Come join us for our 6th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Sims Community Park this Saturday, December 5th at 5:30 pm!! Please wear a mask.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Broadband Survey: Your Input is Crucial
The Town of Sims has broadband gaps that keep people in our community from being able to easily and efficiently access services like telehealth, remote learning and remote work. We need your help finding the areas of our community that need better high-speed broadband service. Visit a 5-minute survey at https://ncbroadband.gov/survey to help us find the gaps in our community.
Your participation in this survey will help determine our needs for better services, and may help drive down prices for broadband services in our area.
Thank you!
Happy Thanksgiving- Town Hall Office Hours
Hello Residents! We would like to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful for each of you living in our town.
Town Hall will be closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 for the holiday. If you have an emergency, please call us at 237-4226 and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as possible.
Please remember trash services will be picked up on their regular schedule on Thursday and bills are due on the 28th! You may leave your payments in the drop boxes located to the left of the front door in the front of Town Hall or at the bottom right corner of the drive-through window at the rear of Town Hall.
Thank you and again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Trash Services This Week
Hello Residents! A Plus Disposal will be emptying trash, yard waste and recycling on Thursday of this week, Thanksgiving Day. Please remember to put your bins by the road the night before by 8pm, as pick up times may vary on Thursdays.
COVID 19: Executive Order 180
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2020
Contact: Ford Porter
Phone: 919-814-2100
Email: govpress@nc.gov
With Cases Rising Rapidly, North Carolina Tightens Existing Mask Requirements and Enforcement
Ten More Counties Designated as Red for Critical Community Spread
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper today issued additional COVID-19 safety measures to tighten mask requirements and enforcement as cases continue to rise rapidly in North Carolina and across the country. Executive Order No. 180 goes into effect on Wednesday, November 25 and runs through Friday, December 11.
"I have a stark warning for North Carolinians today: We are in danger," Governor Cooper said. "This is a pivotal moment in our fight against the coronavirus. Our actions now will determine the fate of many."
In addition to extending Phase 3 capacity limits and safety requirements, the Order tightens the existing statewide mask requirement – making it clear that everyone needs to wear a mask whenever they are with someone who is not from the same household. The Order also adds the mask requirement to several additional settings including any public indoor space even when maintaining 6 feet of distance; gyms even when exercising; all schools public and private; and all public or private transportation when travelling with people outside of the household.
The Order also requires large retail businesses with more than 15,000 square feet to have an employee stationed near entrances ensuring mask wearing and implementing occupancy limits for patrons who enter.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, updated North Carolina’s COVID-19 County Alert System map due to the rapid rise in cases and hospitalization over the past week. Since introducing the system last week, ten more counties have moved into the red category indicating critical community spread. There are now 20 red counties and 42 orange counties. Read the update to see where each county stands and how the system was designed.
“The coming weeks will be a true test of our resolve to do what it takes to keep people from getting sick, to save lives, and to make sure that if you need hospital care whether it’s for a heart attack or a car accident or COVID-19, you can get it,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan spoke at today’s press conference to discuss what the city of Greensboro is doing to step up enforcement of existing, strong statewide safety rules. State officials have encouraged local governments to take action to require compliance and help lower COVID-19 numbers.
Dr. Cohen also provided an update on North Carolina’s data and trends.
Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days
North Carolina’s syndromic surveillance trend for COVID-like illness is increasing.
Trajectory of Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days
North Carolina’s trajectory of cases is increasing.
Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days
North Carolina’s trajectory in percent of tests returning positive is increasing slightly.
Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days
North Carolina’s trajectory of hospitalizations is increasing.
In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread in testing, tracing and prevention.
Testing
Testing capacity is high.
Tracing Capability
The state is continuing to hire contact tracers to bolster the efforts of local health departments.
There have been more than 430,000 downloads of the exposure notification app, SlowCOVIDNC.
Personal Protective Equipment
North Carolina’s personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies are stable.
Read Executive Order 180.
Read a Frequently Asked Questions document about the Order.
