news-record.com

Wednesday's story about the City Council's trash discussions didn't get into the depths of the work done by a group of citizens on the issue.

Councilman Jim Kee created an Environmental Safety Advisory Committee to help review those requests for proposals the city got. The members included two former council members and a variety of residents.

According to the report the group submitted to the City Council Tuesday, they evaluated the companies based on the cost to the city, what they offered the community, environmental impacts and company history.

The group traveled to Raleigh, Durham and Columbia, South Carolina to tour various facilities.

They offered Kee and the other council members three recommendations:

• Find a location other than the White Street Landfill for solid waste disposal.
• Consider advanced technology for trash disposal.
• Consider the impact the landfill has on the community and its impact on economic development.

The committee also suggested three companies they liked: local groups CICO and Ulturnagen, and Waste Connections.

What, if anything, the council will do with these suggestions is not clear. But the committee itself was an interesting idea -- and a campaign promise of Kee's. He will be one to watch on this issue, not only because it is in his council district, but because he is taking a very different approach on the issue than the previous two district council reps.