County Commission Talks Recycling, Convenience Sites

Stephens County staff continue to look at how to re-start recycling for county residents.

The county removed recycling bins from its convenience sites back in April, but voted in May to work on restoring recycling availability for residents after public feedback on the issue.

County Administrator Phyllis Ayers updated commissioners on the recycling issue at Tuesday’s county commission meeting.

Ayers said that staff is looking at a host of different options for re-starting recycling.

“There is a vendor that says they would provide a bin for all recyclables and they would just pick that bin up,” said Ayers.

Ayers did say that while many different options remain on the table, one that does not appear to be feasible is creating a single recycling site at the county landfill site on Highway 145 as county commissioners had requested.

She said having a single site does not look like a practical option as staff has looked at it.

“I would probably suggest bringing it back to the individual sites,” said Ayers. “The more we put (at the landfill), the more personnel we will have to add and we will have to open it on Saturday.”

Also, Ayers said that a representative from Keep Georgia Beautiful is scheduled to speak to the county commission next month on the recycling issue.

Meanwhile, recycling was not the only convenience site issue that came up during Tuesday’s county commission meeting.

Commissioner Stanley London brought up concerns that have been raised to him regarding the dumping of trash at the convenience sites.

London said he has had someone approach him, talking about some people dumping large amounts of trash at one time at the convenience site.

According to London, he has been told there have been people dumping as many as 20 to 30 bags at a time.

That is not the only problem, according to Stephens County Marshal Tom Bennett.

He said that people are dumping trash at convenience sites when they are closed and not disposing of their trash properly at some of the sites.

London said he would recommend a limit of 10 bags that a person can drop off on a day at a convenience site.

Commissioners voted unanimously to post signs by August 1 that will specify a 10-bag daily drop-off limit at the convenience sites.

They also encouraged the marshal to investigate and prosecute cases of improper dumping at the convenience sites.