October 1, 2009

The Bethany Church Road Convenience Center, part of Catawba County’s network of convenience centers where citizens may bring solid waste for proper disposal, will soon restore operating hours that were in place prior to March 2009. Effective October 31, 2009, the Bethany Church Road center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will again be closed on Sundays.

“We extended the days of operation of the Bethany Church Road Convenience Center to include Sundays in March 2009, because the Sherrills Ford Convenience Center was, at that time, scheduled to close,” said Barry B. Edwards, Catawba County Director of Utilities and Engineering. “In hopes of accommodating Sherrills Ford area customers who were accustomed to the Sherrills Ford Convenience Center being open on Sundays, the County increased the operating days at the Bethany Church Road Convenience Center so that it was open on Sundays. Since that time, Duke Energy Carolinas has purchased the property on which the Sherrills Ford Convenience Center is located and agreed to lease it to the County, so the Sherrills Ford Convenience Center remains open.”

Since the change in schedule, an average of 51 persons have visited the Bethany Church Road Center on Sundays. For the same time period, the average number of persons at the site on the other days it is open was as follows: Tuesday, 108; Wednesday, 75; Thursday, 79; Friday, 116; and 142 on Saturdays.

“Garbage Disposal Service (GDS) charges the County $8,231 per month to operate the Bethany Church Road Site, including the additional day,” Edwards said. “If that site were to return to its previous operating schedule and be closed on Sundays, the charge would be reduced to $5,231. This would save $36,000 per year. Since the original purpose for having the site open on Sundays is no longer a concern, County staff recommended that the Bethany Church Road Convenience Center return to its original hours of operation, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and closed on Sundays and Mondays, effective October 31, 2009.”

For more information on the schedule change for the Bethany Church Road Convenience Center, or any of the County’s convenience centers, you may contact the Catawba County Department of Utilities and Engineering at 828-465-8261 or Recycling Coordinator Amanda Kain at amandak@catawbacountync.gov.