Montreat Minute for September 18, 2026
Reminder: Sanitation Ordinance Enforcement Begins in 13 Days
A reminder that October 1 is an important date for Montreat’s revised Sanitation Ordinance.
The revised ordinance was adopted by the Town Council earlier this year, with the requirement for bear-resistant containers and containment systems delayed until October 1 to give residents time to prepare.
Beginning October 1, 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.
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 you are unsure whether your container or containment system meets the requirements, please contact Town staff before October 1. 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 simple: 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.
For more information about the revised Sanitation Ordinance, including previously published questions and answers and information about approved BRCs and containment systems, please visit the Town’s website.
Stone Bridges Update
After all the discussion, planning, and fundraising for the Stone Bridges project, activity will begin on the Lookout Road bridge in early October.
The first step is demolition of the walls or façade of the bridge. The bridge surface is not being touched, just the concrete façades. It will take approximately one week to “demo” the two facades on either side, during which time the bridge will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to Community Drive and through the Anderson Auditorium parking lot.
Several weeks later, construction of the new stone facades will begin. Once again, traffic will be detoured during the construction process. We will keep you apprised of progress. As you can see from the image above, its character will add to the beauty of Montreat and harken to the original bridges of our town.
Website Hints
The current updated website was introduced in 2018. Since then, much information and functionality have been added. But oftentimes we get stuck on doing things the same way and miss opportunities to learn new information and shortcuts. Periodically, we will be providing hints on how to find information on the Town website.
The Information Bar at the Top of the Web Page
There is a very important information source at the top of the web page. It contains information such as maps of Montreat, Frequently Asked Questions, the Fee Schedule outlining all fees from taxes to water rates, Forms including zoning requests, police house checks, and more. Check it out.
More hints to come.
Montreat Commissioner Candidate Forum September 29th
On 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!
Updates and Reminders
- 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!
