Residents urge Beaufort County to drop plan to consolidate convenience centers into two 'mega sites'

Multiple Beaufort County residents used the board's public comment period to urge commissioners to abandon a proposal to consolidate neighborhood convenience waste sites into two large "mega sites." The comments arrived as county staff have been discussing a plan the public says surfaced only recently.

Public commenter (identified in the meeting transcript) told commissioners, “This is a total disservice to the people of Beaufort County” and said most residents learned of the plan only after it circulated on social media.

The complaint framed the proposed change as a practical and geographic problem for a large, river-split county. "Folks have absolutely no desire to drop one end of the county to the other just to dump their household trash," the public commenter said. Shirley Green, who identified herself as a Beaufort County resident and said she works at one of the convenience sites, told the board: "I don't wanna lose my job. I love working there. I love talking to the people." Earl Carney, another resident, said the plan "stinks" and urged that such a change be put to a public vote.

Why it matters: The county's convenience centers serve residents who rely on short drives to drop household waste, yard debris and other refuse. Commenters argued closing many local sites would increase illegal dumping and highway litter and would impose long round trips on residents without vehicles or with limited time.

County reaction and context: Several commissioners and staff said the plan is not final and noted the county is still evaluating options. Commissioner Stan (first name used in the meeting) urged residents not to rely on social media for final details: "I suggest that people should not go to social media for their information because it's usually wrong." Director Newkirk (Office of Emergency Services, speaking about other agenda items) and other officials said planning is ongoing and that any transition would be phased to avoid sudden job or service losses.

Details and claims: Several commenters described the proposal as already decided and predicted long-term closures of small sites after larger sites open. Noah Modlin of the Belhaven area said he was told the two mega sites would cost about $3,000,000 each and that closures would leave the far northeastern end of the county with little service; he emphasized he could not find the detailed plan on the county website and labelled his information "hearsay." The county did not confirm the $3 million-per-site figure during the meeting.

What was not decided: The transcript shows public comment and a back-and-forth among commissioners, but no formal vote or binding decision on closing or keeping particular convenience centers was taken during this meeting. Commissioners said some decisions remain in staff planning and will return for formal consideration.

Next steps: Commissioners and staff indicated they will continue studying options and communicating through upcoming meetings; residents pressed for more direct public outreach before any closures or consolidations occur.