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General Information

The safety and security of our community is the City of Sanford's top priority. We are taking the current spread of COVID-19 very seriously and are working in partnership with Lee County and other local partners as we continue to monitor this evolving situation closely.

Effective March 30, 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statewide "Stay at Home" executive order. Effective May 8 and lasting through May 22, Gov. Cooper has modified the Stay at Home order to begin easing restrictions (Phase 1). During this phase, City facilities will follow the policies shared on this page.

View all official guidance, resources, and municipal news relating to COVID-19 here >>

We encourage you to take the following measures to help you and your loved ones remain healthy:

• Stay home if you are ill
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue
• Discard tissues after a single use
• Practice physical distancing
• Follow the CDC's travel guidance

For more information on the local response to the virus, contact the Lee County COVID-19 Information Hotline at 919-352-3360 or listen to the current pre-recordered Local Emergency Update at 919-718-4686.

Municipal Facilities Information

All municipal facilities are closed effective March 25, 2020. The City of Sanford encourages the community to use its website for bill payment, establishing service, employment applications, and many other services that can be completed online.

Though facilities are closed to the public, staff will continue to work. Business can be conducted by phone or email. Each department page on our website includes a directory of contact information.

City Council Meetings

At this point, Sanford City Council meetings will continue; however, we encourage the public to watch the meetings remotely on the City's website or on Spectrum Channel 191. 

All planned public information meetings associated with rezoning requests have been cancelled.

The next meeting of the Sanford City Council is scheduled for April 7 at 6:00 P.M. and will be held electronically using Office Suite HD.

The public can listen to the meeting. The process to listen is:

• Call into the meeting using 1-646-741-5292;
• Enter Meeting ID number 112 897 8132 #; and
• When prompted for a Participant ID number, press #.

To submit a public comment for the meeting, send the comment by email to vicki.cannady@sanfordnc.net by 1 P.M. on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Public comments will be read during the meeting.

Contact Deputy City Clerk Vicki Cannady at 919-777-1112 or vicki.cannady@sanfordnc.net with any questions.

Water/Sewer Utility Information

All municipal facilities are closed effective March 25, 2020. We offer several alternate payment methods, including by mail, on our website, through the payment drop box located in the circular drive at the Sanford Municipal Center, at local pay stations, or by calling 919-775-8215.

In response to the expanding COVID-19 public health emergency, the City of Sanford will suspend all water account disconnects due to non-payment of City of Sanford utility bills. During this time, we want to ensure all of our utility customers have access to water and wastewater services. We will continue to monitor guidance from public health agencies and provide updates on this policy moving forward.

Public Works Updates

The Public Works Department will continue to provide essential services, which include:

• providing clean, safe drinking water; 
• assuring safe public sewer systems and treatment; and
• keeping streets and signals functioning properly for safe transportation.

Municipal solid waste and recycling collection will remain on schedule. View the schedule here.

The department is operating with reduced onsite staff in compliance with the statewide ‘Stay at Home’ executive order that went into effect on March 30, 2020.

Due to these changes, there may be delays in some non-essential municipal services, such as bulk trash pickup, leaf and limb collection, and electronic waste collection. We ask for the public’s patience and understanding during this time.

For questions or concerns, contact the Public Works Department at 919-777-1200.

Parks COVID Information

*Municipal parks will remain closed during Phase 1 of reopening North Carolina. Phase 1 ends on May 22, 2020.*

To protect the public and employees and to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the City of Sanford has closed all municipal parks effective March 20, 2020.

The City of Sanford owns or operates eight parks in Sanford’s city limits: Depot Park, the front section of Kiwanis Family Park, Walter McNeil Jr. Park, Third Street Park, Maple Avenue Park, Carr Creek Park, Sunset Park, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Due to the closure, the restrooms at Depot Park and Kiwanis Family Park will be closed indefinitely.

The Endor Iron Furnace Greenway and Kiwanis Family Park walking trails are still open to the public.

Engineering Department Updates

All municipal facilities are closed effective March 25, 2020. The Engineering Department will now accept water and sewer tap applications and payment by phone. The process will be:

• Residential customers may call 919-777-1122 or 919-777-1155 to initiate the request. 
• Staff will gather all necessary information and forward the completed application to the Customer Service Department for account activation and payment processing.
• Customers will need to mark the preferred tap location with white spray paint. 

Please note that the City of Sanford does not install water/sewer taps or cleanouts for any commercial properties.  Services and associated fees are published here.

Planning and Community Development Department Updates

With the closure of all municipal facilities, the offices of the Planning and Community Development Department are no longer open to the public. However, we are still working a regular schedule and will continue to process most development reviews and applications.

In order to accommodate our new work structure, we have created an information and application drop-off area in the lower level lobby (rear entrance) of our offices at 115 Chatham Street. All permits that require hard copy submissions shall be submitted via this new drop-off system. A secured area has been established to allow for dropping off fee payments.

Note that staff will not be available to assist you in person, but you can still reach us via phone or email. See below for more details about specific operations within each section.

• Zoning Review and Approvals: Some development approval services are now limited. We can accept and process development permits that can be reviewed and approved by staff.  However, any development approvals that require approval by a board (planning board, board of adjustment, governing board) are suspended indefinitely. Contact zoning staff at 919-718-4656 for more information about your specific land uses, zoning approvals, and/or to confirm whether a project can more forward.

