Ross May Amend Trash Pick-up Ordinance to Reduce Noisy Night Collections

After hearing from two residents who complained about noisy, night garbage collections near three North Hills school district buildings, Ross Commissioner Dan DeMarco on Monday suggested  it's time to more strictly enforce trash collection hours.

Right now, trash collection is not allowed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. under an ordinance enacted in 1993, said Ross Zoning Officer Dan Hankins.

Frank Kodrich lives on First Avenue, near the Senior High School.

“Right now we have a dumpster that comes in at roughly 10:30 or 11 o’clock at night," Kodrich told the commissioners. "Once he picks up that dumpster, and you all know what a dumpster sounds like, imagine what you hear at 10:30 at night. It’s so loud.”

Kodrich said his complaints so far have fallen on deaf ears.

"We tried to go to the school district, and you got a better shot at talking to that wall over there," he said. "There is no help there whatsoever."

Amanda Hartle, North Hills School District's communications coordinator, said the district is limited by what it can do.

"District officials including members of the school board met with Mr. Kodrich along with members of the Ross Township Commission and Ross Township officials about his noise complaints several months ago," she said.

"We have addressed those that we could. Unfortunately, we do not control the timing of trash pick-up within the township."

Curtis Bucher lives on Peony Avenue, near Highcliff Elementary. He has a similar complaint.

“It’s kind of an annoyance when the truck comes in there around 9:30 10 o’clock at night and it likes a bomb going off with the dumping and stuff," he said. "The truck itself sounds like a tank coming up and down the road. I know they have to pick up the garbage sometime, I just don't remember them coming that late."

DeMarco urged his colleagues to amend the current ordinance regarding the timing of trash collections. 

“If the school board doesn’t want to be cooperative and help out, let's just get a proposed amendment advertised for the next meeting,” he said. "We just have to make a law. Then they’ll have to answer to the township when they don’t abide by the law.” 

Hartle said if the ordinance is changed, the school district's trash hauler will comply.

"The township has the authority to enact any ordinance they wish to govern commercial trash pick-up within the township, and the firm contracted for the district’s garbage removal will comply with the law," she said.

"We are sure that in considering this ordinance the township will consider the impact on the trash-removal timing of all of its commercial constituents." 

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