Quick Facts

Communication & Public Information

Joshua Harris is the Communication & Public Information Director. The department does the following:

• Manages external and internal communications
• Writes and publishes press releases promoting city services and events
• Monitors public engagement with the city        
• Manages the city’s digital presence including the city website and social media channels
• Oversees the Veterans Memorial and Memorial Pavers on the Square
• Manages city branding standards

Downtown Economic Development

The Downtown Economic Development Director is Kaylynn Horn. The department has two employees. The department:

• Administers the City of Lenoir Main Street Program Organizes local events
• Organizes local events
• Promotes downtown businesses
• Works with developers and entrepreneurs to open new businesses and residences in Downtown Lenoir
• Maintains a listing of available properties in the downtown district
• Manages the city’s BUILD program, which offers incentive grants to provide assistance with the improvement and rehabilitation of downtown properties
• Visit www.DowntownLenoirNC.com

Finance

The Finance department employs 13 people and has three divisions - Human Resources, IT Services, and Risk Management/Purchasing. The Director is Donna Bean. The department:

• Manages the City’s financial accounts
• Assists the City Manager in preparing the annual budget
• Manages accounts payable, payroll, billing, and collections
• Collects utility bills and tax bills for 10,000  customers
• Responsible for payroll, billing, and collection functions
• Processes employment applications; maintains personnel records and benefits plans for full-time and part-time employees
• Distributed 344 W-2s in 2020
• Provides IT services for the City
• Manages city insurance policies, safety programs, procurement, and purchasing

Fire

The Fire department employees 62 people and is divided into three divisions - Administration, Suppression, and Training / Prevention. The Interim Fire Chief is Kenny Nelson. The department:

• Maintains a Class 2 ISO Rating
• Provides fire suppression services
• Administers fire code enforcement
• Provides fire education
• Operates three fire stations in the city limits

Click the following link to view and download the Fire Departments annual reports, Fire Annual Reports.

2022 INSPECTIONS & EDUCATION

• 618 Fire inspections
• 44 Education programs
• 96 Smoke alarms issued and installed

2022 CALL Statistics

• 33 Building Fires
• 21 Vehicle fires
• 71 Brush or grass fires
• 16 Trash or Dumpster Fires
• 15 Other Fires
• 156 Total Fire Calls
• 1,591 Medical Calls
• 119 Vehicle Accidents with Injuries
• 119 Vehicle Accidents with no Injuries
• 3,002 Total Calls for Service

Parks & Recreation

The Parks and Recreation Department employs 83 people and is divided into four divisions - Lenoir Aquatic & Fitness Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Mulberry Recreation Center, and Parks & Grounds. The Director is Phil Harper. The department:

• Manages 11 city parks and three recreation facilities
• Provides sports leagues, classes, and camps
• Organizes special events in the city
• Maintains 84 acres and landscaping

Recreational Facilities

• Lenoir Aquatic and Fitness Center
• Martin Luther King Jr. Center
• Mulberry Recreation Center

City Parks & Grounds

• Broyhill Walking Park
• J.E. Broyhill Park
• Lenoir Greenway system, 9+ miles
• Lenoir High School Auditorium, Gym, and Mack Cook Stadium
• Lenoir Optimist Park
• Lenoir Rotary Soccer Complex
• Mack Cook Stadium
• Wilson Athletic Park
• Unity Park & Community Gardens
• West End Community Park

Planning & Community Development

The Planning department has four employees. The Director is Hannah Williams, AICP. The department:

• Administers flood damage prevention, housing, subdivisions, zoning, and stormwater ordinances
• Implements comprehensive, long-range growth plans
• Reviews residential, commercial, and industrial development plans
• Administers housing nuisance codes
• Engages residents in community planning projects to stabilize property values, eliminate vacant/substandard housing, and build neighborhood pride and a unique sense of place
• Manages GIS and mapping services for the city

Police

The Police department has 84 employees and is divided into three divisions - Investigations, Patrol, Support Services. The Police Chief is Brent Phelps.

Click the following link to view and the Police Department's Annual Reports, Police Annual Reports.

Investigations 

• Investigates white collar, cyber, property and sex crimes, crimes against persons, narcotics, and vice
• Provides crime scene investigations, nuisance abatement, Crime Stoppers, and alarm program
• Generates crime analysis, trend assessment, and statistical data for department and public

Patrol

• Responds to all dispatched calls for police service
• Provides bike patrol, K-9, Special Response Team, Honor Guard, Explorers Post
• Provides auxiliary reserve, parking enforcement, mentoring, School Resource Officers

Support Services

• Dispatches emergency 9-1-1 calls for the city and answers phone inquiries for the department
• Oversees records management, property and evidence, logistics, finances, and training

2022 Statistics

COMMUNITY IMPACT:

• 71 lives saved on overdose calls by the use of Narcan
• 283 pounds of unused or expired medicine collected
• $81,199,596 in stolen property recovered by investigators (including vehicles)
• $3,839,018 seized in illegal narcotics (including assists)
• 103 owner-abated nuisance cases
• 27 City-abated nuisance cases

OFFICERS RESPONDED TO:

• 23,105 calls for service
• 9,914 property checks
• 1,113 call follow-ups
• 1,052 traffic crashes

ADMINISTRATION: 

• 38,592 CAD calls
• 10,338 documented training hours

Public Services

The Public Services Department handles traditional public utilities such as water and sewer and public works services such as street maintenance and garbage collection. The department has 95 employees in two main divisions, Public Utilities and Public Works. The Public Services Director is Radford Thomas.

