GINA B. GOOD / PVT Pahrump Town Manager Bill Kohbarger RELATED STORY Keeping residents happy Advertisement

Pahrump Town Manager Bill Kohbarger has a short and simple message to those spreading the word that Pahrump residents will be forced to pay to have their trash picked up:

"That's not true."

Pahrump Town Ordinance (PTO) No. 43 regulates the collection of trash and has been under discussion and revision since before the new board members started work in January.

There is one more public reading of the ordinance before the town board votes it into being or discards the changes. It is slated to be on the town board agenda March 10.

At the Feb. 10 meeting of the board, John Shea, vice president of Pahrump Valley Disposal, the firm holding the exclusive franchise for collecting, transporting and processing trash throughout Pahrump Valley, answered questions from board members and residents.

At that time, two conflicting sections were found in the revised version. One said subscribing to trash collection was mandatory while another said residents could self-haul trash instead of signing up for service with the company.

The board instructed the town staff to meet with the town attorney and have the sections in question clarified and re-written with the goal of making certain self-hauling trash was permissible. That was accomplished Feb. 18, by attorney Rick Campbell in conjunction with Kohbarger.

Previously, one section stated, in part, "It shall be mandatory for any person owning, occupying or managing any premises in the town ... to subscribe to solid waste collection service ... and to pay the charges set forth in the solid waste franchise agreement as specified in this chapter."

Now added to that sentence is an important exception that says one may discontinue paying for solid waste collection service if their premises "are not connected to electrical service for the entire billing period, or such person is self-hauling solid waste generated at his or her premises to a duly licensed and permitted disposal facility."

To discontinue service, "a person must request discontinuation ... and provide proof that no electrical service to the premises is provided, or provide proof for the collection period in which an exception is sought that the person has self-hauled solid waste from his or her premises to a duly licensed and permitted solid waste disposal facility."

Subsection E, of Section 43.260 details refunds for any advance payment.

It also has a new phrase added for self-hauling: "A customer shall be entitled to a refund of any advance payment for service he or she has made upon presenting proof that ... he or she has self-hauled solid waste from his or her premises for the collection period in which an exemption is sought."

According to Kohbarger, "The residents and town board made it very clear what they wanted, and that's now correctly reflected in PTO No. 43."