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General Information

The safety and security of our community is the City of Sanford's top priority. We continue to make decisions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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

For more information on the local response to the virus, including vaccine registration, contact the Lee County Health Department at 919-718-4640.

City Council Meetings

Sanford City Council continues to meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. To accommodate pandemic safety protocols, meetings are held at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. Masks and social distancing are required.

We continue to encourage the public to watch the meetings remotely on the City's website or on Spectrum Channel 191. 

Stay updated on City Council meetings here.

Contact City Clerk Bonnie Davis at 919-777-1111 or bonnie.davis@sanfordnc.net with any questions.

Customer Service / Utility Information

The customer service department of the Sanford Municipal Center is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

The safety and security of our community is the City of Sanford’s top priority. Therefore, anyone entering the building will be expected to uphold accepted practices for limiting the spread of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, and being patient with potentially long wait times.

We offer several alternate payment methods for utility bills, 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.

For those wanting to limit exposure, residents can apply for water and sewer service by calling 919-775-8215 or by clicking here.

Facilities

All offices and services at the Sanford Municipal Center are open to the public during standard operating hours of 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The City's planning offices at the Buggy Company will also open to the public for standard operating hours.

The Public Works Service Center, Sanford Compost Facility, and Sanford Fire Department remain closed to the public. 

The City of Sanford encourages the community to continue using its website for bill payment, establishing service, employment applications, and many other services that can be completed online.

Engineering Department

The Engineering Department will accept water and sewer tap applications and payment by phone. The process is:

• Residential customers should 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 must 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

The offices of the Planning and Community Development Department are open to the public. The department is located in the Buggy Company Building at 115 Chatham Street with public access being located at the rear of the building.

• Zoning Review and Approvals: Staff is available to assist with development approval services.
  • Appointments are encouraged for larger projects, such as residential subdivisions and new commercial projects, to allow staff time to provide a more thorough and efficient review.
  • Contact Planning/Zoning staff at 919-718-4656 or zoning@sanfordnc.net for information about specific land uses, zoning approvals, and/or to confirm the status of a project.

• 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. 

Public Works

The Public Works Department continues 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 remain on schedule. View the schedule here.

The department is operating with reduced onsite staff to best manage pandemic safety. Therefore, 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 919-775-8247.

Sanford Fire Department

The Sanford Fire Department's three locations remain closed to the public. The following decisions have been made to protect the health and safety of Sanford firefighters and the public:

• All fire and life safety education programs for the public continue to be suspended until further notice. 
• Child passenger safety seat checks continue to be suspended until further notice.
• 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 available, and installations can be scheduled.

The department has resumed 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year scheduled maintenance inspections. Life safety issues are being addressed.

Sanford Municipal Golf Course

The Sanford Municipal Golf Course is open to the public. Golf Course staff have taken several precautions to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, including:

• Limiting the touching of common objects by removing water coolers, placing noodle material in the cups, and removing all sand trap rakes
• 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.

Typically, the Golf Course requires that players rent a golf cart on weekends and holidays 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.

Sanford Police Department

The Sanford Police Department is open the public. For non-emergencies, you can always contact the department at 919-775-8268. The emergency number is 911. You can access arrest, crash, and incident reports at www.p2csanfordnc.net.