LIBERTY – A Pickens County municipality steering committee held a meeting Monday night to discuss actions involving the recent county activity with recycling fees.

One elected member from each of the county’s municipalities met to determine if they needed or wanted to seek legal advice about the county charging fees to municipalities for not meeting a certain recycling percentage goal.

Central Mayor Mac Martin started off the discussion informing everyone the purpose of the steering committee.

After some discussion, Liberty Mayor Brian Deese chimed in to inform the group that he and his council members discussed the options and have opted to work with the county on raising their percentages. He said the county has been “very helpful” thus far.

“Liberty council’s decision at the moment is to not take any legal action,” he said. “We are working with the county to try to get our percentages up. I am told the county will not impose any fees. I don’t know if that is true, but that’s what I’ve been told. So, that’s my council’s wishes at this time.”

Easley Mayor Larry Bagwell said he had spoken with four county council members and they were willing to sit down and talk with all of the mayors.

“I’ve talked with some of them as well and they seem ready to talk,” Pickens Mayor David Owens said. “They don’t seem like they are just trying to raise money; they seem like they are just trying to get the recycling percentages up.”

Bagwell, Deese and Owens all agreed they are willing to sit down and discuss the issue face-to-face with the county.

“I think we should set up a meeting with them to talk and ask them our specific questions,” Owens said.

The group decided to elect one person from the steering committee as the Chairman. Deese was elected because he has previous worked with the county on the issue.

“The goal is not to pay a penalty,” Martin said. Deese agreed, saying that was a mutual goal of all the muncipalities.

Deese said he would get together with County Administrator Chappell Hurst and county council to set up a date when the mayors and the steering committee could have an “open discussion” about the counties recycling goals.

“We need to work together to get the percentages up at this moment,” Deese said.

“If we see something different in the future where we need to take some kind of action, then we will take the legal option. We need to know the facts; we need to find out the information and county council can shed some light on the situation.”

Bagwell asked Deese to request that the majority of county council members be in attendance for the upcoming meeting. No meeting date or time had been set as of press time.