ROANOKE RAPIDS — The Roanoke Rapids City Council took a step toward managing its own waste issues Tuesday at their work session at City Hall when they heard more details about a possible waste transfer station.

Roanoke Rapids City Attorney Gilbert Chichester, left, confers with City Manager Paul Sabiston, right, at the City Council work session Tuesday night at City Hall. Roger Bell | The Daily Herald Advertisement

City Manager Paul Sabiston presented the issue, which has been of ongoing interest for City Council for many years. Councilman Ernest Bobbitt asserted the idea has been around "since four or five mayors ago."

The proposed waste transfer station — a large, open building where waste is dumped after collection and then transferred to different trucks for transport to landfill facilities — would be a 7,000 square-foot building located on property the city already owns near its current Public Works Department. The city would franchise waste collection rights in the city and require waste to be moved through this facility. The city would collect tipping fees from franchisees, generating revenue for the city. The revenue would then be used to pay for city services such as recycling and possibly lead to lower trash collection rates for city residents.

"The numbers are overwhelming and so positive," Sabiston said.

Those numbers, detailed in a memorandum from Sabiston to City Council, show an initial estimated cost for the facility, including building, engineering and other costs, to be $695,000. The facility would process 28,000 tons of solid waste per year, again according to conservative estimates, and would generate $282,814.17 of revenue over expenses, which is more than $100,000 more than the revenue currently generated without a city-owned transfer station.

Sabiston and Mayor Emery Doughtie made it clear the revenues generated by the transfer station would not be profit; they would be used to pay for other expenses such as new trash collection equipment and compliance with current and future recycling laws.

"It's not to be a revenue generator," Doughtie clarified. "It's showing our community we're trying to be (current and able to grow) in our trash collection."

In the end, Council directed Sabiston to further explore the possibility of building the transfer station and to approach the Local Government Commission about possible financing.

Other items coming before Council:

• Adopted resolution to adopt policies and procedures putting them in compliance with requirements for a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant to build infrastructure at the Chapel Ridge Manor Project. Phase I, for which the city received a $216,000 CDBG Grant, and Phase II will be constructed together, according to City Planning Director Amanda Jarratt. The resolution had 13 elements to it, mostly dealing with Fair Housing and other requirements.

• Approved the administrative services contract for the CDBG Chapel Ridge Grants with Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates, who is already managing the grant funds for Phase I of Chapel Ridge.  The contract also entailed approval of a legal agreement holding Chapel Ridge liable for noncompliance in its building, meaning if the builders fail to comply with CDBG regulations, they must reimburse the North Carolina Department of Commerce rather than the city having to do so.

• Approved the reappointment of Dennis Gaylor to the Firemen's Relief Fund Board of Trustees.

• Directed City Manager Paul Sabiston to contact the communities of Wake Forest, Henderson and Rocky Mount about their ordinances allowing the keeping of chickens in city limits. City resident Penny Avent requested the city amend its ordinance prohibiting the raising of chickens to allow her to raise them on her Powell Street property. "In the city of Roanoke Rapids we have a lot of serious problems," said Councilwoman Suetta Scarbrough. "But raising chickens is not one of them." Scarbrough had already contacted personnel in Wake Forest, Rocky Mount and Henderson about this issue before the work session and reported none of those communities had issues with them.

"If some of the larger towns can do it and not have problems maybe it's something we should consider," Councilman Carl Ferebee said. "At this point I'm not opposed to it or for it."

"When do we draw the line?" Councilman Greg Lawson asked. "If others come and want some other type of farm animal other than chickens?"

City Attorney Gilbert Chichester expressed misgivings, saying citizens wishing to house other types of animals could possibly claim legal precedent, should the city allow the raising and keeping of chickens.

Mayor Doughtie did not downplay the issue. "To Miss Avent, this is a big issue," he said. "It's probably a bigger issue to her than the (Roanoke Rapids Theatre) is to us. We owe due diligence to citizens who come before the council in a professional manner."

• Heard monthly reports from city department heads, highlighted by Public Works Director Richard Parnell stating he hopes to be finished with leaf collection by March 15. Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon announced some of his facilities remain closed by the snow, but with help from Public Works he hopes all his resources to be open and available by the end of the week.

The Roanoke Rapids City Council next meets Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall at 7 p.m.