PICKENS COUNTY — At a press conference held Monday, Pickens County officials announced the development of a new program designed kill two birds with one stone: address the county’s growing litter problem, and help local civicand charitable organizations which missed out on a year of fundraising due to COVID-19.
Best part? It’s federally funded.
Meet “Pick Up Pickens.”
“Clean communities are safe communities, good for tourism and economic development and a source of pride,” said Jaime Burns, public and community relations manager.
Burns called the program “an innovative approach to beautification that will allow us to address litter on at least 25% of our roads while simultaneously supporting local non-profits and businesses.” She added the program is the first of its kind in South Carolina — and possibly across the nation.
So, how does it work?
According to county officials, the program is housed under Keep Pickens County Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. There will be a designated one-month long application window with pick up dates throughout the summer. Eligible organizations can apply via an online application. To participate, a nonprofit organization, school, business or civic group must:
· Have been in existence for at least one year prior to date of application submittal.
· Provide proof of 501(c)(3) status (if applying as a nonprofit organization).
· Submit a W-9 Form.
· Provide proof of liability insurance (if carried) and agree to sign individual liability waivers.
Upon completion and verification of road cleanup, organizations will be awarded a sum of $250 per mile cleaned.
County Administrator Ken Roper said the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed greatly to the growing litter problem. For one, he said the county inmates aren’t out picking up roadside trash. Secondly, with many restaurants only offering curb-side, delivery or to-go meals, single use packaging was more widely utilized — and more often tossed out vehicle windows.
County Council had been discussing ways to combat the problem for a while and had already voted to set aside $75,000 to help address it. Then came the The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
ARPA is a federally funded package that provided funds based on population to counties and local municipalities. Pickens County was awarded $24.6 million.
“The problem wasn’t the funds, it’s that we weren’t sure if we could use the (ARPA) funds for a program like this,” said Roper. “The guidance involved with how the funds were to be spent was incredibly vague.”
Roper said they knew the funds were supposed to be utilized in a way to re-coup losses and address issues caused by the pandemic. Was litter a side effect of the pandemic? Pickens County says yes.
Council Vice Chair Roy Costner went a step further, challenging the surrounding counties to hop on board.
“Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Spartanburg, Abbeville — join us!” He said. “This is a great opportunity to make a real difference in our communities.”
For more information on Pick Up Pickens, visit the Parks, Recreation and Tourism page at www.pickenscountysc.com.
Leave a Reply