Montreat Minute for March 20, 2026
Revised Sanitation Ordinance Passed
As reported last week, the Town Council passed what has been commonly called the Sanitation Ordinance. The revised ordinance, entitled Solid Waste Disposal and Refuse Collection, addresses a number of issues including requiring the use of bear resistant trash containers (BRC) and systems, solid waste and recycling collection, Convenience
Center usage and enforcement, and other related items. Although the revised ordinance goes into effect immediately, residents will have more than six months (October 1) to purchase or modify a BRC in order to comply with this requirement.
The Town will be providing much information about the changes including public information sessions. Stay tuned for more information. For a copy of the revised ordinance, CLICK HERE.
2026 Sanitation Calendar Available
You may have noticed that you did not receive a 2026 Sanitation Calendar in January as usual. The reason was that the sanitation ordinance revisions were in process and would possibly affect the schedule. Now that the ordinance is passed, we are issuing the 2026 calendar today. CLICK HERE for a copy or stop by Town Hall for a printed copy.
Several items of note:
- Monday collection days are unchanged. Wednesday brush and leaf pickup are also unchanged.
- Bulk pick up will remain as in the past in July and October.
- Note the Police contact number; although it is unchanged, many people were not aware of it.
- We have added an emergency number for all sewer issues. Sewer issues are handled by the Metropolitan Sewerage District, not Town staff. Please call the number shown. MSD is very responsive to emergency calls.
A Message About Bird Feeding
Resident Arrington Cox is Montreat’s Bear Wise contact. She has an important message about feeding birds.
It’s that time! Bears are getting into feeders and that means trouble! Please take them in beginning now. Don’t think the feeders are safe in the daytime as that doesn’t seem to matter to the bears!
If you see a bear causing trouble, notify your neighborhood Bear Watcher asap or me, Arrington Cox. Bears are being seen all over Montreat! Thank you so much- let’s not let this March be like last March!!
Arrington’s comment about “last March” references that there were three bear break-ins into houses while residents were home. Two bears had to be euthanized. Please bring in your bird feeders until next December. Last season, more than 10 bear break ins occurred and more than 75 calls were made to the Montreat Police Department about bear issues. Let’s all work together to stop bear incursions.
Updates and Reminders
- The Montreat Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, March 26th, at 5:00 pm in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed. For streaming instructions and the agenda, CLICK HERE.
- Mark Saturday, April 11th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for the Montreat LandCare Festival and Arbor Day Celebration. Plant vendors, local artists, Master Gardeners, information booths, and more will be featured at Moore Center Field.
- Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!
- Do you receive Montreat CodeRED alerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane? If not, CLICK HERE to register and ensure you will be contacted in the event of an emergency.
Questions or Comments?
Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at info@townofmontreat.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Have a good weekend!
