Sevier County committee keeps five-bag limit, adjusts convenience center hours after Pigeon Forge site reopens

Sevier County officials reported that the Pigeon Forge Convenience Center reopened on Oct. 5 and sought committee approval for short-term operational changes after an initial enforcement period.

The update, delivered Oct. 10 by Vice Mayor Bryan McCarter, Assistant County Mayor Matt Rudder and Director Dan King, said staff issued 1,443 tickets totaling $15,425 over 45 operational days from Aug. 26 to Oct. 9. The Special Solid Waste Committee recommended keeping the county’s five-bag residential limit in place while allowing on-site attendants discretion to accept additional bags from residents who do not use the site regularly. It also recommended hours shifts for Daylight Saving Time to 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 12 p.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, to be reevaluated at the end of DST.

"Pigeon Forge Convenience Center reopened on Saturday, October 5," Director Dan King told the committee and provided the enforcement totals. The recommendation to keep the five-bag limit but allow attendant discretion was presented to address residents who visit less frequently and may need to dispose of more than five bags at once.

Commissioner Carroll Rauhuff moved to approve both policy changes; Commissioner Ray Ogle seconded, and the committee approved the recommendations unanimously. The committee directed Director King to retain the bag limit policy with the stated attendant discretion and to review the hours after the DST evaluation.

The action keeps the county’s formal bag policy intact while giving frontline staff limited latitude to address unusual circumstances. County officials said the operational hours change is temporary and subject to later review; no fee or enforcement-strategy changes were adopted at this meeting.