PICKENS — County officials want to increase the amount of materials recycled in Pickens County, but municipal officials say that the level of fines cities face for not meeting recycling goals is too high.

County Administrator J. Chappell Hurst briefed council on the county’s effort to increase recycling in cities and towns last week.

The county’s recycling program began through a grant obtained by the City of Central and the county in the early 1990s, Hurst said.

“The grant initially funded the purchase of three trucks, and curbside containers,” he said.

Initially the county and Central were to oversee the program for all Pickens County municipalities, Hurst said.

Easley and Clemson officials each requested a truck for their cities, and also asked to oversee the recycling programs inside their city limits, Hurst said.

Central and the county then agreed to oversee recycling programs in Central, Six Mile, Norris, Liberty and Pickens, Hurst said.

Last month, Hurst and county Public Works Director Gerald Wilson and county Recycling Coordinator Louise Holder met with officials from Easley, Central and Clemson to discuss the county’s effort to recycle more.

“Cities are expected to meet a 20 percent recycling rate by December 31, 2009 and to meet a 30 percent recycling rate by March 31, 2011,” Hurst said.

Municipalities that fail to meet these goals would be charged a fine of $35 per ton for each ton that falls under the county’s goals, he said.

Cities that exceeded the county’s goals would receive $35 per ton for every ton that exceeds the county’s expected recycling rate, Hurst said.

During that meeting, city officials objected to what they feel is an unfair penalty, stating that fees would have to be added to city bills in order to pay the county’s new penalties.

Municipal officials have asked for an extension of these deadlines, Hurst said.

Municipalities have requested more funding to education their residents about recycling, and have also asked for a greater percentage of the county’s profits from recycling materials, he said.

“Currently we pay $10 per ton for comingled recyclables,” he said. “We also pay 75 percent of the market value for all cardboard collected.”

The county also pays for the fuel and maintenance for the recycling vehicles it oversees, he said.

The county could receive DHEC grants that could pay for educational materials regarding recycling.

Municipalities have asked that they be given credits toward their recycling goals for brush grindings.

When calculating the recycling rate goals, the county did not initially include brush grinding, Hurst said.

Officials have also asked the county’s to establish recycling centers within municipalities.

Hurst recommended that county council extended the deadline for meeting the county’s 20 percent recycling goal to April 30, 2010.

“It gives them a few more months,” he said. “They each have made significant headway in the last few months. Unless we push forward, we’re never going to reach that goal.”

Hurst also recommended the brush grinding credit.

“It does save the county on disposal costs,” he said.

Hurst also recommended county staff assist city officials with educating the public about recycling.

Councilman Tom Ponder praised the city of Pickens for their high recycling rate, and for “buying into the program.”

“I feel if you make recycling available to the people, they will participate,” he said. “You have to buy into it.”

Ponder said he wants municipal officials to understand the purpose of the proposed benchmarks — to cut the overall costs associated with recycling in Pickens County.

County Council Chairman G. Neil Smith said municipalities have blaming the county for increases on sanitation bills unfairly.

“The cities can cut their costs on collection,” he said. “We pick up the costs of disposal. They don’t understand that we’re not obligated to pick up their garbage.”

Councilman Dr. Jim London said many city residents take their recycling directly to county centers, and so their contributions are not counted among city rates of recycling.

London said county should set minimum achievable recycling goals, and share recycling revenues with cities as an incentive to get city officials on board with the program.