Frequently Asked Questions

Please mail all invoices to: C/O Accounts Payable Dept. City of Kings Mountain P.O. Box 429 Kings Mountain, NC 28086.  You can also email invoices to finance@cityofkm.com.  If you have any questions regarding payment or receipt of invoices please call Accounts Payable at 704-730-2151.

Please visit the Study Room Reservation page.

Permits are issued by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (NCABC). Prior to submitting the required documents to the state, you will need to schedule an appointment with the Sergeant of Criminal Investigations to review your documents and have them sign the local government opinion form.  To get a permit go to their website   NCABC Website 

For additional information click here 

The Kings Mountain Police Department accepts complaints from any source,  whether made in person, by mail, over the telephone or internet. Complaints can be filed through the following methods: 

• In Person— At the Police Department ask to speak with the Office of Professional Standards Sergeant or any on-duty supervisor.  

• By Phone– Call the Kings Mountain Police Department at (704) 734-0444 and ask to speak with the Office of Professional Standards Sergeant or any on-duty supervisor. 

• By Mail— Mail a written statement to: 

Kings Mountain Police Department 

Office of Professional Standards

P.O. Box 7 Kings Mountain NC, 28086

• By Email— Email your information to:    KMPDDOPS@cityofkm.com
  
  

To learn more about the Complaint Processing Procedures of the Kings Mountain Police Department download our

  "KMPD Complaint Form".

If you wish to commend the actions of any Kings Mountain Police Department employee, you can do so in one of the following ways:

• By Phone: Contact the Kings Mountain Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and let us know about your experience.  (704)734-0444

• In Person: Complete the “Officer Commendation” portion of this brochure and submit to the Kings Mountain Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards Division. 

• By Email: Send an email to us at the following email address with the name of the employee you wish to commend and a short synopsis of the event. 

   KMPDOPS@cityofkm.com

• By Mail: Complete the “Officer Commendation” portion of this brochure and mail to the Kings Mountain Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards Division. 

 Kings Mountain Police Dept  

Office of Professional Standards  

PO Box 7 Kings Mtn NC, 28086

When commending an employee, try to remember the name of the employee and the circumstances of how you were helped. Commendations received will result in the employee being notified of your gratitude and will be recorded in the employee’s personnel file.  In addition, annually our awards committee reviews all reports of outstanding performance and an appropriate award may follow.

If you wish to commend the actions of any Kings Mountain Police Department employee download our

 "KMPD Commendation Form". 

Public reports may be obtained in-person during regular business hours Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00 pm at the Kings Mountain Police Department (112 South Piedmont Ave, Kings Mountain NC 28086). Incident reports may be available within two business days of the incident. There is no charge for copies of incident reports.

To obtain a copy of an accident report, click here

Visit our "Community Service Areas" page to learn more about how to locate your specific "Beat" location and contact information about the officers assigned to your area. 

Contact the Kings Mountain Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) at (704)-734-0444 or if you know the name of the Detective assigned to the case you can  email a request for an update. Click here for Investigator's email addresses. 

By scanning the QR Code below, a person is taken to the anonymous tip information page that will allow information, photos, and videos about a case to be uploaded to the police for their investigation. If the information helps solve a crime, the tipster may collect reward money paid by Crime Stoppers - all anonymously! 

Click here to visit our "Recruitment" page to learn the requirements and how to apply. 

Contact our Property & Evidence Technician here to obtain more information about your property being released. 

Property release is by appointment only !!!

This is to ensure necessary preparatory work is completed as much as possible before arrival. Evidence Specialist will advise what documentation is needed prior to appointment.

Monday thru Thursday

10am- 12pm & 1pm-3pm

Closed Holiday and Weekends

Yes, For a complete list of requirements and forms necessary to participate in the Kings Mountain Police Department Ride-Along-Program click here

1. A permit is needed any time you are proposing a new use and/or a new structure on your property. Also, some structural work like plumbing or wiring can result in a need for a permit. For more information on that please contact the Planning Office. 

1. To know what you can build on your property you must first know the zoning district. Please look on our GIS map here to find your parcel and the zoning district applied to it. Section 156.30.02 of the UDO, the Land Use Matrix, states what uses are allowed in each zoning district. On the table if you see a P next to the use you want in your particular zoning district, that means it is permitted. If you see an L that means it is a Use with Limitations (standards) and if you see an S that means it is permitted with a Special Use Permit issued by the Board of Adjustment. If it is blank, then that use is not permitted.

The zoning map can be found on the city’s GIS map. 

1. Your property may be located within city limits, the ETJ, or in the County’s jurisdiction. You can find information about that on either the city’s GIS map, Cleveland County’s GIS map, or Gaston County’s GIS map.

