Townships join to try to halt rate hike
The North Union Township supervisors agreed Tuesday to join with neighboring South Union Township in efforts to hold garbage prices to the contracted amount. The two townships reached a joint garbage-hauling agreement with a local trash-hauling company, which agreed to keep prices steady until 2003.
However, the state recently passed an increase on dumping fees, prompting the hauler to send letters to residents, saying that their “agreed-to price” would be out because of this increase.
Supervisor John Mateosky noted that while the increase of $4 per customer isn’t “astronomical,” he objected to the principle that the state has prompted garbage collectors to break standing contracts.
“The state told the haulers to hand the increase on to their customers.
“We have a contract until 2003, saying prices will not rise, and the hauler has already started sending letters to our residents,” Mateosky said.
Township solicitor Dan Reilly added that “no one is allowed to interfere with a fixed contract.”
The supervisors explained that they can hold the garbage collection service to its contracted price.
“We can’t challenge the state, (but) we can challenge the hauler if they don’t agree to honor the contract,” said Supervisor Tom Kumor.
The board noted that other municipalities that hold similar garbage contracts are considering joining North Union and South Union townships in their stance to hold the haulers to contracts.
“Maybe if enough garbage haulers contact the state, then some provision can be made regarding existing contracts,” Mateosky said.
Kumor pointed out that the township, like many other municipalities, enacted a mandatory garbage-collection system to do away with illegal roadside dumping.
The supervisors said they are concerned that with the additional $5 to visit the dump, the trash will find its way back to the local roads and highways.
Kumor said hauling companies tried to stop the increase, but before they could get anywhere, “it was slam-bam, thank you, ma’am, and now the state has a balanced budget.”
In another matter, resident Frank Mutnansky asked how a planned $14.3 million expansion of the Greater Uniontown Sewage Authority’s treatment plant and plans for the plant to accept waste from Menallen, Georges and potentially Franklin townships might affect Redstone Creek.
“Right now I can tell when discharge is. The creek rises one to two feet. If we start taking in more from those other places, will the creek be able to take the discharge, or is money being set up to clear the stream to prevent flooding problems?” Mutnansky asked.
The supervisors said the concern was valid and asked sewage authority board member Bob Garbart to raise the question at the next meeting. In the meantime, Mateosky reminded residents living along the stream that they are responsible for trash and trees that fall into the stream from their properties.
“It is really impressive how it works. Despite being a state-reserved right of way, the landowner is responsible for what goes into that stream from their property. But in order to clean it up, you need to get a permit from the state, and that takes about six weeks,” Mateosky said.
The supervisors also conducted the following business:
– Voted to update the township emergency action plan, a process completed every two years. This year, the township made only minor changes, updating the names of fire department officers.
– Decided to advertise for anti-skid materials since it is fast becoming hard to locate road ashes. Because the amount of ashes has been running low and will one day be depleted, the board has already moved to mixing salt with the ashes.