Read the slides from today’s briefing.
Covid 19: Executive Order 176
On November 10, 2020, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 176, extending Phase 3 effective Friday, November 13, 2020 at 5pm and ending at 5pm on Wednesday, December 4, 2020. This phase limits the number of people to 10 for inside gatherings. For more information, please read EO 176.
Town Hall: Change in Hours, Personnel, and Email
We are excited to announce beginning Monday, November 2, 2020, Town Hall will have new office hours to better serve you! We will be open Monday - Thursday, 9am - 5pm (Closed 1pm - 2pm for lunch) and Friday, 9am - 6pm (Closed 1pm - 2pm for lunch). While our main lobby is currently closed to the public for walk-ins, we are happy to assist you over the phone or at our drive-through window!
We are also happy to inform you Mrs. Lisa Harrell has joined our team at Town Hall as an Office Assistant. Lisa has lived in Sims since 2000, and is a wife, mother of two and grandmother of two. She looks forward to meeting and helping you all! Please stop by to introduce yourselves and say hello!
Also, our email address at Town Hall has changed. It is now info@townofsimsnc.com so please update your contact information for us.
Finally, each of our residents and business owners will soon receive their monthly water bills. They will be sent in an envelope along with a Customer Information Update Form. Please make sure each of you completes this form and returns it to us as soon as possible. We are having trouble contacting some of you with notifications because we do not have the most up-to-date information.
Thank you!
Alert: Coyotes in the Area
We want to alert our residents to recent reports of coyotes in our area and within town limits. Unfortunately, they have killed family pets and livestock. For more information on coyotes, click here.
To avoid issues with coyotes, here are some helpful hints:
Feed pets indoors or remove food when your pet is finished eating outside. Coyotes and other wildlife are attracted to pet food left outdoors.
Don’t be intimidated by a coyote. Maintain its wariness by throwing a small object, such as a tennis ball, at it, making a loud noise, or spraying it with a hose. Let it know it is unwelcome near your home.
Protect your pets by keeping them inside, leashed, or inside a fenced area. Always supervise small pets when they’re outside, especially around dusk or dawn.
Install coyote-proof fencing around your home to protect unsupervised pets and livestock.
Secure trash and food waste in secure containers with tight-fitting lids.
For more helpful hints and additional information on co-existing with coyotes, click here. If you do encounter a coyote, do not run from them as it could trigger their instinct to chase prey. Instead, throw rocks or yell at them to intimidate them. We were also told to keep a soda can with pennies inside it to shake at the coyote, as the noise should scare them off.
If you are having trouble with coyote in your yard, contact NC Wildlife at 866-318-2401 or 919-707-4011. Please remain alert and stay safe!
Census 2020 Ends Today!
Today is the last day to complete your census information! The Town of Sims currently has a Cumulative Self Response rate of only 58.5%. Please make sure you do this today to ensure we receive necessary funding for essential services such as road projects, schools, etc. and to add another seat to US Congress.
NC is projected to gain a seat in the US Congress & Census data bring $1,823 per person/per year in federal & state funds back to NC counties & towns. An incomplete count puts another seat in Congress & funding in jeopardy. Respond at my2020census.gov or 844-330-2020.
Early Voter Information for Wilson County
Early Voting in Wilson County opens on Thursday, October 15 and ends Friday, October 30, 2020. Please take advantage of this early voting opportunity if you can! They are even open on weekends!
EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS: (click address for map)
Board of Elections Office, 112 Douglas Street
Wilson County Office Building, 2201 Miller Road
Wilson Rescue Squad Building, 1902 Tarboro Street W
EARLY VOTING TIMES AND DATES:
Weekdays:
Thursday - Friday, October 15-16 8:00AM - 7:30PM
Monday - Friday, October 19-23 8:00AM - 7:30PM
Monday - Friday, October 26-30 8:00AM - 7:30PM
Weekends:
Saturday, October 17 8:00AM - 2:00PM
Sunday, October 18 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Saturday, October 24 1:00PM - 7:00PM
Sunday, October 25 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Saturday, October 31 8:00AM - 3:00PM
For questions regarding early voting, or your voter registration, please contact the Wilson County Board of Elections at 252-399-2836.
