Garbage bill payment plan developed in PackerTownship

by James Hunter

One property owner asking for relief with a large overdue garbage bill led the Packer Township supervisors to develop a plan to get about ten such large overdue trash bills on the road to payment. Supervisors’ chairman Bob Selert said the delinquent garbage account owner asked if he paid the bill within 30 days, if the supervisors would reduce the tab by 10%.

“If we were going to do it for one, we were going to do it for all of them,” Selert said. On the recommendation of attorney Robert Yurchak, the township solicitor, the supervisors offered the ten largest delinquent accounts a 5% reduction if they either paid the entire bill, or agreed to a payment plan within 30 days. If they agreed to the terms, but then reneged, the 5% would be added back on after the 30 days, and a lien would be placed on their property.

Supervisors are also working on a noise ordinance in response to the almost-project to build large windmills atop the Broad Mountain in the township in case the proposal is revived. “This is a free-standing noise ordinance,” Selert said. “We put in the latest and greatest language that is standing up in court. We sent it to the windmill opposition group, Save Our Allegheny Ridges (SOAR) for them to see.”

A couple of topics the supervisors are awaiting on action from other governmental agencies are abandoned buildings and taxing non-profit entities.

“The county commissioners have been discussing establishing a fund to tear down abandoned buildings,’ Selert said. “The proposal is to assess each deed transfer $15 to create this fund.

“We are also waiting to see if the Weatherly Area School Board will join our legal action against the Hazleton City Authority to get some of the money they are making from logging on their property in our township.”

The supervisors also recognized the Lehighton Ambulance Association to serve as the official township ambulance. Lehighton Ambulance has a unit garaged in Nesquehoning, and others in Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, and Penn Forest Township.

Fire

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This Monday, about 11:30 p.m., there was a second fire at the property. The State Fire Marshall is investigating, as there was no electricity at the site.