First Posted: 3/3/2015

RANSOM TWP. — Resident Robert Ketz asked supervisors during the public comment section of the regular township meeting March 2 why the board recently chose to hire Waste Management for recycling pickups when the municipality previously handled the task.

“I would like to know how this is beneficial to the township because I’m very concerned,” he said. “Is this a cost issue? Was there a deal made to do this when we have the equipment, we have the manpower, we have the trailer to do this, and now we have waste management picking up our recycling?”

Road Master David Bird explained the decision was prompted by a manpower issue. Without enough people to keep up with other work while recycling is collected, the crew was falling behind and continually “playing catch-up.”

Ketz responded, “My outlook on it is, we have the manpower here — I’m not degrading our men, I think they’re excellent men — but I think there is some time to do this.”

Supervisor William “Bud” Brown explained the issue further. “Right now, when we need them to plow, what do you do? You have all this recycling setting on the side of the road, they’re plowing over it. I mean, it just got to the point where it was easier to do it this way, and cost-wise, probably the same.”

Later in the meeting, Ketz spoke up again, stating he had a problem with Waste Management emptying his neighbors’ cans, but skipping over his own. He said he called the company and the person he spoke with promised to send a truck over to finish the task. When the truck never came, he called again, and received the same response. He said the cans remained full until the next week.

The supervisors told him they heard similar complaints from other residents as well. Brown said if it should happen again, Ketz or any other resident may call him and he will see that it is taken care of.

The township office can be reached at 570-586-7250.

In other business, the police report was presented by South Abington Township Police Officer Siegler, who listed three area thefts which took place last month.

The first was a theft call from North Sekol Road, which he said turned out to involve a relative, who was on drugs, stealing from another relative. The suspect, he said, is now in rehab and police are waiting to hear from the suspect’s family members as to weather they wish to press charges.

A burglary was reported in Sunset Mobile Home Park where the thief got away with electronic devices. Siegler said, although police spoke with the occupants of the surrounding homes, no leads have been made gained in the case.

The third involved a stolen truck across from St. George’s Cemetery on Ransom Road. The vehicle was a 2012 Toyota Tundra and it contained a laptop and bag of tools. He said the case is still under investigation.

No fire report was presented and Bird said there was nothing to report on roads.

Supervisors reminded residents the next regular township meeting will be held Tuesday, April 7, rather than Monday, April 6, which is Easter Monday.