Mandate Mowing in May for Major Events.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Jonathan Almond and 1 co-sponsor

Allows local governments to request NCDOT mowing of highway rights-of-way within 5 miles of certain May sporting events with 5,000+ attendees, removing the May prohibition.

Passed 1st Reading

#appropriations;budgeting;infrastructure;landscaping;public;roads&highways;sports;transportation;transportationdept.

Purpose and Intent

Allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to mow highway rights-of-way within a five-mile radius of certain major sporting events in May, upon request from local governments.

Override the general prohibition on mowing in May in order to accommodate large events with at least 5,000 attendees.

Provide a dedicated, one-time appropriation to support administration and operations related to this mowing.

Key Provisions

Section 1: Authority and Mowing Conditions

Amends G.S. 136-28.12 to permit May mowing under specific circumstances:

Normally, mowing in May is prohibited.
If a local government requests mowing near a sporting event with an expected attendance of at least 5,000, NCDOT shall mow highway rights-of-way within a 5-mile radius of the event location.
Submission requirements:
Local government must submit the request to the district engineer at least 30 days before the event.
Timing of mowing:
NCDOT shall mow no more than seven days and no less than two days before the event date.

Coordination with litter removal:

For primary road system rights-of-way: litter removal must be scheduled before mowing.
For secondary road system rights-of-way: litter removal should be scheduled to the extent practicable before mowing.

Any contract to mow or remove litter must include a clause requiring compliance with these mowing provisions.

Section 2: Appropriation

Provides a one-time General Fund appropriation of $10,000 (nonrecurring) to NCDOT for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Funds are for administration and operational costs related to providing mowing requested by local governments.

Section 3: Effective Date

The act becomes law upon passage (effective date to be determined by enactment).

Who Would Be Affected

Local Governments: May request targeted mowing within 5 miles of a major sporting event in May, subject to the 30-day notice and event attendance criterion.

NCDOT: Responsible for executing the mowing within the specified radius and ensuring timing aligns with event dates; must incorporate requirement into mowing contracts.

Contractors/Litter-Removal Vendors: Must include compliance with the May-mowing provisions in contract terms.

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

Local government must submit request at least 30 days before the event.

Mowing must occur between 2 and 7 days prior to the event.

Mowing is limited to a 5-mile radius around the event site.

Authorization is limited to May and only for events meeting the 5,000-attendance threshold.

A modest one-time $10,000 appropriation is provided to cover related administrative and operational costs for 2025-2026.

Considerations

The bill creates a targeted exception to the May mowing prohibition, balancing event needs with maintenance and litter-removal coordination.

Fiscal impact is minimal due to a small, one-time appropriation; however, it may entail administrative planning and potential logistical coordination with event schedules and traffic management.

The policy specifies timing windows to avoid last-minute mowing near event days.

Bill