KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Monday night, City Council turned down an offer from Pillowtex to resolve infrastructure issues left in the wake of the company's closing.

Council authorized staff to begin pursuing alternative options to redirect sewage and alum sludge (a by-product of water treatment) away from the Pillowtex wastewater treatment plant property, continue the fire protection in the downtown area and acquire several Pillowtex-owned properties for projects.

The cost of the city's plan is estimated at less than $1 million compared to possibly twice that amount under the Pillowtex offer.

Pillowtex offered to reject the contract allowing the company to operate the city-owned water treatment plant in return for the city assuming responsibility for the wastewater treatment plant on Glenn Avenue.

Accepting the wastewater treatment plant would involve hiring additional maintenance employees and assuming the potential $2 million cost of closing alum/ash settling lagoons. The design process will begin for two sewer lines to divert alum sludge and sewage from homes around the Pillowtex wastewater treatment plant to the Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County.

When the water treatment plant contract is rejected, the city will assume operation of the water treatment plant and hire the employees.

Pillowtex offered to deed the high-pressure fire suppression system to the city. The condition of the Pillowtex system and the maintenance costs are unknown. Unless further analysis of the Pillowtex system determines it is a feasible asset, design will begin on a ground level storage tank and fire pump to replace the Pillowtex system.

Pillowtex also asked the city to pay to cap old water lines and install meters and backflow prevention devices on lines connecting with the municipal system. Federal regulations require the company to do so. The miscellaneous properties Pillowtex offered to the city can be acquired or condemned for water and sewer, street and park projects.