County commission to recycle trash proposal next month
The wrangling over recycling in Clark County will continue for at least another month.
County commissioners discussed a proposal Tuesday that would add weekly "single stream" recycling service to the existing twice-a-week trash pickups in the unincorporated area of the county, but proponent Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani opted to hold the item until Nov. 3 for additional review.
Republic Services, which provides waste disposal throughout the valley, says it cannot provide that service schedule without a rate increase, while Giunchigliani insists that it can and that it should already be doing it.
"I'm hoping to get our staff and Republic's staff, and let's come up with a number," Giunchigliani said.
The "single stream" recycling approach provides customers with one container into which metal, glass, plastic, cardboard and paper can go, replacing the three separate bins most customers use now.
Republic Services is running a single stream pilot program with about 50,000 households and is ready to expand it into Henderson. Trash and recycling are picked up once a week.
"We are trying to get to single stream recycling," said Jennifer Lazovich, an attorney representing Republic Services. "We have had great success in the pilot program."
Most households have trash picked up twice a week and recycling once every two weeks.
Bob Coyle, Republic Service's area president, reiterated the company's stance that it cannot add weekly recycling pickups to twice-a-week trash pickups without higher costs.
"It will require a rate increase," he said.
The best option, he said, is to switch to the once-a-week trash and recycling pickup, an idea that meets resistance because customers are worried about having trash sitting around longer than it does now.
Giunchigliani, meanwhile, pointed out that Republic Services has been collecting a recycling fee from all customers since 1991 but hasn't provided those services to multifamily or commercial properties.
"We're already paying for something that we're not really getting," she said. "Phase this in. ... Let's stop talking about it."
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
REALITY SHOW PILOT
The Clark County Commission has approved the shooting of a cable reality show pilot based on the work of the department in charge of handling estates for dead people who have no descendants to handle it.
The commission on Tuesday approved part of a proposal by Workaholic Productions Inc. to do the television show intended for the National Geographic Channel.
However, Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said the commission urged the district attorney to negotiate on other parts of the agreement, including a clause that would pay the county $5,000 per episode.
The proposed agreement states that the show would follow county investigators as they seek heirs and valuables while they administer estates.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
