MAHANOY CITY — The borough council formed a new committee to focus on the stronger enforcement of rules in the quality of life ordinance at April 12’s monthly meeting.
The discussion before the committee’s creation included council members, the mayor, solicitor and code enforcement officer, along with some comments from the public and some disagreement about enforcement briefly caused some raised voices at the council table.
Councilwoman Robyn L. Sincavage raised the subject of garbage cans remaining on front porches throughout the week, which is not permitted.
“I was going through the quality of life part of the borough codebook and the property maintenance regulations and found nine things that make up our quality of life,” Sincavage said. “I summarized them and gave them a nickname of the ‘Nifty Nine.’ I think the one that bothers me the most and it might be the easiest to clean up. What annoys a lot of people is the garbage cans on porches. It seems that the garbage cans are getting bigger and bigger, and some garbage cans are as big as the front porches.”
Sincavage said the code states that garbage cans should be stored out of the public view until it is time for trash collection. She explained that many people, including herself, enjoy sitting on the porch.
“Now some people have to sit next to a garbage can (on a neighboring porch) where the pile of garbage gets bigger and bigger as the week goes on, and that garbage can get a little stinky as the temperature rises. I don’t think that’s fair for anybody to have to endure,” she said, speaking of an example in which someone has to deal with a neighboring home with a garbage can.
Sincavage said it does not take a great effort for people to follow the quality of life rules.
“It doesn’t cost us anything to do some of these things to make the town look better,” she said. “As I went through this ‘Nifty Nine,’ it just seems like it’s a lot of common sense, but we know that common sense doesn’t come easy this day,” Sincavage said. “I just want to know why aren’t the quality of life regulations protecting the quality of life of the citizens of Mahanoy City? I don’t know.”
“Were there any complaints put in about that person with the garbage?” council President Thom Maziekas asked. “If she doesn’t complain about it, how do we know?”
“I have a question,” Sincavage said. “Are the quality of life tickets issued upon complaint or are they issued on sight?”
Code enforcement officer William F. Killian III answered, “Both.”
“If the violation isn’t taken care of, does that become a citation?” she asked.
Killian said it does if the violation is not corrected.
“Why does it continue to be such an issue in the town of so many garbage cans being on the porches?” Sincavage asked.
“We’ve been taking that challenge on for years,” Mayor Patti Schnitzius said. “People have gotten fines and pulled their cans in, and some people have not.”
“I think it’s an issue that needs to be a focal point of attention,” Sincavage said, explaining that there are groups, such as the veterans, who work hard to make the town a better and attractive place.
“We have a lot of wonderful things happening in town, but we have people who come through town and don’t see that. They judge us for other things,” she said.
“A lot of people have cans on their porches,” Maziekas said. “You’re telling Billy (Killian) to do that. I have a garbage can on my porch for when I pick up the litter on my street. There is no garbage there. If Billy comes by and gives me a citation, I would be one (annoyed) puppy.”
Maziekas said there are other people who clean their sidewalks and place the dirt and debris in a container and put it on the porch, and told Sincavage that she wanted Killian to ticket them.
For a short time, others jumped into the conversation at the same time, making the discussion a jumble of voices.
“I’m telling him to do anything. This is what’s telling him to do it,” Sincavage said, holding up the borough codebook.
“You made the law. Enforce it!” resident Paul Zilker shouted from the crowd.
Killian said he has to deal with conflicting regulations involving garbage cans.
“We’re dealing with two ordinances here — the trash ordinance and the quality of life ordinance. The trash ordinance says I can put my garbage out 15 hours prior to pickup, but the trash ordinance does not tell me that I can’t put it on the porch. It does say my can has to be cleaned every time after trash,” Killian said. “Now the quality of life ordinance says you have to put the garbage out after dark and can’t be in the public view. It’s a conflict of two ordinances. You guide me on how you want it followed, and I’ll do it.”
“We’ve been doing it for years with quality of life with the porch patrols. People have been getting citations,” Schnitzius said.
Schnitzius said the porch patrols would go through the borough and find problems that needed to be addressed, with the list going to the code enforcement officer.
“I don’t have a problem working with someone,” Sincavage said.
Lynch said, “There is discretion in (enforcing) ordinances and codes. One example is that the code says that you just can’t put out a bag. You have to give him (Killian) guidance if you want him to go out and write 500 tickets for every person who just puts out a bag. That’s in the code, too. He needs direction from council, because if it’s to the letter, there’s a lot there.”
Councilman Francis Burke suggested that a Nifty Nine Committee be created to address quality of life enforcement. Maziekas asked for volunteers from council for the committee, with Sincavage, Diane Rachuck and Scott Kline volunteering.