Pickens moves forward with recycling center

The Pickens County Board of Commissioners approved spending between $55,500 and $58,000 on renovations for the new recycling center in a called meeting on Friday.

“It’s in the budget,” said Rob Jones, Chairman of the Board who added they were still receiving bids on equipment.

The project is expected to cost about $1.3 million and includes 18-acres of land, renovations to the recycling center. One such renovation is closing in the gable to prevent rain from coming inside.

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“We debated moving the old equipment over there,” Jones said, but then decided on new equipment, including a large compactor for cardboard, paper and plastics.

Jonen said that while the county isn’t looking on making a profit with the recycling center, they were trying to break even. Watch the video here.

No timeline for completion was mentioned, but Jones said the COVID-19 pandemic set them back some. It was one of the projects named in 2019 and included purchasing new land for the site and moving operations there so they could expand.

The board also approved:

The appointment of Rhonda Ballet to the Planning and Zoning board to replace Lee Thrasher, who resigned earlier.

The appointment of Jeff Downing, owner of IGA, to the Water and Sewer Board.

Rezoning four-acres at 11460 Camp Dodd Road from agricultural to rural residency.