Montreat Minute for September 25, 2026

September 25, 2026

Sanitation Ordinance Enforcement Begins Next Thursday, Oct. 1st

A sign with a bear silhouette and the words KEEP BEARS WILD inside. Above the bear, Bear Aware is written in green bold letters, all set against a green and white background.

Beginning next Thursday, October 1st, trash placed at the curbside must be contained in a functional Bear-Resistant Container (BRC) or a functional Bear-Resistant Container System (BRC System). Non-bear-resistant containers cannot be placed at the curb, even if they are only there for a short period of time. This holds true for household waste and recycle refuse.

The revised ordinance was adopted by the Town Council in the spring, with the requirement for bear-resistant containers and containment systems delayed until October 1 to give residents time to prepare.

If you keep a non-bear-resistant trash can in a locked garage or other secure storage area and take your trash to the Convenience Center, you do not need to replace that container with a BRC. The requirement applies when containers are placed at the curb for Town collection.

What happens if I don’t comply?

Beginning October 1, violations of the BRC and BRC System requirements will be subject to enforcement under the ordinance:

  • First offense: Written warning from Town staff
  • Second offense: $200 civil penalty
  • Third and subsequent offenses: $400 civil penalty per incident
  • Third and subsequent violations may also result in suspension of trash pickup, at the discretion of the Town Manager.

If in violation, you will receive a communication from the Town Clerk and be given two weeks to correct the violation before the civil penalty advances to the next level of offense.

If you are unsure whether your container or containment system meets the requirements, please contact Town staff. You can email trash@townofmontreat.org to request that your container be inspected and certified. If it meets the requirements, Town staff will affix a “Bear Aware” sticker. The goal of these changes is to keep bears wild and keep our community safe. Bears that repeatedly find food in residential trash become accustomed to people and can become a serious public safety concern. By properly securing our trash, we can help reduce bear activity around homes and throughout Montreat.

Brush Pick Up Clarification

Several piles of dead branches and leaves line the edge of a paved path, with green trees and bushes in the background on a sunny day.
These piles are more than three cubic feet in total

The Town provides free brush pickup service on Wednesdays. Brush pick up policy includes:

  • Cut limbs to 6-foot lengths, not more than 6 inches in diameter
  • Stack all cut ends in one direction
  • Limit brush piles to 3 cubic yards in size (about the size of a pickup truck load)
  • Do not include debris, boards, metal, invasive species, or other foreign material in with brush

Loads in excess of 3 cubic yards will incur a charge of $25 per 3 cubic yards.

If you have a large load in excess of the standard 3 cubic yards, please call the Town Hall Clerk at 828/669-8002, x1 to schedule pick up and you will be billed for the service.

Purchase Holiday Stamps at the Montreat Post Office

A collection of colorful postage stamps featuring holiday themes, a wreath, and an American flag, arranged on a tan background next to a white envelope.

Buying holiday stamps for your Christmas and other greetings? Get them at the Montreat Post Office. By purchasing stamps at the Montreat Post Office, you help ensure its long-term presence in our Town. Additionally, Nova says they generally have a wider variety of stamps, both holiday and other designs, than most post offices.

Montreat Commissioner Candidate Forum September 29th

Black and white drawing of an arched entrance with trees and mountains, labeled Montreat, next to large text reading Montreat Cottagers.

This Tuesday, September 29th, the Montreat Cottagers are sponsoring a “Meet the Montreat Candidates” Open House. It will be an opportunity to meet and hear from the three candidates running for Montreat Town Council in the November 3rd election.

Although the election is uncontested, the Cottagers are giving Montreaters the opportunity to meet and get to know the three candidates who are running for the three seats, including Mason Blake, Clay Hamilton, and Danny Sharpe. Come to the Town Hall Community Room on Tuesday, September 29th from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. The session will be moderated by Cottager Co-President Luis de Luzuriaga. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

Text reading DID YOU KNOW? with a large question mark on a blue and green gradient background.
Firefighters spray water on a raging wildfire engulfing trees and ruins of buildings. Street signs marked North Carolina and Tennessee are visible in the foreground, with thick smoke and flames dominating the background.

Ed. Note: Montreat has had its share of fires in the past, some very monumental. Today’s “Did You Know?” offers another story behind one of those fires. CLICK HERE for the first story in July. And, PLEASE be FIreWise!

Montreat’s Firewise program reminds us of the dangers of wildfire.  Yard debris, leaves under porches and in gutters, woodpiles close to the house, mountain laurel growing adjacent to the house – all are scenarios where fire can spread rapidly and destroy property.

However, we should not overlook the danger posed by old heating systems, particularly if they are not regularly serviced.  In 1993 Montreat suffered a significant fire that ultimately destroyed three houses on North Carolina Terrace and consumed approximately 450 acres. The fire ignited when the pilot light on the old oil furnace in the Craven home was lit for a group of renters on a Thursday afternoon.  The ductwork, old and blocked with many years’ accumulation of dust, caught fire. In systems that are not used regularly or have not been used for a long period of time, this scenario can easily happen.  Fire spread quickly throughout the house, accelerated by the duct lines.

The Black Mountain fire department responded to the fire.  So did Montreat College students, who worked to keep the fire from spreading to nearby homes.  Jane Holt was on the roof of her nearby home with a water hose, dousing embers as they flew onto her property.  The fire was hot and it traveled fast.  Ultimately, three homes were a total loss – the Craven home, Linger Longer, and the Yellow Honeysuckle.  It took firefighters three days until Sunday to finish the cleanup.

Since then, Montreat has not experienced another major fire, although smaller blazes have been reported and extinguished.  However, the recent fire that destroyed a building on Montreat College’s campus in Black Mountain should remind us all that it is an ever-present danger.  In Montreat the danger is high because fire can spread so rapidly through our wooded surroundings.  Support our Firewise program by doing what you can to avert the spread of fire.

Smoke rises from a forested mountain, indicating a wildfire. The surrounding trees show early spring foliage, and some buildings are visible at the base of the hill under a hazy sky.
Smoke from the 1993 fire can be seen billowing across the cove.

Updates and Reminders

A hand is writing the word REMINDERS in black marker, with a red underline, on a white background.
  • If you haven’t already, pick up your key fob to gain access to the Convenience Center to dispose of trash. For more information, CLICK HERE.
  • 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 Code Redalerts, an emergency communications system used a number of times during the hurricane and wildfires? To learn more about Code Red or to be added to the list, CLICK HERE.

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 great weekend!