By Tom Gilchrist
For The Advertiser
ARBELA TWP. — Arbela Township leaders may stop billing residents for trash pickup for one year to reduce a $259,569 surplus in a fund that pays for garbage collection.
Currently, the township collects $130 per year from each of about 1,230 households to pay for garbage pickup, according to township Supervisor Kenneth Panek.
The fund has been growing in size each year, Panek told the audience at Monday night’s Arbela Township Board of Trustees meeting.
“I know there’s more there than what we need,” Panek said. “Under state law we could, at some point — I think we almost have to — either trim the next assessment back or something to take that fund down. There’s way more money in there than what we need.”
Board members are examining whether they’ll remove the garbage-collection assessment from property-tax bills that get sent out in December, or wait until 2014 to stop assessing the fee.
Panek said it’s possible the township is collecting trash-pickup fees from owners of unoccupied properties where trash isn’t collected by the township’s hauler, Waste Management Inc.
“My guess is there’s more houses being collected, or the rate’s too high, though, because the garbage fund has increased every year, to where it’s at,” Panek said. “We’re probably collecting either too much and/or collecting may be on houses that shouldn’t be collected on — that aren’t (having trash) picked up.”
The township board on Monday voted to stop assessing garbage-collection fees on four unoccupied properties, including two owned by Gary Schuler — one an unoccupied residence at 10300 Belsay Road, and another an unoccupied farmhouse at 10301 Genesee Road.
Schuler, in answer to questions from Panek, indicated he has been remodeling the Genesee Road farmhouse, which sits on a parcel that includes an occupied home.
“So you’re paying two garbage (assessments) on one parcel?” Panek asked.
“I have been since 1984,” Schuler said.
“There’s two houses on one parcel,” clerk Mary Warren pointed out.
“But one has not been occupied since 1984,” Schuler said.
“Why don’t you tear it down …?” Warren asked.
“Because I like it,” Schuler replied. “It’s mine to have and to hold. I like it.”
The township’s 1976 garbage-collection ordinance states the township may assess trash-pickup fees on any residence “occupied for living purposes.”
Panek said Schuler has been making improvements to the farmhouse “for quite a while” and that he doesn’t believe Schuler intends to tear it down.
“But you’re working on it all the time to make it livable — is that what you’re saying?” Warren asked Schuler.
“It’s a family heirloom. My great-great-grandparents built it in 1866, Mary,” Schuler said.
The board voted 4 to 1 to stop assessing garbage-collection fees on the property. Treasurer Jody Hunt opposed the motion.
Schuler said he would let the township board know, in the future, when someone begins living in the house.
The board also voted to stop assessing garbage fees on a fire-damaged unoccupied home at 10033 Barkley Road, owned by Tom O’Hearn, and on an unoccupied home along Arbela Road owned by Leo O’Hearn. Tom O’Hearn, Leo O’Hearn’s son, said the latter building doesn’t have a well or septic field, and there’s no heating system or kitchen in it.
In addition to halting garbage assessments on the four properties this year, the township board agreed to pay a $390 refund to each owner of the four parcels to cover collection fees assessed on those parcels from 2010 through 2012.
In other action, the township board approved a special assessment to raise money to maintain Janice Road, a private road with about nine homes along it.