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Editorials - 09/28/00

Give the kid a chance
What do you do if you get a proposal that could save county taxpayers half a million dollars, potentially increase recycling and give a county contract to an expanding, locally-owned firm?

Most people would say, "Sounds great. Tell me more."

But our commissioners, surprisingly, seem unwilling to consider the offer made by Greg Thomas of Country Collections, the upstart company that has been providing commercial recycling pickups to the town of Sylva for more than a year. More recently, Thomas took over all recycling operations from Webster Enterprises and now operates their Dillsboro facility.

Thomas has proposed that his company now take on the function of a C&D landfill as well. Under his plan, Country Collections would receive all materials now going to the C&D landfill and ship them out from the Dillsboro site. He claims he can save the county the $500,000 needed to build a transfer station on Mineral Springs Drive.

Yet commissioners seemingly are ready to dismiss his proposal without serious consideration because of Thomas's youth and relative inexperience.

We think that would be a mistake. As far as we can determine, Thomas has lived up to all the terms of his contracts with Sylva and Webster Enterprises. He has increased the amount of material that is actually recycled through the Webster Enterprises operation.

Let's give the kid a chance.

It's past time for countywide planning
Several recent events have proven how desperately we need some form of coordinated approach to preparing our communities for Jackson County's inevitable growth.

And, in conjunction with the area's non-stop construction, these problems are surfacing frequently in our county's southern end.

The Cashiers' sewer system is at capacity, leaving many without an avenue to improve very expensive property. A developer has asked for fire protection for pricey homes he plans to construct on an island in Lake Glenville.

Fortunately, county leaders have realized that better planning is crucial, and commissioners will meet tonight (Thursday) with the elected leaders of all the incorporated towns to discuss "smart growth" in Jackson County, based on an initiative proposed by Gov. Jim Hunt.

The idea behind the governor's proposal is that growth in all the state's communities is going to happen, and local leaders should have strategies in place to deal with both the ups and downs resulting from increased development. It's a good idea, and it's one we support.

Like Cashiers, the Qualla area is growing rapidly on the heels of Harrah's casino and other development in Cherokee. And, also like the southern end of the county, the northern portion lacks an incorporated town.

We trust that commissioners, elected to represent all of us, will take steps to ensure that the needs of the booming unincorporated areas are addressed during these meetings.

Editorial policy

The opinions expressed on this page are those of the Sylva Herald Editorial Committee. Opinions are derived independently and owe no allegiance to any group, organization or political party. We welcome opposing views.

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