Barnwell County is getting ready for the 2010 census and taking steps to get a better head count.

During an Aug. 4 County Council meeting, Paul Shepherd - a partnership specialist for Census 2010 - spoke to council members on the importance of forming a complete count committee.

A complete count committee targets areas where people would most likely not return census forms, said Shepherd.

"It (complete count committee) is a group of people who know the community well and assist people in returning their census forms," he said. "It's an easy way to get an accurate count."

In many counties, the Council Chairman appoints Council members to either serve on the committee or choose a person from their district to serve on it, according to a Barnwell County document.

In addition, the committee saves taxpayers money because it cuts down on government workers having to locate people who have not returned census forms, Shepherd said.

Council unanimously agreed to form a complete count committee.

The census starts April 2010.

Shepherd said the census will be a short form with 10 questions.

The answers to all information is confidential, he said.

"It will take about 10 minutes to do," said Shepherd.

An accurate count is important to both states and counties, he said.

The count is important because it determines the number of state representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, said Shepherd.

Government funds are determined and distributed to states based on the census count, Shepherd said.

Council also unanimously approved a request from the town of Blackville to use Atlantic Compact funds - if necessary - to help the town match a state grant to repair its wastewater lift stations.

The S.C. Department of Commerce gave Blackville $439,000 and the town has to match it with $110,000, said Barnwell County Councilman Keith Sloan.

Sloan said the town requested $80,000.

If the town exhausts all other possibilities, then the county will give it to Blackville, said Sloan.

He said there is a possibilty Blackville will be getting stimulus finds to cover the project.

The repairs are necessary as a potential business prospect might come to the town's industrial park.

"Interest has been shown in the industrial park," said County Councilman Travis Black.

Compact funds are specifically for industry development. The funds were upfront fees New Jersey and Connecticut paid South Carolina to reserve the space to bury low-level radioactive waste.