• Building Inspections: All operations are still active, but we ask the public to note these suggestions: 
  • Building permit applications are still being accepted and reviewed (typically only after Zoning Approval has been granted) and on-site inspections are still being scheduled for new construction projects. 
  • We encourage all trade permits (electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits) to be completed on the web via our online portal.  
  • For specific questions or more information about building inspections, please contact 919-718-4654 or you can check the division's website here.
• Code Enforcement: The following new temporary procedures have been established regarding inspecting complaints and potential violations of City Codes:
  • If you feel that you have a serious life/safety issue that requires immediate attention and want Code Enforcement to come out and inspect the interior of your residence, we will make an assessment of the risk prior to our site visit, which includes:
    • Verify that there is no one residing at your property who has symptoms of COVID-19 (fever and respiratory symptoms).
    • Code Enforcement staff will be observing social distancing recommendations during inspections, including avoiding close contact of less than 6 feet and limiting contact periods to less than 10 minutes.              
    • When necessary, Code Enforcement staff will be wearing personal protective gear which may include gloves and masks.
  • For all other complaints or inquiries, please call 919-718-4652 x1405.  If you don’t reach a live response, please leave a detailed message and someone will respond to you as soon as possible.  

For all other Planning Department Services, our staff and services are available.  Please note however, ALL neighborhood meetings and/or similar group activities have been suspended indefinitely. Call the department at 919-718-4657 if you have questions or want more information about a specific event or service.

Fire Department Updates

The Sanford Fire Department's three locations are closed to the public effective March 25, 2020. The Sanford Fire Department has made the following decisions to protect the health and safety of Sanford firefighters and the public:

• All fire and life safety education programs for the public have been suspended until further notice. 
• Child passenger safety seat checks have been suspended until further notice.
• 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year scheduled maintenance inspections have been suspended. Life safety issues will still be addressed.
• Fire reports are available via request by calling 919-775-8310 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This number is posted at each station on the main doors.
• Smoke detectors are still available, and installations can be scheduled.

Sanford Police Department

The Sanford Police Department is closed to the public effective March 25, 2020. However, as always, the department's doors are open to those in emergency situations.

For non-emergencies, contact the department at 919-775-8268. The emergency number is 911. Access arrest, crash, and incident reports at www.p2csanfordnc.net.

Sanford Municipal Golf Course

The Sanford Municipal Golf Course will remain open with safety restrictions in place until the State of North Carolina mandates closures.

Golf Course staff have taken several precautions to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, including:

• Limiting the touching of common objects by 
  • covering all ball washers 
  • removing water coolers 
  • placing noodle material in the cups 
  • removing all sand trap rakes 
  • asking players to leave flagsticks in the holes 
• Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of the facility 
• Limiting the number of people allowed in the clubhouse 
• Enforcing the 6-foot rule 
• Encouraging hand washing 
• Requiring staff to wear gloves as necessary

The Golf Course has also changed its golf cart rental procedures. Golf carts are cleaned between uses with a bleach solution. Also, the Golf Course is suggesting only one person per cart as necessary.

Typically, the Golf Course requires that players rent a golf cart on weekends to play before 1:00 p.m. That policy has been waived for now so that players are allowed to walk should they choose to. The policy will go back into effect when the pandemic has passed.

For questions about the Sanford Municipal Golf Course’s rates and hours, call 919-777-1901 or visit www.sanfordnc.net/golf.

Cancellations & Suspensions

Our community is our greatest asset and with the health and well-being of our residents in mind, we have decided to cancel or postpone all meetings of the City's appointed boards and commissions indefinitely. At this point, Sanford City Council meetings will continue to meet as scheduled. It is important to note that City government remains fully operational at this time. 

This includes meetings of the following:

• Americans with Disabilities Act Commission
• Appearance Commission
• Fire Committee
• Sanford Board of Adjustment
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Housing Appeals Board
• Joint Environmental Affairs Board
• Opioid Abuse Epidemic Commission
• Sanford Planning Board

The weekly Sanford Citizens' Academy is suspended until further notice.

View the City of Sanford meeting calendar for more information.

Building Water Systems

Water held unused in building pipes while businesses or activities are shut down or have unused floors or sections becomes stagnant.  Conditions may develop increasing the risk for the growth and spread of waterborne bacteria, such as Legionella or biofilm, in the building piping.  Disinfectant in the water, such as chlorine, will likely dissipate or become undetectable.

Actions are necessary to ensure the water in the building is safe as well as taste- and odor-free before resumption of normal water use. The building plumbing, including water heaters, should be thoroughly flushed before reopening for normal use.

How: Operate all sink, tub, shower, and toilet fixtures. Assess and perform any necessary maintenance on safety equipment, such as eye washes, safety showers and fire sprinkler systems. Water features inside buildings, hot tubs/spas and cooling towers should also be assessed.

View detailed information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding how to reactivate plumbing systems after dormant conditions.

For questions or concerns, contact Scott Christiansen, City of Sanford Water Filtration Facility Administrator, at 919-777-1800 or scott.christiansen@sanfordnc.net.

COVID Hotline

In an effort to provide Lee County residents with access to accurate information about coronavirus (COVID-19), Lee County has activated a COVID-19 Information Hotline.

The hotline will be staffed with call takers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday to help answer questions from the public related to the response and preparedness plans in place by Lee County.

The City of Sanford will share updates with call takers to ensure the hotline is a centralized source of local information.

COVID Local Updates

To provide Lee County residents with regular updates about the county's coronavirus (COVID-19) response and preparedness plan, Lee County has activated a COVID-19 Emergency Update Line.

The COVID-19 Emergency Update Line will be updated at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. These pre-recorded messages will be available in both English and Spanish.
The City of Sanford will share emergency updates to this line as necessary.

The COVID-19 Emergency Update Line number is 919-718-4686.