Telegraph Square is too trashy, downtown Carson City businesses at a loss

Telegraph Square in downtown Carson City is growing quickly. Not only are new businesses like Gather, The Martin Hotel and Squeeze-In taking up space, but apartments are being renovated and rented out on the upper floors of the buildings.

However, with the area gaining more traffic and business, it also means there is an increase in waste, which has been piling up in the district for nearly half a year.

Waste Management responded to the allegations, and you can read their response here.

Area businesses were quick not to blame the Waste Management drivers and trash collectors, who they all agree do their best and work hard. Rather, they are questioning the policies Waste Management has in place.

"We’re only allocated one bin for all of our operations," said Westside Pour House Kitchen Manager Suzanne Moore. "We’ve been growing; all of the businesses in the area have been growing.

"Waste Management won’t take anything that isn’t in the bins, but we can’t get more bins for our garbage," she added. "So we’ve had to take $40 trips to the dump once a week for the rest that's left over."

Kim Saucedo of Rustically Divine Vintage Market and DIY Studio is having the same issues.

"I’m having to do additional dump runs every other week as well," she said. "Otherwise trash would just pile up in the streets."

That isn’t good for business, all of the owners and managers agree.

For the Westside Pour House and Gather, it’s especially important trash is dealt with in a timely manner due to fears over little furry street creatures suddenly appearing.

"If we have food waste in the alley, it’s going to attract mice," said Moore. "And it’s cold, so if they have their food nearby, they’re also going to be looking for someplace warm to stay."

It would be incredibly detrimental to their business if the mice decided to take up residence there, she said, so they make sure to never leave anything for the furry moochers to munch on.

A bartender at Gather said another issue they’re experiencing with Waste Management is pick up times.

On numerous occasions, Waste Management trucks hadn’t come to pick up garbage until well into the afternoon, the bartender said, leaving garbage in front of their business during operating hours, despite the fact that they put the garbage out late at night.

“No one wants to eat at a restaurant while looking at piles of garbage,” said the bartender.

Adding a dumpster to the area could help solve the problem for businesses to allocate their trash without the risk of overflowing bins being an eye sore.

This is particularly concerning for multiple businesses, which said that if the bins are overflowing, they wouldn’t be picked up.

Carson City Manager Nancy Paulson was also on scene investigating the trash situation.

"We’re looking into the issue," said Paulson, "but I’m not sure if there’s anything legally the city can do, other than call Waste Management and ask them to come and pick up the trash that is left over. It’s an issue that would have to be dealt with by Waste Management.”

The issue isn’t being caused by recent construction on Telegraph Street for the Curry Streetscape Project, City Engineer Dan Stuckey assured. All that is left to do for the project in the Telegraph Square area is landscaping in the spring.

Dan Wilson, owner of Downtown Coin, said there needs to be a solution to the issue.

"I’d like to see more leg work from Waste Management, and it’s possible businesses may need to pay more to make sure the issue is being handled," he said. "It’s an eyesore, and it’s bad for business."

While speaking with businesses, next to the opening of Telegraph Alley stood a trash bin overflowing with garbage and left on the sidewalk.

No one is quite sure who it belongs to.

Saucedo already has her own allocated trash can for her business, but Waste Management has mistakenly written her name and address on the bin multiple times, which she has scrubbed off and called about.

She even received a voicemail accusing her of leaving her trash on the street, but she is at a loss as to what to do about it.

Waste Management has been contacted, but the company has not yet responded to media inquiries about this issue.

Trash day for West Telegraph Street is apparently Thursday, nearly a week away.

Hopefully, the trash won’t remain there the entire time. But without a resolution, it might very well be.