Seminole cities adjusting to county’s new bear ordinance

Seminole County cities are preparing to shell out money, revise laws and educate citizens in response to a county ordinance designed to prevent clashes between bears and humans.

County leaders last monthpassed an ordinance requiring residents to secure their garbage if they live inside a region identified as the “epicenter of human-bear conflict.”

Since then, the cities that cross into the county’s urban bear-management area, which mostly lies west of Interstate 4, have been busy figuring out what the rules mean for them.

The ordinance establishes a fine of up to $100 per day for putting out trash cans too early, failing to bring pet food indoors or leaving dirty barbecue grills in the yard.

The rules that kick in Feb. 7doapply tomunicipal residents within the bearmanagement area, although cities can opt out if they choose, according to a county spokeswoman.

So far, none of the cities — Altamonte Springs, Lake Mary, Longwood and Sanford — has rejected the rules.

An official with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the cities’ cooperation is important in the county’s plan to keep bears at bay.

“If you have pockets of communities that are going to have their trash available to bears, it’s going to be a problem,” said David Telesco, who heads FWC’s bear-management program.

Itwould even affect residents who follow the ordinance, since bears might still wander through their properties en route to areas with available added.

But Altamonte Springs officials say they are adapting to the county ordinance.

The city this week committed up to $33,000 to retrofit garbage trucks with the lifts needed for bearproof trash cans. In coming weeks, Altamonte Springs commissioners will also look at adjusting the city’s trash ordinance to match the county law, city manager FrankMartz said.

“We’ll revise our ordinance tobecomeconsistent with Seminole County’s ordinance, because at the end of the day, we care about our residents, and we want to be as easy on them as possible,” Martz said.

The new county rules state that garbage cans must stay off the curb until 5 a.m. the day of collection in areas frequented by bears.

The only exception is for residents who buy a bearproof container.

The county will work with municipalities to enforce the rules, but County Commission Chairman JohnHoran said the goal of the bear management measures is to educate, not punish.

“Whatwe’re trying to do is make sure that people understand the kinds of behaviors to protect themselves. It’s not a matter of running around issuing tickets and collecting mon-

trash,

Telesco ey,” Horan said.

Cities will likely be in charge of enforcing the ordinance within their own boundaries, county officials say.

ElenaPomales, wholives in an Altamonte Springs west of I-4, said she can attest to the need for the county ordinance; last year, she arrived home fromgrocery shopping to find a bear munching on plants in her front yard.

The option of using a bear-proof can, which can cost $180, sounded a bit pricey toPomales, who said her husband will probably just put their garbage out the morning of collection.

“He’s a former Marine, so he’s used to getting up early,” Pomales said.

Like Altamonte, the city of Longwood might modify its refuse ordinance in light of the county’s new rules, although city manager Jon Williams said they’re not yet sure what changes they’ll make.

In Lake Mary, officials are expecting service fee increases for commercial trash customers switching to bear-proof garbage containers, which are larger in volume and take more time to open than standard bins.

City manager Jackie Sova estimated that the ordinance’s effect to commercial customers west of I-4 will collectively total about $16,000 per year.

As the rules take effect west of I-4, LakeMary will also monitor bear activity and work to educate residents about securing waste in neighborhoods east of the highway, Sova said.

For the time being, the ordinance will have little effect on Longwood or Sanford, since thesetwo cities are situated east of the interstate.

As adopted, the county’s new urban bear-management area extends slightly east of I-4. But earlier this month, the county and the FWC began to reconsider the inclusion of the easternmost swath.

The ordinance won’t be enforced in those eastern areas while the review is ongoing, according to the county.