1. Once you’ve applied for a permit you can request an inspection through OpenGov. Log in, find your permit, and follow the prompts to request an inspection.

1. City water and sewer maps are not publicly available. Please contact either the Planning Office or the public utilities office for more details.

1. Only one single family dwelling can be placed per parcel within the planning jurisdiction. However, you may also place an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) along with the primary home. Section 156.30.06, Accessory Use and Structure Standards, has standards for ADU’s.

1. As a general rule, no, however there are some exceptions. Section 156.30.04, Limited Use Standards, gives details on keeping livestock, chickens, and bees.

1. Setbacks are a required distance from property lines for placing structures. This required distance keeps your structures from imposing on your neighbor’s property. Each zoning district has different setbacks for the front line, sides, and rear property line, which can be found in Section 156.10.03, Lot and Building Standards.

1. A traffic impact analysis is a device used to measure the impact of a larger development and the new car traffic it will bring to an area.  These are typically only needed in larger developments or high traffic businesses. Please contact the planning office if you have questions about whether or not your development will need a traffic impact analysis.

1. No, it is illegal for local governments to enforce rules above what is written in their ordinance. HOA rules and deed restrictions must be enforced by the neighborhood where the rules apply.

Sign standards are unique to business type and zoning district. There are specific rules for a sign on your building and freestanding signs. Section 156.60.03, Signs, has all the details on what size and type of sign can be used for your business. 

1. Most government records are subject to North Carolina public record requests, with limited exceptions. In the City of Kings Mountain, public record requests are handled by the City Clerk. Please go here to submit a public record request.

1. If you have a zoning complaint you can file a request on our OpenGov permitting platform. Please click here to submit your complaint, and a member of the Planning staff will call you if more information is needed. 

1. Residential fences can be up to seven (7) feet behind the home (up to five (5) feet in front of the home), can be placed up to the property line, and do not require permits. Commercial and industrial fences can be up to eight (8) feet and do require permits if over six (6) feet. See UDO section 156.60.05 for more details.

1. Requesting to change the zoning district of your property is a right that citizens have. North Carolina General Statute guides local governments on how this is done. In the City of Kings Mountain, you make a request through our OpenGov portal here. Once you’ve submitted your request, your case will be heard by both the City’s Planning Board and then by City Council at a public hearing. The Planning Board will make a recommendation to City Council but Council has final authority on that decision.  

1. The city addresses structures, not properties. Addresses are created when a building permit is requested for a new structure. Addresses are based on the location of the driveway. To request an address please use the OpenGov portal here.

1. TRC stands for Technical Review Committee.   This committee meets weekly and brings together city staff over planning, engineering, utilities, and public safety to discuss large projects coming to the city. If you have a large project under review, then TRC will be evaluating the project and may ask a representative of the project to come to the meeting for a discussion. For more information on TRC please contact the Planning Office.

1. Yes, the City of Kings Mountain has rules about campaign signs. To see the rules for campaign signs and to get an application please click here. 

1. The Planning Office is working on a permit for short term rentals and it will work like other Temporary Permits. To apply for a temporary permit please click here.

1. Yes, food trucks require temporary permits. To apply for a permit for your food truck click here. 

Yes. The water is safe for all standard uses, including drinking, cooking, and bathing. It continues to meet all primary health and safety standards set by the EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

Geosmin and Methyl Isoborneol (MIB) are naturally occurring compounds produced by algae blooms in surface water, such as Moss Lake. They cause an earthy or musty taste and odor. These compounds are not harmful. They may affect the taste and smell of the water, but they do not affect its safety.

Yes. The City's drinking water continues to meet all primary health-based standards set by the EPA and the State of North Carolina.

The current taste and odor issues some residents are experiencing are considered secondary characteristics affecting taste, odor and appearance and do not affect the safety of the water. 

We take all health concerns seriously. If you feel unwell, we strongly encourage you to seek medical guidance from a healthcare professional.

The change in taste and smell is due to natural conditions in our water source, Moss Lake. When environmental conditions change, algae levels can increase. This produces the compounds geosmin and MIB, which create an earthy or musty smell similar to soil after it rains.

To help isolate the source of the issue, it is also helpful to evaluate household plumbing. Interior pipes, water heaters, and faucets can sometimes affect water quality within a specific home.

The earthy taste and odor are caused by natural conditions in surface water reservoirs, such as Moss Lake. When weather and environmental conditions shift, the amount of natural organic material in the lake increases. This leads to algae blooms that produce compounds called geosmin and MIB. These compounds create an earthy or musty smell similar to soil after rain.

