PICKENS — Pickens County has received a clean audit opinion, the best audit a county can receive, said Alan Robinson, an auditor with Cherry Bekaert and Holland.

Robinson told county council members during Monday’s meeting that they seemed to have done a good job weathering the storm during 2009 despite the economic downturn.

The county also received an award last year — the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

“It is an extremely rigorous financing program that the county participated in,” Robinson said. “I think it’s well received in the bond markets and in the financial markets.”

Robinson said the fund balance decreased about $4.4 million, but he added that those figures were a little better than what was budgeted.

“We knew that we were going to have a tough year, so from what I’m hearing, we weathered this pretty well,” said Councilman Neil Smith.

Robinson said the ending fund balance was about $24.5 million for the general fund.

In other news, council:

-Heard Pickens County resident Bonnie Kay voice some concerns about the litter around the Alice Mill area.

“The grounds are not being properly maintained,” she said, adding that there are food wrappings and other pieces of garbage all around Alice Mill. Kay said it is just outside of the Easley city limits.

-Voted to allow the county treasurer to send funding for Behavioral Health Services directly to the Dept. of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. The county has been sending the funding to Behavior Health Services, but BHS officials said the funds can be used as a local government match for federal funds.

-Passed the second reading of an ordinance to amend an ordinance relating to the industrial and business park that belongs to Pickens and Oconee counties in order to enlarge the park.

-Passed the second reading of an ordinance to develop a joint county business park in conjunction with Oconee County.

-Passed the second reading of an ordinance to make changes to a sewer ordinance. The issue will be taken up by the committee of the whole before coming back for final reading.