Halifax County Manager Tony Brown says he will discuss a Roanoke Rapids proposal to build a transfer station with the county commissioners and with the board’s chairman.

There are several factors the county must weigh before even deciding to opt out of a contract it has with Waste Industries for county trash collection and hauling trash to the company’s transfer station.

“We’ll have to study it, crunch numbers and see how cost effective it is,” Brown said in a telephone interview with The Spin today.

Pulling out of the five-year contract the county has with the company could jeopardize its current agreement with Waste Industries for trash collection, Brown said.

Brown also believes it’s important to discuss the city’s proposed plan with other municipalities in the county. “The more we have the lower the rate is for per ton fees,” he said.

If Roanoke Rapids should eventually pull out of the contract it could increase costs for the other towns in the county, Brown said.

Brown said he wasn’t surprised to learn the news about the city’s transfer station proposal. “There were rumors they were talking about it,” he said. “I will probably discuss it with the board and see what they want to do.”

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.

A transfer station is simply a building where trash is brought before taking it to a landfill. 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.