Kings Mountain relies on Moss Lake, which is a surface water source. Surface water is directly influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall, runoff, nutrient levels, and temperature changes. Over time, algae levels in the lake have increased, and algae blooms have lasted longer than in previous seasons. This has resulted in greater levels of sedimentation in the treatment process. Because surface water naturally responds to ecological conditions, communities depending on lakes can experience longer periods of taste and odor changes when those environmental factors remain elevated.

No. Dredging could be a possible contributing factor because it can temporarily increase water cloudiness by stirring up sediment. However, ongoing evaluation confirmed that dredging was not the primary cause of the current taste and odor issues. The main drivers are increased algae growth and naturally occurring compounds in the lake.

Dredging activity on the upper end of Moss Lake was completed in approximately May 2025. Operations were halted out of caution, and the dredging restriction remains in place to avoid further disturbance to the lake.

While the lake experiences seasonal turnover events, the taste and odor concerns are primarily driven by elevated organic matter and related compounds in the source water. Lake turnover is one of several environmental factors that affect surface water.

Seasonal conditions do influence taste and odor. Our work is currently focused on treatment and system improvements to strengthen performance year-round. We will continue to monitor source water conditions and adjust our treatment processes accordingly.

Yes. In fact, 60% of all drinking water in the U.S. is sourced from surface water, such as lakes and reservoirs. Because surface water is directly exposed to environmental changes, many communities across the country experience similar seasonal taste and odor issues caused by algae, geosmin, and MIB.

To manage these events, water systems nationwide rely on the same treatment methods we are implementing. This includes using carbon treatment to bind the compounds, optimizing water flow through the plant, conducting routine system flushing, and making infrastructure upgrades to strengthen their systems against changing lake conditions.

We are actively adjusting our treatment processes to reduce taste and odor effects. This includes strengthening carbon treatment, optimizing water movement through the plant, cleaning storage tanks, and flushing parts of the water system. We have also activated a fourth sedimentation basin to improve settling and filtration, as well as implemented strategies to improve sediment removal.

With current technology, we can reduce these impacts through treatment upgrades and routine maintenance. However, because our source water is a lake, we cannot guarantee that taste and odor changes will never occur. Our goal is to continue improving the system to minimize these effects as much as possible while maintaining safe drinking water.

Baffle walls are structural upgrades designed to improve treatment performance and help address factors contributing to taste and odor issues. Construction will begin in the Spring of 2026.  

Installing baffle walls is a significant structural improvement. Engineering, design, regulatory review and permitting started in August 2025. Funding was approved in December 2025 after permitting was completed. The required cleaning and sedimentation basin clearing are now underway, and construction is being scheduled.

No. Baffle walls are expected to improve treatment performance, but they are just one element of a broader plan. Because our drinking water comes from a natural surface water source, there will likely always be periods when taste and odor change due to environmental conditions.

We have adjusted carbon treatment, increased the treatment time (or how long it takes water to move through the plant), activated a fourth sedimentation basin, improved sedimentation processes and completed targeted system flushing and tank cleaning. At Moss Lake, we have temporarily paused dredging activities, reviewed water intake depth, and evaluated intake screening. Long-term, we are assessing storage capacity and system resiliency to better handle changing environmental conditions. We are also working towards fully automating the water treatment operation.

The water system is maintained on an ongoing basis rather than through one single systemwide renovation. The treatment plant underwent major upgrades in 2016. Ground storage tanks were most recently cleaned between November and January. The entire distribution system is flushed annually, and crews directly flush dead-end lines when residents report concerns. We are also evaluating installing automatic flushers in certain areas.

Yes. We have adequately allocated eight positions to support the plant.

Residents can log specific water concerns using the City’s online reporting tool (called “Report a Problem”). We are maintaining a dedicated water update landing page and problem-reporting form to make it easier to submit concerns and request water line flushing.

We postponed the event due to staff scheduling.

The City is hosting an official public forum on March 17 at 6 p.m. The forum will be held at the H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Center, 909 E. King Street, Kings Mountain, NC 28086.

Since 2024, the City has provided updates through official media releases, public statements, website updates, Facebook posts, drinking water update notices, and video updates.

We are investing in operational improvements and infrastructure upgrades to help address the environmental changes that naturally affect Moss Lake. Additionally, we contracted an independent communications consultant to develop clearer public-facing materials. This includes a comprehensive FAQ, a centralized updates page, visual explanations of the treatment process, and the upcoming public forum on March 17.

This City has created this landing page for water updates. This is intended to serve as the primary hub for our residents to access updated information, get detailed information, submit questions and report concerns. We will update this as frequently as we have new information to provide.

If you are a member of the press with questions about water quality, please contact Susan Mosk at 704-734-0333.