Township Supervisors Pass Trash Ordinance

[Sal]

On Monday March 29, 2004, the Newton Township Supervisors held a meeting and passed a trash collection ordinance.  The ordinance was to become effect in five days making the effective date Sunday April 3, 2004.  I attempted to obtain copies of the minutes and the ordinance.  As of today, April 7, 2004, the documents are not available and the Township secretary stated that she did not think they would be available until sometime next week.

Township resident Ed Zmuda was one of the ten residents that attended the meeting.  Mr. Zmuda stated that all of the residents that attended were against the ordinance but the supervisors pass it anyway.  Mr. Zmuda also stated that when another resident asked what would happen if they did not pay the trash company, they were told that they would be fined.

Supervisors Lee Jamison, Gary Martenson and John Pardue attended the meeting.  Supervisors John Shaffer and Thomas Kerrigan did not attend.

[Sal]

Last night the Newton Township supervisors held their monthly meeting.  The township building was filled with people and several issues related to the trash ordinance were clarified. More information on those issues will be available soon.

The most important issue that was clarified is that people will NOT be fined if they do not pay the trash bill.  The ordinance leaves bill collection up to the trash hauler.  A resident asked what would happen if they did not pay the bill.  The supervisors responded that the trash hauler would not take their trash.

This is an interesting twist.  People in the township are complaining that they want to continue to handle their trash the way they have been and not pay for trash removal. At the same time, there is nothing in the ordinance requiring people to pay for trash removal.  If those people do not put out trash for collection and do pay for services that they did not contract for and did not receive, then I do not see how the trash company can make them pay.  When all of the information is available maybe we can get a legal opinion on the matter.  In the meantime, based on the information that was provided at the meeting it would seem that if you want trash removal, you got it and if you do not want it, you do not have to have it.

[char]

another issue that was clarified at the meeting was the income level of a person to receive a discount.  It seems that a social security check is not concidered as income as it is not subjuct to taxes and therefore not listed on your tax return...but the ten thousand income level per household stands... i still dont understand where that figure comes from.. i dont know what the minimum wage is but at 6.00 dollars an hour your gross income for the year at a 40 hour work week would be 12,480.00... so a family with that income is still not concidered eligible for a half price discount...Sal can you find out where they got that figure from and if it is a legally based one?  At first they were adament that social security counts towards income until it was mentioned that is is not taxable, then they said ok it does't count... could they be mistaken to on the poverty level of a household?

[Sal]

Hi Char

The poverty guidelines for 2004 for a family of two is $12,490.
More information is available here.  http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/04poverty.shtml

But…  Even if you get the discount, you still have to pay.  Most of the people that have lived in this township for a long time learned how to handle their trash in a responsible manner and save their money.  Now these long-term residents are being punished and intimidated to pay money to a large corporation so that newcomers can put out so-called unlimited trash and save two dollars.

I am not blaming the newcomers because the supervisors misled them.  I do not think that any of them would go along with such a scheme if they knew that their meager savings would be thrown on the backs of residents that do not need or want the service. By the way, I have the ordinance and the rates go up every year not counting the tax increases that are added on top of it.

[rosy]

I remember someone mentioning that if you had no trash, you could fill out a paper that would tell them how you are dealing with your trash removal. does anyone have any information on this?

[Sal]

Hi rosy:

There is a form available that you can complete.  We do not have it on the website yet but it is available at the township building.  My understanding according to the supervisors is, if you can show that you have a way to dispose of trash without it costing you anything then you can get the exemption.  On the other hand, if you do not have any trash, you do not have to pay for trash removal.