Not everyone has to contract with Pahrump Valley Disposal for trash pickup.

Pahrump Town Board member Vicky Parker and Town Manager Bill Kohbarger want to make certain that residents understand there are exceptions to mandatory subscription.

"It is mandatory that you remove your trash; it is not mandatory you contract with Pahrump Valley Disposal," said Parker.

Simply put, residents can haul their trash, or someone else's trash, to the dump as long as they do not get paid for doing so.

"Let's say you have an elderly neighbor," said Kohbarger. "You can still help that person out. Robin Lloyd came up with that change, and I am glad it is now part of the ordinance."

He added that a resident will not be required to get more than one receipt at the dump for hauling a friend's trash at the same time he dumps his own. However, should his friend be reported for having trash in his yard, a receipt would have to be shown. The person doing the hauling could show a receipt and tell the town representative that he also hauled trash for his friend who was cited.

"I got blamed for writing the ordinance, when in fact I inherited it from the last town manager, and this board inherited it from the previous board," continued Kohbarger. "We didn't write it. We listened to the past town attorney and to our current attorney, Rick Campbell, as well as to Mr. Clean's attorney and Pahrump Valley Disposal's attorney, and this is what we got."

Kohbarger said the ordinance sat on table for a year and a half before he took the job as town manager.

"I couldn't go before the judge (for the suit against the town by Mr. Clean) and tell him I didn't know anything about it because I wasn't in on it from the beginning. If I'd done that, the town would be paying Mr. Clean and PVD a lot of money. It was my job to take this and run with it."

Kohbarger explained the penalties for not complying with trash pickup have not been changed. Fines for non-compliance start at $200 for the first offense, increase to $500 for the second offense and reach $1,000 for the third offense. Jail time can be as long as six months.

"Those penalties have been in place for years and years. They are county rules and nothing has changed. All we did is copy the county ordinance penalties and put them into our ordinance.

The ordinance also does not apply to gardeners and landscapers. People may also give away recyclable materials in certain instances listed in the document. There are also exceptions for businesses.

Kohbarger said residents can pick up a copy of PTO No. 43 at the town office or read it on the town Web site www.pahrumpnv.biz/town.