By Stan Welch
The Anderson County Council adopted several ordinances Tuesday night, giving third reading approval to ordinances which clarified the public hearing process for amending zoning ordinances or maps; clarifying the traffic threshold for requiring traffic studies for proposed developments; and two ordinances related to economic development incentives, one which assists longtime industrial presence Robert Bosch LLC, which is expanding its existing facility and adding more than a hundred jobs.
In an earlier, separate meeting the Council adopted several resolutions, recognizing the Pendleton Future Farmers of America in celebration of a century of agricultural education; the Three & Twenty Fire Department’s fifty years of service to the community; and a resolution declaring Arbor Day month in Anderson County.
During the regular business session, they also passed a resolution declaring November 25 through December 24 as Small Business Month.
They also adopted the Northeast County Area Plan (NECAP) as part of the county comprehensive land use plan. The specific study of the fast growing northeastern Powdersville/Piedmont/Wren area has spurred heated public debate about methods that could be used to direct or control the growth, such as zoning. A petition drive is underway seeking to place a zoning proposal on a referendum ballot sometime next year.
District Seven Councilwoman Cindy Wilson, who chairs the Planning and Public Works Committee, reported the committee’s findings in relation to the NECAP, which was adopted prior to the committee report. She also raised several issues concerning the county’s solid waste contract.
She briefly recounted the early history of the Big Creek Landfill and its sale to NationsWaste in 1997 for $2 million without any public bid process.
She proceeded to report that two bids have been received for the contract to dispose of Anderson County’s solid waste in the coming year(s). One was from the current operator of the Anderson Regional Landfill, Waste Connections and another from Greenville County.
That bid would charge the county $27.53 a ton, while Greenville County has bid $17 a ton.
Wilson reported that on other forms of waste like electronic waste and yard debris, similar savings are available from Greenville County.
She said that the committee recommended instructing county officials to renegotiate with Waste Connection to see if a better deal is available.
