Fairchance looking to reduce costs
FAIRCHANCE – Borough council discussed ideas Wednesday to reduce the costs of its garbage and recycling collection services. Councilman Howard L. McGhee said he will follow the borough workers on their garbage collection route to look for ways to cut the cost.
In January, council said the garbage collection budget had a deficit. The amount was initially estimated at approximately $34,000, but a second estimate was around $20,000.
Residents pay $10 a month for garbage pickup.
Council President Herbert J. Myers asked council to think about hiring Goodwill Industries to collect recyclables.
Myers said he and McGhee contacted Goodwill about taking over recyclable pickup. Goodwill indicated it would perform the collection for $450 a month, he said.
The two borough workers who currently collect recyclables two days a month would be given other work to do, if council agreed to hire Goodwill, Myers said.
The borough obtained its collection truck with a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection and council would have to check with the DEP to find out if the borough is allowed to give the truck to Goodwill, he said.
Councilwoman Dora E. Miller said she favored hiring Goodwill.
In unrelated business, engineering consultant J. Scott Bush told council that he gave plans and a contract for adding a third sand filter to the borough’s water treatment plant to solicitor Simon B. John for a review.
Council approved advertising the project pending John’s approval of the documents.
The borough’s park was also a topic of discussion.
Council authorized Miller to apply for a grant to repair an eroded trail and pave the basketball court and parking lot.
Myers said a representative from the borough’s insurance company is scheduled to visit the park today to look at a pedestrian bridge that was destroyed two weeks ago when a storm blew a tree down.
Council approved a motion to cut down some other large trees in the park.
In other business, resident Clark Roderick of West Church Street asked council to board up a former Pechin store on West Church Street to prevent juveniles from going inside. He said he and his neighbors are worried about a fire starting in the building.
Council agreed to contact the owner and request that the building be secured.