At its meeting, the Pickens County Development Authority discussed whether to pursue a joint water and sewer authority with the City of Jasper to expand access to utility taps and improve the county's capacity to attract industry. Authority members heard that limits on water and sewer access and a city moratorium on taps are constraining economic development efforts and that a joint authority could provide a unified approach to serve expanding employers.

The discussion focused on practical barriers to recruiting employers: limited sewer service outside Jasper, a lack of a through-flowing river inside Pickens County, and recent industry caution tied to tariff-driven supply delays for equipment. Authority members and city officials said the county needs coordinated water and sewer capacity to negotiate with prospective employers and to avoid losing opportunities to neighboring counties.

Members agreed on next steps rather than taking formal action. The authority asked staff to coordinate a joint meeting with Jasper elected officials and city staff to provide technical and policy direction on whether and how to pursue a joint water and sewer authority. The board also discussed arranging a shared work session or open house so the public and businesses can share preferences on long-range development priorities such as the city's 20-year planning process.

The meeting included updates from a Georgia Department of Economic Development representative about local business outreach and grant availability; that representative said some companies that had originally committed to locate here are pausing projects because of tariff-related equipment delays, and offered to meet with existing local businesses about grant and incentive opportunities. The authority also reviewed a recent economic development strategic study and the development authority's bylaws while members debated how the authority can best fulfill its job-creation purpose given current limits on utility control.

Procedural business at the meeting included adoption of the agenda, approval of minutes from a previous regular meeting, receipt of the treasurer's report showing $464,686.74 on deposit and attorney fees paid in May and June ($715.50) with an additional July statement amount of $79.50 to be submitted, and scheduling follow-up meetings. Members tentatively agreed to postpone the October meeting and move toward a November meeting date while staff coordinate with city counterparts.

The authority did not vote to form a new utility authority at the meeting. Members described the proposal as a starting point that would require further study, intergovernmental agreements and staff-level technical work before any formal action. The conversation included concerns about the types of industry to pursue (members noted data centers and other high-water-usage facilities may be undesirable because of water consumption and noise) and about ensuring new industry would not harm existing local employers' staffing.

The authority said it will pursue a joint session with the city to better define next steps and whether a joint water and sewer authority is feasible given state and local constraints.