Public Utilities

The Public Utilities Division has 49 employees and four sections - Utilities Maintenance, Water Distribution / Wastewater Collection, Water Treatment, and Wastewater Treatment. The Public Utilities Operations Manager in Jeff Church. The director:

• Approves design plans for new utility infrastructure
• Prepares, submits and oversees $9.6 million dollar budget and enterprise fund
• Tracks and documents work orders for state compliance
• Coordinates departmental projects

Utilities Maintenance

• Maintains 16 water pump stations and sewer lift stations
• Performs maintenance on pumps, chemical feeders, mixers, blowers, and other equipment at each of the three treatment facilities

Water Distribution / Wastewater Collection

• Maintains 219 miles of water lines, 209 miles of sewer lines, 1,100 fire hydrants, 11,000 service lines, plus meters and meter boxes
• Installs new services, both residential and commercial

Water Treatment

• Operates the City’s water treatment plant
• Sells bulk water to Baton Water Corporation, Caldwell County, Joyceton Waterworks, and the Town of Sawmills
• Water treatment permitted to treat up to 12 million gallons per day
• 9 State-certified employees
• Operates 24 hours per day / 365 days per year
• Storage Capacity: 13.4 million gallons
• Pumping ability: 9,375 gallons per minute

Wastewater Treatment

• Operates two wastewater treatment plants
• Lower Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant has capacity to treat 6.0 million gallons per day (MGD)
• Gunpowder Creek Wastewater Treatment plant has capacity to treat 2.0 MGD
• 14 State-certified employees
• Staff performed more than 7,000 individual tests during 2021.  These tests ensure the treatment process is working properly and that no pollutants are going back into the receiving streams.

Public Works

The Public Works department has 46 employees and five divisions - Building Maintenance, Cemeteries, Sanitation, Streets, and Vehicle Services. The Public Works Operations Manager is Jon Hogan. 

Building Maintenance

• Responsible for all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and general construction repairs and maintenance to the City’s 45 public buildings and all non-vehicular mechanical and electrical equipment
• Coordinates downtown infrastructure improvements and assists with festival and event logistics for vendors

Cemeteries / Downtown Grounds

• Maintains three city cemeteries totaling about 30 acres - Bellview, Blue Ridge, and Fairfield
• Manages sales of grave plots and markers
• Maintains public spaces in downtown

Sanitation

• Provides residential curbside garbage pick up in the city
• Operates a Recycling Center on Pennton Avenue
• Removes residential yard waste and animal carcasses from streets and curbside
• Performs leaf collection Oct. 15 through Jan. 15

Streets

• Maintains 123.76 miles of paved and 2.89 miles of unpaved streets
• Provides support for state-maintained streets
• Manages construction of new streets and highways as well as the City’s Greenway system
• Provides residential brush removal
• Maintains City right-of-way, storm drainage system, sidewalks, snow removal, traffic signage, street and parking lot striping, event set-up

Vehicle Services

• Responsible for the maintenance of 520 motor vehicles, “off- road, non-highway use” vehicular equipment, and internal combustion equipment in the city fleet
• Provides fuel for all City vehicles, as well as a number of county fire departments and rescue squads

• Bellview Cemetery, 610 Finley Ave NW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Blue Ridge Memorial Park, 2017 Wilkesboro Boulevard, Lenoir, NC 28645
• City Hall, 801 West Avenue NW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• City/County Chambers, 905 West Avenue NW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Community Garden, 1419 College Ave, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Fairfield Cemetery, Beall Street, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Fire Station 1, 602 Harper Ave, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Fire Station 2, 1927 Norwood St, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Fire Station 3, 1015 Wilkesboro Blvd NE
• J.E. Broyhill Park, 509 Ridge St. NW, Lenoir, NC 28645 
• Lenoir Aquatic & Fitness Center, 1130 Jim Barger Court, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Lenoir Greenway, 710 Powell Rd NE, Lenoir, NC 28645 
• Lenoir High School Auditorium & Gym, 114 College Ave SW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Lenoir Optimist Park, 701 Mulberry Street SW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Lenoir Rotary Soccer Complex, 1050 Zacks Fork Rd, Lenoir, NC 28645 
• Mack Cook Stadium, 114 College Ave SW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Martin Luther King Jr. Center, 313 Greenhaven Drive NE, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Mulberry Recreation Center, 720 Mulberry Street SW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Police Department, 1035 West Avenue NW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Public Works / Public Utilities Headquarters, 510-B Greer Circle, Lenoir, NC 28645
• Recycling Center, 1121 Pennton Avenue, Lenoir, NC 28645
• T.H. Broyhill Walking Park, 945 Lakewood Cir SW, Lenoir, NC 28645
• T. Henry Wilson Athletic Park, 1010 Powell Rd NE, Lenoir, NC 28645