Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gene Minton said he is willing to talk to the city about its plans to build a solid waste transfer station.
In a telephone interview with The Spin today, Minton said the county has also begun taking steps to seeking permits for its own transfer station. The county and its towns, including Roanoke Rapids, currently have an agreement with Waste Industries to use its transfer site.
If the city should pull out of the agreement, Minton said, “It could raise the cost for everyone in the county.”
Minton believes the cooperative approach is best in the matter, which the city has just begun to investigate. If the city should act alone with the idea, he said, “It will essentially adversely affect everyone in the county.”
The board’s chairman also believes the city must look at the debt it has incurred with the theater. “With their financial situation, I don’t see how they could make that capital investment.”
The county and city must also consider there are fewer permits being granted to build new landfills, which is where the trash goes after it leaves the transfer station. “We need to take a comprehensive look and see if we can’t get better scale rates and cut down on how much waste we are generating. To have it without taking a comprehensive look at solid waste disposal is not wise,” Minton said.
Minton believes all parties need to discuss the matter. “In some way we all need to get together,” he said.
That means looking at not only the transfer station issue but rates and the environment, he said. “We want to look at what will be for the greater good. If we work together we can achieve more. If we don’t we will achieve less.”
City Manager Paul Sabiston wants to meet with the county, he said in an email correspondence with The Spin today. “My intent is to have an open and candid conversation with (the county) regarding this facility. We might share some common ground.”
Sabiston said issues such as whether the city will own and operate the transfer station or look to have someone else operate and own it are ones that will be addressed in the ongoing research phase. “We still have to determine if it is financially viable,” he said. “Having said that, I think the assumption at this early stage of the process is that the city would hire a contractor to build the facility and then own and operate it from that point forward. Certainly, other private/public options may be considered.”
Mayor D.N. Beale said today he was also open to discussing the issue with the county. “We’re in the real, real early stages. We won’t do anything until it’s thoroughly investigated. It might be something we do, it might be something we don’t do,” he said.
City council agreed Tuesday to begin exploring possibilities of a transfer station to bring in more revenue, a measure that could possibly bring in anywhere from $80,000 to $130,000 a year.
It could also have the potential to reduce the city’s annual solid waste fee, which is currently $188 a year.
Getting to construction of one, however, is probably something which will take three to four months of study and possibly six months before a decision is made.
Estimated cost of construction is $750,000 and the city would consider building close to its maintenance yard on Hinson Street.
Before any decision is made the city needs to determine preliminary engineering and permitting costs, total engineering costs and estimated construction costs. It also needs to determine projected expenses and revenues as well as consider any legal issues with its operation and explore financing options.
