Public Works

Sylva’s Public Works Department conducts weekly trash and recycling pick-ups on Mondays and Wednesdays. Brush pick-ups are performed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please see our lists below for more information.

Sanitation Policies

Trash:

• The Town of Sylva provides curbside garbage collection to all Town residents.
• Routes are posted below on this page.
• The timing of garbage collection depends on the location of your residence.
• Commercial garbage is not collected by the Town of Sylva.
• Garbage collection is for household waste only. Garbage must be bagged and tied to prevent spillage.
• Garbage must be at curbside by 7:00 am.
• Receptacles are not to exceed 35 gallons in size. They must have a tight-fitting lid, and are not to exceed 75 pounds in weight.
• Solid wastes that are dangerous to handle, such as glass, fluorescent tubes, or hypodermic syringes, must be securely wrapped and marked with a visible warning.
• The following items will NOT be picked up:
  • Liquids, motor oil, antifreeze, paint cans with wet paint in them.
  • Flammable liquids.
  • Car batteries.
  • Building materials.
  • Medical waste of any kind.
• PLEASE RINSE YOUR CONTAINERS WHEN THEY BECOME DIRTY.

Recycling:

The Town of Sylva offers weekly curbside recycling services to its residents. If you’re interested in participating, you can obtain recycling bins from Town Hall at a cost of $30.00. Here is a comprehensive list of recyclable items and the appropriate bins to place them in:

• The following items are NOT recyclable:
  • Plastic bags, aluminum foil, paint cans, motor oil, antifreeze, and pesticide containers.
  • Plastic wrap, dishes and cookware, drinking glasses, light bulbs, broken mirror or window glass.
  • Styrofoam, dog food bags, juice cartons or boxes, paper towels or napkins, wax paper.
  • Any container that has had food in contact with it. One example is pizza boxes.
• PLEASE DO NOT PLACE ANY RECYCLABLES IN PLASTIC BAGS. SHREDDED PAPER SHOULD BE PLACED IN A BROWN PAPER BAG. IF CONTAINERS BECOME DIRTY PLEASE RINSE THEM.

Click here to read more about our recycling program.

Brush Debris:

In an effort to save fuel, time and money the Town of Sylva locates all brush and yard debris on your trash collection day.  Please have your brush at curbside by 7:00AM. There is no need to call Town Hall if it is placed at the curb by this time.

• Please limb all brush to make pile as compact as possible.
• Cut limbs no longer than 10′.
• Stack all limbs in the same direction.
• We do not accept any brush larger than 6″ diameter.
• Place your pile as close to the curb as possible.
• Do not stack brush:
  • Under any power, phone, or cable wires.
  • Under trees.
  • Against walls, buried phone or cable boxes.
• We do not pick up any brush cut by commercial trimmers.

Monday West Trash & Recycling Route

Wednesday East Trash & Recycling Route

Public Works Policies

Private Road Snow Removal Policy

The Town of Sylva recognizes the following as requirements and regulations regarding snow removal on private streets within corporate limits. The following information will serve as Town policy:

The Town of Sylva will be responsible for plowing private roads that are on the refuse collection routes. These roads will be plowed only after all primary public Town of Sylva streets have been cleared of any snow or ice. The Town is not responsible for any private streets not on the refuse collection route.

The Town of Sylva will not be responsible for any damage to the private roads or shoulders of roads caused by snow removal operations.

Street Light Installation Policy

The Town of Sylva recognizes the following as requirements and regulations regarding street light installation in corporate limits. The following information will serve as Town policy.

The Town considers main thoroughfares and primary roads, in the interest of public safety, top priority and will concentrate on these areas when installing new street lights.

Additional street lights may be installed in other areas of town after the following criteria have been considered:

• Proximity to other lighting sources
• Safety hazards due to lack of light to be determined by the Police Chief
• Proximity to sidewalks/pedestrian traffic
• Existing infrastructure i.e. light poles
• Increase to existing budget

Residents of an area requesting additional street lights should submit a proposal with the above criteria to the Town Manager who will make a recommendation to Board of Commissioners for final approval.

Street Line Painting Policy

The Town of Sylva recognizes the following as regulations and requirements regarding residential street line painting. The following information will serve as Town policy.

The Town of Sylva will primarily focus on primary roads and major thoroughfares for street line painting. The Town of Sylva will not paint street lines on streets less than 16 feet in width, or roads less than one mile in length. The Town will hereby refer to the policy of NCDOT referenced by G.S. 136-30.1 in all street line painting requests.

Cemetery Policy

The Town of Sylva recognizes the following as requirements and regulations regarding Keener Cemetery maintenance. The following information will serve as Town policy.

The Town of Sylva will maintain:

1. All grass areas which will be cut on an as-needed basis.
2. All perimeter walls that adjoin the existing road.
3. All public walkways, handrails, and stairs.

The Town of Sylva will NOT maintain:

1. Any private walls that surround any plots.
2. Any headstones.
3. Any individual plantings.

Traffic Calming Device Policy

The Town of Sylva recognizes the following as requirements and regulations regarding installation of traffic calming devices. The following information will serve as Town policy.

Definitions:

1. Speed Hump – a rounded traffic calming device used to reduce vehicle speed and volume on residential streets

2. Speed Bump – an artificial ridge set crosswise into the surface of a street, parking lot, or driveway to make the operators of vehicles reduce speed.

Policy:

Residents of the area requesting the speed humps must first submit a petition to the Town Manager. The petition should include signatures of 51% of the residents within one mile of the area of concern. The petition should include the factors explaining why there is a need for a traffic calming device, including but not limited to, traffic volume concerns, safety concerns, willingness of property owners to contribute to the project, and signatures of surrounding property owners. The Town Manager will review the petition and make a recommendation to the Town Board of Commissioners for final approval.