Executive Order 169: COVID 19 Update to Phase 3
North Carolina will move to Phase 3, easing some restrictions while continuing safety measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Executive Order 169 begins Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. and continues for three weeks through October 23. Read the Order's FAQs for more information.
Town Hall Renovations to Resume
Beginning Tuesday, September 15, renovations will resume at Town Hall. This next step in the process is expected to take approximately 2 weeks and may result in temporary disruption of normal business processes. During this time, Town Hall will be open and the drive-through window will remain open on days it is accessible to our staff; therefore, we encourage our utility customers to use our drop box for payments when possible.
Please call us if you need assistance at 237-4226. Our phone lines may be down intermittently on Tuesday, September 15 and Thursday, September 17, as we get new lines installed.
We are here to serve you and apologize in advance for any disruptions that may be caused by these renovations. Although changes can be difficult during the process, we look forward to the end result to better serve you!
Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled
The Sims Volunteer Fire Department will begin flushing fire hydrants in the Town of Sims on Monday evening, September 14. Any work not finished on Monday, September 14 will resume Monday evening, September 21.
Due to the flushing of the hydrants, residents and business owners may temporarily notice darker water. This is normal and should not last long. Running the water at your taps will help clear the lines faster, if needed.
If you have any questions about this process, please call Town Hall at 237-4226.
Census 2020- We Need Your Participation
Census 2020- What’s at Stake
NC is projected to gain a seat in the US Congress & Census data bring $1,823 per person/per year in federal & state funds back to NC counties & towns. An incomplete count puts another seat in Congress & funding in jeopardy. Respond at my2020census.gov or 844-330-2020.
Executive Order 163: COVID 19 Update to Phase 2.5
Governor Roy Cooper has announced that after a summer of hard work to slow the spread of COVID-19, North Carolina will take a modest step forward to move into Phase 2.5 starting Friday, September 4th at 5 pm. “Mask mandates and other prevention methods remain in effect and are even more important to contain the virus,” Cooper said.
Phase 2.5 allows up to 25 people at indoor gatherings, up to 50 people at outdoor gatherings, and permits playgrounds to be reopened.
To read Executive Order 163, click here or for more information about this order, click FAQ.
Position Available: Board of Commissioners
Board of Commissioners Position Available
The Board of Commissioners is now accepting Letters of Interest for a vacant seat on the Town Board. Those residents who are interested and reside within Sims city limits, please submit a letter expressing your interest in serving on this board.
You can submit this letter at town hall during office hours or in the drop box; by email: townofsims@embarqmail.com; or by mail: PO Box 161, Sims, NC 27880.
We will be accepting letters until 5pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
*All applicants should be available to attend the Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, September 14 at 6:30 pm at the Community Center.
Executive Order 151: COVID 19 Update
Governor Cooper has signed Executive Order No. 151 to extend North Carolina’s Phase 2 of Covid-19 restrictions. The phase runs through at least Friday, September 11 at 5pm unless changed or canceled. Masks are required while out in public areas.
The bathrooms and playground equipment at the Sims Community Park will remain closed during Phase 2. The walking trail will still be available, but please remember to physically stay at least six feet apart from others.
The Town of Sims will continue its operations to maintain water and sewer utilities. Trash, recycle and yard waste services will continue as normal. We have resumed our monthly Board of Commissioners Meeting per the posted schedule. (This meeting will be limited to 10 people inside the building, including board members, staff and public attendees. We will be adhering to guidelines requiring 6 ft distance between all attendees, and wearing of masks is mandatory.) All other meetings will be rescheduled, as appropriate.
Hurricane Isaias: Wilson County State of Emergency
Wilson County Commissioner Board Chair Rob Boyette signed the County State of Emergency in response to Hurricane Isaias. The document can be found here.
