Council Approves Fines for Recycling Decal Violations

County Council unanimously approved last week levying fines against those who violate the county's requirement to display a decal on their car when using county recycling facilities.

The county requires that county residents have such decals, in order to eliminate county recycling facilities from being used by out-of-county residents.

The fine is $250 and court costs, according to County Administrator Chap Hurst.

“If you're (from) out of county, that's what's going to happen,” he said.

Hurst said the county does not wish to fine in-county residents without decals.

“If you're in-county and can prove or show that you're a taxpayer within Pickens County, then you would not be fined at that time, you would have the opportunity to come and obtain a sticker, and you actually wouldn't be fine at that point,” Hurst said.

Decals can be picked up at the county's Solid Waste facility on Breazeale Road.

“We're not out there trying to fine citizens who legally have a right as a taxpayer to put their garbage in there,” Hurst said. “We're trying to keep people from out of the county out.”

Councilman Neil Smith said the fines are not meant to be a moneymaker for the county.

“We had situations where people were just downright mean to our employees,” Smith said.

He said people from out of the county were arguing with county employees and refusing to show proof of residency.

“(This) gives us the ability to stand up and say, 'Look, guys, all we're trying to is protect the residents of Pickens County,'" Smith said. "That's all we're trying to do.”

During a public hearing held before the last reading of the decal fine ordinance, Henry Wilson said the decal requirement is a good idea.

“I think it's a good idea,” Wilson said. “You should have to pay to throw your garbage in our community. I think you're being proactive in doing this.”

Hurst said keeping outside garbage out of the county's waste stream will save Pickens County money.

“That's the whole bottom line,” he said. “It's had an impact. We've seen a drop in our waste stream. All of it can't be attributed to that, but it's about 7,000 tons a year since we started this – which is a lot of money.”