Vanderbilt council approves surcharge for garbage hauler
VANDERBILT – Fayette Waste asked for and received a 60-cent-a-month fuel surcharge Tuesday. Council unanimously agreed to the charge after hearing from William Piccolomini, Fayette Waste owner/route manager.
Piccolomini said although the increase wasn’t in the four-year contract council originally signed last year, it is a necessary increase.
“With fuel prices soaring, we are sorry to say that we need the fuel surcharge,” said Piccolomini. “The increase would only amount to a $7.20 increase over a 12-month period, and if fuel prices drop, we will decrease the surcharge.”
Council President Thomas Sankovich agreed that fuel prices have gotten out of hand and said, “The gas prices are a rip off and it wouldn’t matter if Bush, Clinton or Hitler was in office.”
Sankovich and council members Betty Keffer, Duane King and Sam Guariglia all agreed that they have not heard Vanderbilt residents complain about the current price of garbage collection that is set at $8.44 a month.
Solicitor Richard Husband reminded council that Fayette Waste was the low garbage contract bidder and said the second lowest bidder came in at a little over $11 a month. He additionally agreed with Piccolomini that there are certain landfill regulations that must be followed and said there was nothing in the existing contract that would mandate council to add the surcharge.
In other unrelated matters, council received a letter from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) informing them that the department received a complaint from Marcia Watson regarding a malfunctioning septic system draining onto her property at 642 Leisenring/Vanderbilt Road in the borough.
According to Terry Mattis, DEP sewage planning specialist, the borough is responsible to resolve the problem even though they are currently involved in providing public sewerage to the entire borough and surrounding communities.
Mattis in his letter to council said, “Please have your sewage enforcement officer investigate this complaint. We expect a written report on the measures Vanderbilt Borough proposes to eliminate and/or mitigate any public health hazards caused by malfunctioning septic systems.”
Council agreed to turn the matter over to sewage enforcement officer Randall Myers, saying that they could be held liable if the situation isn’t corrected.
In further business, council:
– Reminded residents that the 100th anniversary celebration of the borough and the 75th anniversary celebration of the DL&V Fire Company are coming up fast. Keffer said all residents should clean up their properties because the borough wants to put its best foot forward.
“We don’t want the place to look like a dump,” said Keffer. “We want to spruce it up so everyone in the surrounding communities knows that we take pride in our community.”
– Agreed to purchase a one-page ad in the Tri-Town Historical Society Centennial Book and dedicate a portion of the page to the late Howard Miller, who left the borough a $1 million trust for beautification purposes.
– Agreed to have the borough worker put a cement foundation at the new Miller Park located on the corner of Main and Walnut streets for the town’s new gazebo that will be placed on the site a week before the 100th and 75th celebrations.