Thursday’s special meeting of the Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees won’t solely revolve around crunching budget numbers to ensure the district operates in the black for the upcoming fiscal year.

Trustees could vote on a staff recommendation to adopt the district’s amended solid waste franchise agreement, which if approved, would implement a single stream recycling program to commence June 30. Thursday’s meeting begins at 3 p.m. at 893 Southwood Blvd.

If approved, the recycling program would be a first of its kind for Nevada, said Madonna Dunbar, IVGID’s Waste Not resource conservationist.

“We will be the first community in Nevada to use this system,” Dunbar said. “I see it as a way to be better stewards to the lake. You know, Nevada has a rich history in mining, and I like to look at this as an opportunity to mine the urban waste stream.”
The proposed single stream recycling program doesn’t differ much from when it first was presented to the board, at its March 12 meeting. At that meeting, the board and community members offered feedback on the proposal, which staff have used to fine-tune the idea for Thursday’s presentation.

According to the proposal, the recycling program still follows the current bi-monthly pickup schedule; however, it gives residents and commercial properties more leeway when it comes to recycling by not forcing residents to sort recyclables, allowing for more items to be recycled and providing commercial residences with 96-gallon wildlife resistant totes, specifically for recycling.

If adopted as is, the proposal calls for a $2.83 per-month increase per resident for the program incentives. Currently, residents pay $1.33 a month in recycling fees. The increase would make Incliners pay $4.16 per month, or an annual cost of $49.92.
As for commercial properties, the 96-gallon tote will be provided for a charge of $18.36 per month, a charge that, if handled correctly, will turn into profit at year’s end, Dunbar said. According to the plan, by using the tote for recycling, it allows a lot of recyclables to be diverted from solid waste, which could substantially minimize the amount of solid waste. With less solid waste to pick up, the commercial business saves money, she said.

Dunbar said she hopes the board adopts Thursday’s proposal.

“I hope that is the case; the community and staff feedback we’ve received has been very supportive for this,” she said.

If today’s agenda item is approved, then staff will work to ensure the programs is up and running by June 30, in time for the July 1 fiscal year changeover. She said public outreach will be performed, to ensure residents are aware of the program and how to participate.

Dunbar said she also has spoken with various retailers in Incline Village about carrying blue bags for residents, and she said most are preparing to sell them.
IVGID General Manager Bill Horn said he anticipates the recycling program to be adopted Thursday. He praised Dunbar and other IVGID and Waste Not staff for their work over the past year, since the planning began about a year ago for the district’s blue bag pilot program, which took place last summer.

“It just goes to show that when staff, the trustees and the community gets together and works on a program like this, that miracles can happen,” Horn said. “It’s really impressive what’s been done in just a year’s time.”

A copy of Thursday’s proposal can be viewed within the IVGID board agenda packet, available online at www.ivgid.org, or in person at 893 Southwood Blvd.