Tuesday night the Pahrump Town Board voted unanimously to accept a request from Pahrump Valley Disposal for a 1.55 percent rate reduction for picking up garbage, effective March 1.

Residential customers with one 96-gallon cart currently pay $12.22 per month ($36.66 quarterly) to have trash picked up once per week. The new rate of $12.03 per month will save $9.88 per year. (Enough for a once-a-year dinner for two at McDonald's.)

Commercial customers with one three-yard bin currently pay $81.24 per month for weekly service. The new rate reduces that amount to $80 per month for a savings of $64.48 per year.

In May 2008 the town granted PVD a rate hike due to sky-high fuel costs. "Fuel prices had seen incredible fluctuations, and in May we were just not able to afford to absorb the cost," said John Shea, vice president of PVD.

For a company whose profitability is directly tied to driving huge garbage trucks throughout the valley on a daily basis, the 5.8 percent rate adjustment to compensate for fuel seemed reasonable.

Shea told the board and residents gathered at the Bob Ruud Community Center, "Fuel prices have stabilized now and decreased to manageable levels."

Those with a talent for math will notice a 4.25 percent difference between the rate hike and the reduction. The missing factor is the annual cost-of-living adjustment based on the consumer price index. That 4.25 percent cost of living increase, which would traditionally have gone into effect in September 2008, was not implemented because at that time fuel prices began to dip and Shea did not want to ask the town for the cost-of-living increase.

"This reduction will set rates at their appropriate level," said Shea.

Another matter affecting PVD was the second reading of an ordinance that revises and restates the town's regulations concerning the collection, transportation, deposit and disposal of solid waste and recyclables.

Discussion of the ordinance centered around certain sections of the 20-page document that seemed to contradict each other. The controversy was over a section reading: "It shall be mandatory for any person owning, occupying or managing any premises connected to electrical service to subscribe" and pay for services from PVD.

However, there is a half-page of exclusions to the ordinance allowing any person to "self-haul solid waste generated at his owned residence or premises." In fact, the document has many stipulations saying a person may directly transport his own solid or separated recyclable materials.