The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners approved solid waste policy forms which will be used in conjunction with the mandatory county-wide trash collection which goes into effect January 1, 2006.

The action was taken at a called meeting of the commission held Tuesday, October 25.

Among the approved forms were:

An application for back door or side door solid waste collection. The form has to be signed by the applicant’s physician.

An application to release the solid waste management fee charged on dilapidated or abandoned structures.

An application to release the solid waste management fee charged to those residents who have an alternative method of disposing of their trash.

An application to release the solid waste management fee charged to county residents on a limited or fixed income. To qualify for this exemption, an individual’s annual income must be under $10,000.

An application for solid waste collection services for new homes.

According to Meg Burg, planning and zoning director for Lincoln County, “Residents of the county who wish to apply for these exemptions must do so before paying their taxes. Likewise, those with homes under construction will have to apply for garbage pickup before a certificate of occupancy will be issued.”

All of the applications listed above may be found on the county’s website (www.lincolncountyga.com). “Residents can print out the applications, fill them out, and then mail them in,” said Burg.

The forms are also available at the solid waste management office located next door to the courthouse.

For additional information, citizens may call 1-706-359-4414.

In a related item of business, the commission was informed that a few county residents, who live close to the city limits, wish to continue receiving trash collection services from the City of Lincolnton even though the rates are higher.

The commission decided that if a citizen resides outside the city limits, his garbage should be picked up by the county.

In other business, the commission discussed a trust indenture for the water system at Stillwater Coves, one of the county’s newest subdivisions.

In his comments, Public Works Director Roby Seymour explained that a trust indenture is a contract between Lincoln County and the EPD stating that in the event that Waste Management, Inc. (WMI), a company hired to run the subdivision’s water system, does not operate the system properly or pulls out altogether, Lincoln County will take over the system.

“This means we will either have to operate the system ourselves or hire someone to do it for us,” stated the public works director. “The purpose of the trust indenture is to protect the homeowners in Stillwater Coves.”

The EPD will not grant the permits necessary to operate the subdivision’s water system until a trust indenture is in place between the EPD and the county or an independent mortgage company.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the commissioners voted to table the matter until additional information could be obtained from WMI.

In further business, the commission discussed purchasing property in order to establish an E-911 center here.

If the county refuses to comply with a state mandate to upgrade the current 911 system, GEMA (Georgia Emergency Management Agency) will take the 911 user fees away from the dispatch center. The county will still have to operate a 911 center but without the proceeds from the monthly $1.25 surcharge attached to all telephone lines. At the present time, these monies are used to fund two of the five county dispatchers.

A vote on the land acquisition project will take place at next regular meeting of the commission scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at 7 p.m. in the courtroom at the Lincoln County Courthouse.