedule. This means GFL will pick up half of the town on one week, and the other half on the next week.
   • The recycling weeks will be called “Week A” and “Week B.”
   • Please check your bill for your route name and pick up dates.
   • Ultimately, half of the town will receive a new recycling pick-up date and the rest will see no change.
   • The Town will work with residents to make sure no one is forced to go for an extended period without a recycling pick-up, and we may conduct an extra pick-up as we get closer to August 4th.
7. GFL will not be picking up trash and/or recycling during the following holidays:
   • Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
   • GFL will pick up trash and/or recycling on all other holidays, except those impacted by weather or technical difficulties.

Each residential customer is provided one (1) green roll-out cart for garbage collection and one (1) blue recycling rollout cart for the disposal of household recycling materials. These carts are the property of the Town of Ayden. Both services are included in your monthly billing statement and are charged at $16.00/month. Additional green roll-out carts can be added to your collection for an additional monthly fee of $16.00.

Building and Contractor Rubbish:  Any building rubbish or debris must be removed by the contractor on a weekly basis.  Yard and tree debris shall be removed daily by the person hired to do the work.  Disposal of the items may be carried to the Pitt County Landfill located on Allen Road.  For more information on what can be disposed of at the landfill or transfer sites please click here.

Sanitation Schedules: Please note that we have listened to our citizens and in an effort to cut down on mailing and printing costs, we will not be mailing the Sanitation Schedule; it is posted on our website at ayden.com. However, if you would like a hard copy, please ask for one when you come to pay your bill.

Mosquito Control

Mosquito spraying will begin in July and will continue through September. Spraying will be completed, throughout town, every two weeks as conditions permit – i.e., no rain and temp below 85 degrees. Pellets (briquets) will also be distributed where standing water lies in public rights-of-way.

YOU can help too! Check out these tips to prevent them from multiplying in your own backyard:

1. Eliminate standing water, even the smallest amount can become a breeding ground.
2. Pick up litter and declutter your yard. Don’t let that old grill become a nursery for those little savages!
3. Keep your lawn mowed and your bushes and trees trimmed. Don’t give them a place to hide out.
4. If you have a green thumb, consider planting peppermint and lavender. They’re nature’s repellent!

The town uses two insecticides for mosquito control. We have also provided a link to CDC’s Fact Sheets that you may find useful.

AllPro envion rtu  – Label – SDS – CDC’s Fact Sheet on Truck Spraying

Zoecon Altosid briquets – Label – SDS – CDC’s Fact Sheet on Using Larvicides

NCDOT Announces Online Pothole Reporting

NCDOT recently announced its new online pothole reporting system with a commitment to fix potholes within 2 days of receiving a citizen request.  Go to www.ncdot.gov/contact/ or, if you prefer speaking to a representative, call 1-877-368-4968.  Please note:  only roads with “SR”/number on the road sign are state-maintained roads.  Examples include 102/Third Street; Old NC11/Lee Street; Jolly Road and Old Snow Hill Road.  For a visual aid, you may click here for a map.

Street Assessments and Repair Priorities

Based on available funding, operational tempo, and staffing within the Operations Department, the Town of Ayden will conduct street improvements and repairs based on the needs identified in the below report.

Ayden – 2023 Pavement Condition Report