Landfill issue on Monday county council agenda

People power.

That's the likely theme of Monday's Cherokee County Council meeting when council members are expected to vote down Waste Management's proposal to build a recycling center and landfill on a 1,550-acre site in McKowns Mountain.

Waste Management needs council's consent to move forward with the project.

Joan Wheeler, a spokesperson for CLOUT (Cherokee Landfill Opposition United Together) wasn't ready to declare victory just yet.

"I'm hopeful," Wheeler said. "I've been talking to council members and they've gotten the message we're not happy with the idea."

Wheeler said she expects the proposal to fail by a 5-2 vote.

Cherokee County Assistant Administrator Holland Belue said the proposal is on the agenda for discussion, but he has no idea if council will take a decisive vote.

Belue said council could opt to forward the proposal to a committee.

Councilman Charles Mathis, who represents the council district where the facility will be located, said he hadn't received his agenda as of Thursday evening but hinted it may be time to put the issue behind council.

"I think we've heard their proposal but we'll have to wait and see what happens Monday night," Mathis said.

A matter that will hopefully be cleared up by Monday is whether councilman Bailey Humphries should abstain from voting because of his connection with local Realtor John Wall. Waste Management officials have cited Wall as playing a role in the site selection process.

Humphries describes himself as an independent contractor, but acknowledged that Wall is his real estate broker.

Humphries has asked the South Carolina Ethics Commission to determine if his voting would be a conflict of interest. Humphries expects a ruling by Monday's council meeting.

"I'm doing my due diligence and checking with the Ethics Commission," Humphries said.