WINDSOR – Bertie County Schools will soon cease to operate the wastewater treatment facilities at Askewville More-At-Four and the former C.G. White Middle School.

Matthew Bond, Director of Maintenance for BCS, appeared before the Bertie County Board of Education Tuesday night suggesting the closing of the plants. He said the district would save $500 to $1,000 per month in monitoring fees. The facilities are not being used since both schools are now tied into town sewer systems.

The director did caution, however, that if the systems were closed and then had to be reopened, they would have to be brought up to current North Carolina codes.

Bond said the district could lease the system at C.G. White to the town of Powellsville who has previously requested the facility be given to them.

Board Attorney Rod Malone suggested the board could consider outright selling the system to Powellsville and allowing the town to pay over the course of a number of years.

Board member Alton Parker asked how much land was associated with the facility at Powellsville and Bond said he would have to look up the information. Parker and fellow board member Rickey Freeman each said they believed it was near 30 acres.

Board Vice Chair Pamela Chamblee asked if the town would have to bring the facility up to code and Bond said they would not as long as it remained open.

Chamblee then asked Malone what was the easiest way to handle the matter.

“My thought is that you negotiate a price and have them pay it over a number of years so it is affordable,” Malone said.

Freeman and Parker said the acreage and facility should be appraised to give a fair market value.

“It belongs to them anyway,” Chamblee said. “They are citizens of the county.”

Parker asked who Chamblee meant and the latter said she was referring to the citizens of Powellsville who would be paying for the property, but said she was not suggesting it be given away either.

Bond said he would speak to the Mayor of Powellsville to discuss the matter and report back.

Board members then asked Bond if he believed the town of Askewville would be interested in the facility at that school. Bond said he didn’t know, but would follow up on it.

The board agreed to leave the facilities open until further study could be done on the matter.

In another maintenance matter, Bond suggested the board sell seven of the eight mobile units currently housed behind the Central Services building on County Farm Road in Windsor.

Bond said the units present a safety hazard and that they are no longer in use.

Parker made the motion to declare the items surplus and have them auctioned and the motion passed by a unanimous vote.