At their regular meeting on Monday night, county commissioners were hesitant to award a contracting bid to improve four solid waste collection sites in Beaufort County. 

Instead, they voted unanimously to approve safety improvements at two collection sites – Aurora and Pantego. At the two other sites, Buck Jones (Chocowinity) and Five Points (Pinetown), safety related line items will be reviewed by commissioners for a vote at a later meeting. 

The safety improvements include demolition of unsafe wooden structures, repair retaining walls, install handrails in addition to lighting and electrical improvements, Deputy Public Works Director West Overman described on Monday. 

Commissioners weren’t convinced that Beaufort County should spend an estimated $322,807 to improve all four solid waste collection sites when the county is also purchasing two pieces of  land that will become solid waste megasites within the next two years, approximately. The mega sites could close existing solid waste collection sites. Though it has not been determined which sites or how many will close. 

“How many of these sites are going to disappear if and when we do the megasites,” Commissioner Tandy Dunn asked. Overman said that number would be “up to the board [of commissioners].” 

“I just don’t see; we’ve gone this long without improvements on something. I can’t see improving something that we don’t own that we potentially in a year’s time going to shutter and close up and scrape down to see bare dirt to return it to its former self,” Dunn continued.  

The estimated $322,807 it would cost to make safety improvements to all four sites comes from B.E. Singleton and Sons. Beaufort County Public Works began advertising the project on May 8. They also emailed 10 construction firms who might have interest in the project; however, only one bid was returned – that being from B.E. Singleton and Sons, Overman said. 

Initially, B.E. Singleton and Sons estimated the project costing $357,307 which is more than what the existing capital project fund allowed, and estimated $334,018; therefore, the scope of the project was reduced by an approximate $34,500. Funds for the project were previously approved. The bid contract was presented to the commissioners on Monday. 

“…One of the things I’m struggling with on the mega sites and how many of these other sites we’re gonna leave open is that the public has really made the point that they want something that’s close by. I’m afraid to close down any of them unless it’s really close to the mega sites, until we have some data, Commissioner Frankie Waters said. Waters said he would like more information on the tonnage collected at the sites and where the mega sites will be located in relation to solid waste collection sites the county owns. 

(Commissioners mentioned reviewing the leases at the Aurora and Pantego sites. Currently, Beaufort County leases both sites. The Aurora site is leased from the Town of Aurora, but the Pantego site is leased from Republic Services. Smith said the properties have been leased for more than 20 years.)

“…Whether you’re able to make the final decision of what stays open and what stays closed – some of the things that are listed in the Request for Proposal will need to be done anyway, because if the site will continue to be open for the next 18 to 24 months, there’s still repairs that need to be made,” Public Works Director Christina Smith told commissioners. 

County Manager Brian Alligood noted that the Aurora and Pantego sites are at the furthest points in the county; therefore, if commissioners did not want to move forward at all with improvements to all four sites, they could agree to improve Aurora and Pantego based on distance from the mega sites. The locations of the megasites will be announced later this summer when the closing is complete.