The county landfill is located in the Aurelian Springs area and would add a fourth potential site to those Roanoke Rapids City Council is considering.
“We asked them to consider our county site in the matrix,” County Manager Tony Brown said at this morning's board of commissioners meeting.
Brown said a July 7 public hearing scheduled at 6 p.m. in the Cooperative Extension auditorium in Halifax will help the county decide whether it joins with Roanoke Rapids or acts independently of the city.
“We have a very tight frame,” board Chairman James Pierce. “Our contract with Waste Industries runs out (June 30, 2013). It takes time to get permitted and when our contract ends we'll be ready to start building a transfer station.”
Pierce said, however, the county planned to be deliberate in its decision making and in its talks with the city. “There's no need in dragging our feet. They've got options, we don't. We've got to get moving.”
Brown, answering questions by Commissioner Vernon Bryant, explained it doesn't appear Waste Industries is interested in continuing talks with the county.
Brown said the county went to the company requesting more favorable rates as a way to save money. “We got something back that was not close to what we proposed. We went back with another proposal.”
The company would not consider the second proposal and in followups, Brown said, were essentially told no.
Bryant said Roanoke Rapids has challenges and whatever the county does, “I want us to do in the best interest of all citizens, not just Roanoke Rapids.”
Commissioner Rives Manning believes the upcoming public hearing, which will focus on the proposed sites, may not be enough. “We've got to be open to dialogue, we're not trying to pull something over somebody's eyes.”
Manning believes in the transfer station concept and also believes the county has few options. If the contract is not renewed with Waste Industries, he said the company won't allow it to use the transfer station and the county would have to haul its trash to another county.
He also had concerns about a story in one media outlet which said the city would control the transfer station even if it was located at the county landfill. “I'm going to make darn sure if it's on on our property Halifax County will control it.”
Board member Carolyn Johnson said there appears to be many questions that need to be answered. She said she believed experts must speak first.
Pierce said he believes the public hearing will drive the position of the board. “Our goal is to come up with a better solution for handling solid waste and looking out for our citizens”
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