North Buffalo Wants Into the Trash Business
If approved, local haulers would not be allowed to compete against the township!
by Jonathan Weaver
North Buffalo Township may soon be competing with local and regional waste haulers.
At the conclusion of last night’s supervisors meeting, Supervisor Chair David Wolfe unveiled a business idea that he says the trio of supervisors have been contemplating the past few weeks.
Supervisor Chair David Wolfe announced last night that supervisors are considering supplying garbage service in the municipality to not only reduce resident cost, but also raise money for the future and save taxpayer millage.
“We are looking at possibly entering into the refuge business,” Wolfe said. “There are a number of reasons we are looking into this.”
Reasons include the deterioration of township roads and the opportunity to generate income without raising taxes – even possibly reducing taxes.
“On any given day, we have four or five different garbage trucks on our roads, which are helping toward the deterioration of our roads because they’re not bonded,” Wolfe said. “We have the potential of switching from tar and chip roads and dirt and gravel roads to paved roads.”
Of those residential and business customers, Wolfe said the least expensive garbage pick-up rate is $26 per month.
Averaging 3,000 customers, Wolfe estimated supervisors could pick up trash for $20 per month – leading to a nearly $900,000 surplus annually.
And supervisors would still maintain a six-figure surplus of profit after about $400,000 in estimated costs – including dump sites, wages and permits - , allowing supervisors to then purchase another garbage truck to double the collections.
“We would also look at offering this service to surrounding communities to lower their garbage bills,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said surrounding communities have been “receptive” so far.
In three years, supervisors project to gain close to $1 million in revenue.
“Maintaining at $20 per month for garbage pickup, we could lower every one of our taxpayers’ millage by not less than one-half mill,” Wolfe said.
Taxpayers currently pay 5 ½ mills per year.
Several public meetings are proposed to get resident input about the suggestion.
“We could literally be self-sufficient with our trash,” Whiteman said.
Supervisor Clark Whiteman endorsed the idea.
“Nothing has been etched in stone. We’re still talking – we’re still discussing this issue,” Wolfe added.
Other than businesses, other disposal companies would not be permitted in the municipality.
In addition to the potential of hiring more township employees, supervisors began interviewing applicants to join the road crew Monday.
Wolfe said about nine applicants have been filed and made the motion for one – David R. Stitt, of North Buffalo - to be hired last night pending the passing of a pre-employment physical and a drug test.
“We tested him on all the equipment – he was exceptional,” Wolfe said. “We think he can go right in and be a benefit to our township.”
After an executive session, Stitt was unanimously approved for full-time employment at the rate of $15.38 per hour during a 90 day probationary period. That rate will increase to $16.12 per hour after completing that period.
Applications will be received until noon March 23. Any applications received after Wednesday will be kept on file for possible future employment.
Supervisors will also advertise for at least one part-time police officer to help Chief Hufhand.
Besides Chief Hufhand, a pair of officers have been deployed and another lives in Allegheny County.
The local police department also received a $100 donation from the Latin American Club in Ford City.
Local News | jweaver March 17, 2016
By jorn jensen, March 17, 2016 @ 7:41 AM
Interesting. Is it legal to disallow competition?
Where are you going to put the stuff? Does the DEP know about this? Do you have the equipment to bury the stuff? Do you have approved designs for runoff?
What if a trash hauler offers to do it for $19 per month? That would save each resident $1 per month.
What happens when the township garbage truck breaks down and the disallowed outfits have to come in and bail you out?
Interesting idea - glad to see supervisors looking to save their taxpayers’ dollars. Typically, though, when government gets involved in trying to provide a ‘business’ service, costs go up and out of control.
By ktown_kid, March 17, 2016 @ 8:39 AM
Hmmmm if they can pickup garbage for $20 a month and make that much profit maybe kittanning Boro needs to reduce their rates. It’s highway robbery in this town along with their high taxes and you wonder why people and businesses leave.
By Flamingo1, March 17, 2016 @ 10:11 PM
Gee what a novel idea. Make money for the township. Sure bet the conservatives will say the township should not be in the trash hauling business even as it saves people money and reduces taxes.
Government can provide services to the people because it does not pay exorbitant salaries found in the private sector.
Sure hope my township signs on.
By jorn jensen, March 18, 2016 @ 9:04 AM
Flamingo - Perfect example of the difference in thinking between conservatives and liberals = GARBAGE.
We both type comments, near about the same time, except I guess I got out of bed a little earlier. So, we didn’t see each others’ comments due to the time lag in the KP editing/permission-to-post ‘system’.
I read both of our comments a couple of times. A conservative would think, “You sure you got your numbers right? Do you have your t’s crossed and i’s dotted? If this is such a great idea, why hasn’t anyone else ever thought of it before this?” and a liberal says, “Yes, let’s go with it. We have to pass it to see what’s in it!”
I caution, “when government gets involved in trying to provide a ‘business’ service, costs go up and out of control.” while you state, “Government can provide services to the people because it does not pay exorbitant salaries found in the private sector.”
Wonder if anyone has studied the Kittanning garbage business model?
So, let’s re-visit this topic a while down the road and see how it is going.
It will be fun to watch David Wolfe helping his guys change a blown hydraulic hose on a disabled garbage truck in front of a garbage customer’s house. Hydraulic fluid all over the pavement and kitty litter all about to pick it up and there stands David Croyle with the video running for a KP front page headline. LOL!
Garbage - the perfect example of the differences of though processes of conservatives and liberals.
By RESHSW, March 18, 2016 @ 9:04 AM
Wolfe is involved, that’s the problem.
By jorn jensen, March 22, 2016 @ 10:38 AM
Well, Flamingo, where did you go?
By Flamingo1, March 22, 2016 @ 3:33 PM
Jorn
Waste Management is a highly profitable business. Why shouldn’t a township be in the trash business and use the profit to lower taxes. Townships provide roads, snow removal, in some cases water. These are traditional services.
In places where water or trash is privatized the costs are higher. But it does take efficient management.
Glad to see you are back to reading my comments. Or did you ever stop?
By jorn jensen, March 22, 2016 @ 8:07 PM
Flamingo - On this trash topic, I read them all. But, I read very few of your comments - they’re just too far off the scale.
Like I stated, let’s revisit this topic down the road a ways. We’ll see how it worked out.
By Just sayin, March 22, 2016 @ 8:20 PM
Jensen doesn’t read our comments…
By worthingtonman, March 22, 2016 @ 8:35 PM
Wolfe should look into the garbage business that Kittanning and Ford City run. Government should stay out of business. These garbage trucks are not hurting shit. Why do these politicians constantly think they need to look for revenue.?they should also get out of the police business. How damn big does township government need to be??