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Pickens County to consider extending Whitestone Valley Landfill hours; ordinance change and host-agreement addendum on regular meeting agenda
Summary
County staff told commissioners Matter Management Enterprises is seeking extended landfill hours; the board will consider an ordinance amendment (Ch. 38, Art. 8, §38.620) and a host-agreement addendum to name the successor operator and set new hours.
The Pickens County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation on a request to expand operating hours at Whitestone/Whitestone Valley Landfill and will consider two separate items at the regular meeting: an amendment to Chapter 38, Article 8, §38.620 of the county ordinances and an addendum to the existing host agreement covering the landfill operator.
Bill summarized that Matter Management Enterprises, the current operator (through a subsidiary referenced in the transcript as Whiteststone Valley Landfill LLC), previously presented the request and seeks extended hours. The operator's presentation asked for 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., but Bill said the board will be asked to extend the county rule from the current 7:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. — 7:00 p.m.: "what you'll be voting on tonight is to extend operating hours from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Not from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. but from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.," he said.
Two formal steps were described as necessary for the change: the ordinance amendment to update the hours in §38.620 and an addendum to the host agreement to (1) identify the successor operator (the existing host agreement still names the prior party, Cash Environmental Resources) and (2) specify the new hours. Bill noted the ordinance change being considered is limited in scope: it alters one subdivision of one section to change the hours.
A board member and staff told colleagues that the current operator has been cooperative and has made visible improvements on site: staff reported outreach to county inspectors and a reduction in incidents since the new operator took over from Cash Environmental Resources, which the speaker said had been the subject of prior trouble and a county shutdown in December 2021.
The presentation included a competitiveness argument by the operator's materials showing local landfills in neighboring Cherokee County operate longer hours; county staff summarized that extending hours is intended to reduce the operator's competitive disadvantage. The board did not vote on the change during the work session; the ordinance amendment and the host-agreement addendum are on the regular meeting agenda for consideration after executive session.
If adopted, staff said the host-agreement addendum will replace the named party in the existing contract and record the new contact information for the successor entity. Specific ordinance text, any proposed conditions, and a final vote tally will be recorded at the regular meeting.
Next steps: the items will be presented on the regular agenda later the same day; staff did not report a finalized ordinance number or a signed addendum at the work session.
