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Council postpones bear-resistant trash-can ordinance after residents raise cost and scope concerns
Summary
After extended public comment raising questions about cost, effectiveness and who would pay for specialized cans, the Star Valley Ranch Council voted 4–1 to postpone an ordinance requiring bear-resistant trash containers until its March meeting for further research.
Star Valley Ranch’s town council postponed a proposed ordinance that would require bear-resistant trash containers after residents and council members raised questions about cost, enforcement and geographic scope.
Councilman Merrill introduced Ordinance 2025-02 (Title IX General Regulations, Chapter 90, Animals) for first reading. Several residents, and Natural Resources Board Chair Mr. Padilla, urged more information on how many incidents justify the change and who would pay for the specialized containers. Mr. Padilla asked explicitly who would cover the cost of bear-resistant cans and noted they are not the same as standard trash cans. Other commenters said the rule could single out some residents, could be difficult for elderly residents to use and might prompt higher collection fees from private haulers.
Councilman Rok said she supported exploring options to mitigate wildlife interactions but believed the ordinance was not ready and needed more research. Mayor Buyers suggested the existing code might be updated to address the problem without this ordinance.
Mr. Siddoway, who said he lives in a so-called “bear zone,” asked that the term be better defined and suggested that compliance be determined by citation rather than by plat or area designation.
After discussion, Councilman Rok moved to postpone the ordinance until the March council meeting; Councilman Ellis seconded. The motion passed with Councilmen Merrill, Ellis, Toolson and Rok voting yes and Mayor Buyers voting no.
The council did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting; the item will return in March with requests for more research and clearer definitions of affected areas and funding or implementation options.
