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Elko council opens first reading of updated solid-waste and enforcement codes after sanitation provider voices concerns
Summary
Council held first readings of Ordinance 900 (municipal solid waste code) and Ordinance 901 (new enforcement chapter) to clarify collection, enforcement and appeals. Elko Sanitation urged partnership and said franchise-violation complaints prompted updates.
On June 10 the Elko City Council conducted first readings of two ordinances intended to update local solid-waste rules and enforcement procedures.
City staff said Ordinance 900 updates Title 9, Chapter 2 (Elko Municipal Solid Waste and Recyclable Material Code), reconciling city code with state statutes, clarifying who is allowed to collect and transport municipal waste, and setting out procedures and penalties for violations. Staff described changes as non-retroactive and intended to close loopholes that have enabled franchise violations.
City staff and the city attorney also introduced Ordinance 901, a new Chapter 15 (Enforcement Code) to Title 1 that designates enforcement officials (including a zoning enforcement officer), specifies notice/penalty steps and creates an appeal pathway to council. Staff emphasized the ordinance is modeled on practices from other jurisdictions to provide a clear, consistent enforcement framework across code chapters.
Lisa Campos, site manager at Elko Sanitation, addressed the council during public comment and said the company — which has operated in Elko for 52 years — has been affected by another hauler operating outside the franchise agreement. "Our top priority is maintaining the amazing relationship that we have with our partnership with the City of Elko," Campos said, and added that her company seeks to align with the city's enforcement approach and to resolve outstanding disputes.
Councilmembers said the ordinances were necessary to address recurring incidents and to provide due-process safeguards (appeals to council) and mechanisms such as denying landfill access for persistent violators. Council voted to conduct first readings and set both ordinances for public hearing and second reading; neither ordinance was adopted at this meeting (standard two-reading procedure).
Next steps: staff will publish the notices required for second reading and public hearing and continue stakeholder outreach (staff flagged a planned meeting between city staff and Elko Sanitation). The council noted the ordinances are not retroactive and that franchise-related enforcement will follow the new framework after adoption.
Speakers quoted in this report are drawn from the public meeting transcript.
