Republic Services officials say they’re planning changes to improve Delmont collections
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Republic Services municipal sales manager Renee Shipley told Delmont officials that the company is making some changes to help address customer complaints about poor communication and missed collections.
“We know you’ve been more than patient with us,” Shipley said at this week’s council meeting. “You’re our partner, and we have not lived up to that this past year.”
Shipley said Republic is shifting some of its service routes in a way that will free up additional trucks for service.
“We found an opportunity to see some more steady service on Fridays, and we’re also working to foster more effective communication when issues do arise,” Shipley said. “When customers call, we’re asking for contact information for them to opt into the Call-Em-All or Text-Em-All app and receive updates from us.”
Borough solicitor Dan Hewitt asked Shipley to prepare a three-month action plan outlining Republic’s planned changes, something the company has made available to other client communities.
Pollution reduction projects
Borough officials will look into a short-term loan to undertake a roughly $500,000 stormwater project between Dogwood and Stotler drives, near Newhouse Park.
The borough’s state-approved pollution reduction plan calls for the removal of 36,000 pounds of sediment each year. The stormwater detention pond planned for a wooded area between Dogwood and Stotler will account for more than 6,500 pounds toward that total.
The project is funded through a Commonwealth Financing Authority grant with a partial match from the borough. The low bid was $512,000, and while the borough will be reimbursed, it is required to make the upfront payments for the work.
“I don’t believe we have the money to put up that payment right now,” Councilman Stan Cheyne said.
Council voted 4-0 to begin the process for securing the loan.
Additional pollution reduction projects have been identified along Lindsay Lane and the Barrington Ridge development, as well as a future stream restoration project estimated to remove nearly 15,000 pounds of sediment.