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THURSDAY. MARCH 16. 2017 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 17A
Watch that dumpster: new rules on
commercial trash move ahead
Planning Director Richard Osborne said recent training he attended showed
that a county should officially re-adopt their land use plan each year to include
any rezonings or parcel-splits that had occurred.
The commission recommend the re-adoption. Osborne said there are no sig
nificant changes in the new land use maps. He said the map is too large a com
puter file to e-mail or for the Progress to print in detail, but a smaller version of
each area of the county can be viewed or discussed at the planning office in the
County Admin building on East Church Street Anyone is welcome to come by for
a closer look.
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
After being on the agenda
for three meetings in a row,
the planning commission
gave approval Monday to a
commercial solid waste ordi
nance that would govern how
businesses store garbage and
recyclables, including dump
sters.
But even as the commis
sion voted five (Bill Cagle,
Pat Holmes, Clayton Preble,
Lee Thrasher, Harold Hens
ley, Maurice Hendrix) to one
abstaining (Jim Fowler) to
approve, some members ex
pressed concerns with the
ride now heading to the
board of commissioners who
will have final say.
The ordinance as recom
mended would require com
mercial businesses in the
county to keep dumpsters,
trash storage and recyclables
out of sight of passersby.
The ordinance states:
Commercial solid waste re
fuse areas (dumpsters) and
trash. Storage of commercial
solid waste outside shall be
prohibited except within ap
propriate enclosures. Refuse
areas (dumpsters) shall be
placed in the least visible lo
cation from public streets,
and shall be enclosed on all
sides by opaque walls, with
one or more opaque closing
gate(s). The height of opaque
walls and opaque closing
gates shall be at least as high
as the receptacle.
But among the questions
was whether recyclable ma
terials are included in the
code language. At previous
meetings, a citizen watchdog
has said recyclables stored in
stacks at some businesses are
more unsightly than plain
garbage. County Attorney
Phil Landrum said the ordi
nance is written with the in
tention to include recyclables
and it appears to him they are
included in the definitions.
Commission member Pat
Holmes further questioned
whether meeting the require
ments for recyclable storage
would be so costly that busi
ness owners quit recycling
entirely.
Landrum responded to an
other question, that intentions
to “grandfather” existing
businesses under the regula
tions is not applicable. He
said for property issues you
might exempt some class, but
this ordinance would fall
under a “police power” and
thus you cannot exempt any
one. The ordinance will
apply to all existing and new
businesses, meaning current
operations must devise aes
thetic ways to obscure dump
sters and waste stored at their
properties.
Ironically, Jeff Squires,
the citizen who has cam
paigned for the ordinance,
spoke in support of existing
companies getting some lee
way. He urged the county in
their final approval to offer a
grace period for existing
companies to bring their lo
cations into compliance.
Squires said it is about being
“fair to neighbors.”
Planning Director Richard
Osborne said that most larger
counties, including Forsyth,
Bartow, Cherokee, and most
larger cities, including Cal
houn have similar ordi
nances. Gordon County,
outside of Calhoun, does not
have any comparable ordi
nance.
In other business:
• The commission ap
proved a special use ordi
nance so that Fainting Goat
Vineyard on Burnt Mountain
Road can hold small wed
dings or other events. Faint
ing Goat owner Dave
Higginbotham said they
could only handle about 100
people at the most due to
their space.
“Any more than that and
we’d have people standing in
the grape vines,” he said.
Higginbotham said every
thing they do is “community-
inspired” and they intend to
maintain a “beautiful and
serene setting.”
The commission gave
them unanimous approval for
the special events.
School system celebrates work of board members
The Pickens County School District
is joining in a statewide celebration
this week to salute the efforts of local
school board members. The week of
March 13-17 has been proclaimed
School Board Appreciation Week in
Georgia. The weeklong observance
calls attention to the contributions of
local boards of education.
“Citizens of Pickens County are
blessed to have dedicated board mem
bers to represent them on education
matters and to create a vision for the
school district,” said Interim School
Superintendent Dr. Charles Webb.
“Our board members devote countless
hours fulfilling their responsibilities.
They work as a team, seeking ways to
continue to improve our schools, and
thus our community.”
Serving on the Pickens County
Board of Education and their years of
service are: Daniel Bell, Chair (2
Years)
Delane Lewis, Vice Chair (2 Years)
Byron Long (6 Years)
Sue Finley (new)
Katherine White (new)
As constitutional officers of Geor
gia, school board members are respon
sible for setting educational policies,
employing school personnel, provid
ing buildings and equipment, operat
ing a transportation system and
disbursing school funds. As commu
nity leaders, school board members
serve as advocates for the children in
local public schools and must study,
evaluate, and decide what actions are
in the best interest of those students.
The Georgia School Boards Asso
ciation (GSBA) sponsors the celebra
tion. The mission of GSBA is to ensure
excellence in the governance of local
school systems by providing leader
ship, advocacy and services, and by
representing the collective resolve of
Georgia’s elected boards of education.
Please visit gsba.com for information.
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DEPARTMENT OF WATER AUTHORITY
PICKENS COUNTY, GEORGIA
Notification from Pickens County Water & Sewer Author
ity of a Level 1 Drought Declaration Level 1 Drought Re
sponse was declared by Georgia EPD on 3/02/2017.
The following activities are allowed under both Level 1 and
Level 2 Drought Responses:
• Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf may be done
at any time of day for 30 days after installation.
• Irrigation lof personal food gardens may e done at any time of
day.
• Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaked hoses may be done
at any time of day and hand-watering with a hose with
automatic cutoff or handheld container may be done at any
time of day.
• General landscape watering may be done after 4:00 p.m.
and before 10:00 a.m. on the designated day.
More water conservation information in available at
http://epd.georgia.gov/water-conservation.
Open Barn event Saturday
at Angels on Horseback
By Kelly Phillips
Angels on Horseback is
holding an Open Bam event
on Saturday, March 18 from
1 to 4 p.m. at their new loca
tion at 1284 Pendley Circle
in Jasper. Come meet the
horses, see the 12 stall bam
and covered arena, and tour
the farm! Meet the people
who run this great program
and inquire about riding les
sons. A raffle will be held, re
freshments served, and there
will an opportunity to train to
be an Angels volunteer!
Since moving to the new
location, Angels on Horse
back is in need of more
hands. Volunteers are the
backbone of this incredible
organization that provides
therapeutic riding for stu
dents with mental or physical
disabilities. Angels volun
teers care for the horses, as
sist with riding lessons, do
projects around the farm, and
anything else that may come
up. They may also work be
hind the scenes on advertis
ing, event planning, and
fundraising, etc. There is a
place for anyone who has a
little spare time and a big
heart.
Volunteer training ses
sions will be Saturday, March
18 9 - 11:30 a.m. or Tuesday,
March 28, 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Please RSVP to Karen Davis
at 404-372-6018.
occupation. Call us today for a free water test!
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