Basically, our area will be impacted in the following ways overnight Monday into Tuesday morning:
Wind gusts to 50plus MPH
Potential of trees down
Rain - 5 plus inches
potential for localized flash flooding
Due to Covid 19 concerns, Wilson County will not be opening any shelter locations prior to the storm. We strongly urge citizens who do not feel comfortable in their homes during the storm to seek shelter with family members, friends or at a hotel, prior to the storm.
Executive Orders 124/142: Utility Payment Plan Option For Customers Needing Assistance- Deadline July 30
Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 124 (EO 124) and EO142 require providers of end-user, residential water and wastewater, among other things, to suspend disconnections of residential service for nonpayment through July 30, 2020, and suspend assessment of all penalties for late payments of monthly service charges incurred from March 31, 2020 through July 30, 2020.
Monthly service charges are billed in town limits on the 29th day of the month at a rate of $15.50 + $2.20 per 1,000 gallons of water and $12.50 + $5.00 per 1,000 gallons of sewer, with a minimum of 1,000 gallons. Charges are $25.50 + $2.90 per 1000 gallons of water and $20.50 + $5.15 per 1000 gallons of sewer for service outside town limits. The executive order applies to bills issued March 31 – July 30, 2020.
Please note that EO 124 does not extinguish or waive your account balances. If you had an existing unpaid account balance as of March 31, 2020, you need to continue to pay toward that account balance. The Town of Sims has continued to bill our normal charges for services provided after March 31, 2020, and you remain legally responsible to pay all amounts due on your account.
EO 142 is currently effective until July 30, 2020. On July 31, 2020, we will resume our normal disconnection and late fee policies. You will, however, have until January 31, 2021, to pay any delinquencies that you incur from March 31, 2020 through July 30, 2020 if you set up a payment plan before July 30.
Recognizing the financial hardship many people now face, and in compliance with EO 124, the town is offering this payment plan to customers who are unable to pay their current account balance in full and/or who will be unable to pay their account balances between now and July 30, 2020.
To the extent you are able, we encourage you to continue to pay the full amount owed on your account to avoid accumulating large account balances.
Click here for a copy of this information, our normal water and sewer policies, and a copy of the payment plan form.
Sanitary Sewer Smoke Testing: July 28- August 10, 2020
Beginning Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the Town of Sims and NC Rural Water Association will be conducting SMOKE TESTING of our community’s sanitary sewer system. While we hope to perform all testing July 28 and 29, we may have delays and need to continue our work through August 10. Smoke testing locates breaks and defects in the sewer system, as well as places where storm and other surface waters are entering sanitary sewers.
You can expect to see the crew opening manholes in your area. Smoke testing can cause smoke to exit the sewer system through the vent stacks on houses or holes in the ground. While most residents will never see the smoke, the Town of Sims wants you to have as much information as possible about the testing. Smoke testing is a process endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A special non-toxic harmless smoke will be used in these leak tests. The smoke is manufactured for this purpose and, therefore, has little odor, creates no fire hazard, leaves no residuals or stains and has no effect on plants and animals. The "smoke" is not true smoke but rather a specially-formulated mist that is made up mostly of moisture from the atmosphere.
The smoke should not enter your home or business unless you have defective plumbing or dried up drain traps. Should smoke enter your home or business, please contact a member of the smoke testing crew working in the area or call Town Hall at 237-4226. They will be able to provide you with additional information regarding the smoke entering your home or business. Any visible mist indoors will dissipate within a few minutes with adequate ventilation.
If you have any seldom-used drains, they may be dry and thus allow the smoke to enter your building. Please pour a gallon of water in the drain to fill the trap. Drain traps should always be filled with water to prevent sewer gases or odors from entering the building.
You do not need to be present and the crew will not need to enter your building. If your property is not owner-occupied, we ask that you help us by forwarding this important information to anyone living or working there. If you have any questions, please contact Town Hall at 237-4226.
Please click here for FAQs regarding sanitary sewer smoke testing.