Carson City garbage contract has change for illegal dumping

Carson City’s new waste management contract will include a requirement for the vendor to pick up illegally dumped trash.

Discarded garbage is found off Carson City roads and open space on a weekly basis.

Currently, staff from the city’s code enforcement or Parks, Recreation and Open Space department, or from Public Works if heavier equipment is needed, remove and dispose of it.

“We find anything from yard waste to contractor material remnants, couches, cars,” said Jennifer Budge, Parks & Rec director. “We had to helicopter a car out once.”

Budge said trash is even found near the Carson City Rifle and Pistol Range at 4000 Flint Drive, a stone’s throw from the city landfill located at 3600 Flint Drive.

Park rangers find dumped items more often in warmer months and, increasingly, transient camp sites. Rangers post a sign indicating the site will be picked up in 24 hours to give people a chance to collect their goods. After 24 hours the site is cleaned and items held for 30 days.

Each instance of a illegally dumped trash is reported in an incident report and if any identifying information is found it’s passed along to the Sheriff’s Office for investigation.

Much of what is found by Parks & Rec may still be taken care of by the department or by Public Works even under the new contract.

“If we get a report of illegal dumping in Brunswick Canyon, it would be the city who would respond since the vendor has trucks made for highway/street use, not off-road use,” said Rick Cooley, operations manager, Public Works.

The Board of Supervisors at its Nov. 1 meeting voted to enter into negotiations with Waste Management of Nevada for the next trash collection contract. The request for proposal stipulated the vendor pick up illegally dumped items within 24 hours, but Waste Management has requested 48 hours instead, which will be discussed as part of the contract negotiations.

Cooley said the public and city staff will continue to report dump sites in the same way — via the city’s Connect application, for example — and it will be up to the vendor and Public Works to determine who responds.

In 2017 and 2018 so far, city code enforcement has received 31 complaints of illegally dumping, said Lee Plemel, director, Community Development.