By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
The first official order of business for the Hillsborough Township Committee in 2017 was the reintroduction of a 2016 ordinance that restricts when solid waste companies could operate., Aimed at preventing the use of loud garbage trucks when most residents are still asleep, the ordinance proposed during the committee meeting on Jan. 10 would amend the solid waste chapter of the township code book if passed., The push for action by the committee stems from a bout of residents who complained that garbage collection efforts roused them from their sleep as early as 4 a.m., At the time, township officials said they wanted to act quickly in order to ensure that homeowners could rest easy knowing that the problem had been addressed., However, then Mayor Frank DelCore said some additional feedback and consideration from the township’s health officer and township administrator resulted in the need to table the action until recently., Under the originally proposed ordinance back in November, the municipal code book would have provisions in it requiring solid waste collection services to limit when solid waste collection companies can operate within the municipality., Originally, the ordinance called for all solid waste collection to take place no earlier than 7 a.m. and no later than 10 p.m., Under the newly introduced ordinance, however, the starting time was moved back to 5 a.m., Though officials did not explain why the change in starting time took place, the rest of this latest ordinance remains largely unchanged., Included in the ordinance is the existence of a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment for no longer than 90 days or both in the event that a company or individual fails to comply with its restrictions., Additionally, for each day that officials find a person or company violating the ordinance, a “separate and distinct offense” will be charged., Along with noise complaints, the proposed ordinance also calls for a “written record, log, bill or document evidencing receipt of service” from a waste collection agency for the previous month, as well as proof that the solid waste was taken to a proper facility for disposal., For single-family and multi-family homes, as well as commercial properties, property owners will be required to enter into a solid waste collection contract for regular service where the township is unable to provide collection services. The requirement will not apply to residents who bring their refuse directly to the township’s solid waste facility., In those cases, each property owner “shall furnish proof of collection service to the township at least once every 12 months.”
