VILLAS – Lower Township will continue to pick up commercial trash.
At a Mon., Nov. 7 Township Council meeting, Public Works Director Gary Douglass said he was asked by a few businesses the township currently services with commercial pick up to continue the service.
In September 2010, Township Council voted to begin charging fees for commercial trash pickup for a period of one year. Council included a sunset clause in the enabling ordinance to end fees as well as commercial trash collection as of Dec. 31 of this year.
Then councilman Wayne Mazurek said the time frame would give commercial customers one year to contract with a private hauler and the township one year to “get out of the commercial trash business.”
The township was projecting a $1 million shortfall in its 2011 budget, so it was searching for new sources of revenue to prevent employee layoffs.
At Monday’s meeting, Douglass said commercial trash fees charged by the township covered disposal fees and provided a small amount of extra revenue.
“Manpower wise it doesn’t matter either way,” he said. “Whether you do it or not it doesn’t increase or decrease the manpower, it might free up an hour here or there.”
About half the expected commercial businesses are using the township trash collection, said Douglass.
He said business customers told him they would rather pay the township for trash collection than an out-of-town firm.
Douglass said tipping fees have been decreasing due to weekly recycling.
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