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Lake Tahoe community delays consideration of mandatory bear-proof law

Kevin MacMillan
kmacmillan@sierrasun.com

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Village General Improvement District is holding off on potentially mandating bear-proof trash containers in the community.

The district’s board of trustees was scheduled to review changes next week to IVGID’s trash laws (known as Ordinance No. 1), including requiring wildlife-resistant Dumpsters for Incline’s roughly 300 commercial properties and wildlife-resistant totes for its 8,000 parcels.

In March, the board tabled a vote until new district General Manager Steven Pinkerton arrived and had time to review the changes, which also call for a 10-year contract extension into 2027 with Waste Management, IVGID’s current trash-service provider.



Pinkerton made the call Wednesday to pull the item from the board’s June 25 agenda.

“It was my recommendation … because we’re not ready,” said Pinkerton, who began his role on April 28. “I have more work to get done on learning the ordinance itself.”



While all areas require review, Pinkerton said the Waste Management contract was the item “that needs the most work.”

“Hopefully we will get to this in the fall, with enough time to get more dialed in on the agreement with Waste Management,” Pinkerton said.

As previously proposed, the upgraded law would increase monthly trash rates for most commercial properties by $19.67, while resident rates for most would go up about 30 percent.

The issue has drawn support and skepticism, with proponents saying stricter trash laws will solve growing cases of human-bear conflicts in the community.

Critics have balked at rate increases, as well as the potential for setting a dangerous precedent by OK’ing a 10-year contract extension to one company.


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