City Council mulls trash pick up times

Denise Cardinal

Friday, Sept. 19, 1997 | 10:10 a.m.

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald may have awakened a sleeping giant in trying to keep garbage trucks from awakening residents.

Monday, the City Council will decide whether or not to limit the times that garbage trucks pick up trash. McDonald's ordinance proposes that the trucks stop picking up garbage in residential neighborhoods and commercial locations within 300 feet of residences at 10 p.m. rather than midnight. The starting time of 6 a.m. would remain unchanged.

The purpose behind the change, McDonald says, is to make sure children get a good night's sleep.

"Children need to go to school in the morning and they're getting awakened by the trucks," McDonald said in proposing the ordinance. "This has been going on for awhile."

Instead of receiving applause from the valley's families, however, McDonald has found himself dodging the verbal spears of angry residents. The reason: Silver State Disposal Service says it will have to raise rates to accommodate the change in hours.

Having a few more well-rested children is hardly worth the price of higher garbage rates, critics say.

"This will hurt a lot of people," said Kathy Hudson, a poker supervisor at Binion's Horseshoe who often works the late shift. "This is supposed to be a 24-hour town. I guess it's OK for the trucks to wake me up when I'm sleeping in the middle of the day."

Tom Graff, a retired iron worker, said the idea of limiting garbage trucks to daylight hours "boggles the mind."

"There are so many reasons why they should be on the road at night," Graff said. "It's cooler, and they don't have the traffic to contend with. Also, kids are playing in the streets during the daytime."

Silver State officials agree with Graff, and have said in previous meetings that garbage trucks are like child magnets. As soon as they stop to pick up trash, the children swarm around the vehicle to watch how it works.

These reasons don't justify the noise, McDonald said, and the rate change is an issue the City Council will address at a later meeting. He expressed surprise at residents who are upset with his efforts.

"I've talked to people in Boulder City and Henderson and they say their garbage is never picked up that late," he said. "This is about the children."

Silver State officials were unavailable for comment.

SUN REPORTER Bob Shemeligian contributed to this story.