Constable sales mulled to allow belongings to be sold off to pay for overdue garbage bills

Parryville Council members discussed outstanding garbage accounts during their recent monthly meeting.

Secretary Dana Brubaker noted that $6,300 is owed for garbage collection from 2009, and $2,800 is owed from 2007 and 2008.

Brubaker said the borough's attorney filed some civil complaints and that some people are paying off what they owe in payment plans. The largest bill owed is $1,146.60.

Council President Michael Grant said that constable sales are being considered, whereby constables sell off a person's belongings to pay overdue garbage bills.

In other business, Danny Keiser, Parryville Fire Co. fire chief, noted that the fire company recently received a new tanker.

Council also discussed and then voted to use six gauge wire instead of nine gauge for a fence to be installed at the Parryville playground, in order to make the barrier stronger. Borough worker Harold Jacoby will save the borough installation costs by doing the installation himself.

Grant said the new budget will be discussed during October. Tentative adoption will be done in November and formal adoption in December.

Council also plans to eliminate the position of code enforcement officer and convert those funds to the fire department. Grant said that the fire department will receive approximately $10,000. The duties of the code enforcement officer will be performed by a constable.

Brubaker said that by eliminating the code enforcement officer's position, the fire company will receive a full mill of tax revenue, an approximate one-quarter mill increase. She noted that one mill equals approximately $10,000 in revenue.

"They will get $10,000 in addition to workmen's compensation funds," said Brubaker.

In the past, the fire company submitted a bill to council for the cost of its insurance. Brubaker said that no funds to the fire company, except for the $2,500 donation, were ever touched by the fire company. Brubaker said that in the past, the fire company could spend that money any way it wanted.

"Now they will have to be accountable to council where it is spent," she said.

"We've increased funds to the fire department to a full mill or an increase of one-quarter mill," said Grant. "But we did not increase taxes."

Parryville is planning to perform a traffic sign inventory so the borough can upgrade the signs to PennDOT regulations. Grant said the signs must be upgraded to be more reflective. The signs must meet new PennDOT regulations by 2018.

Sharon Keiser was appointed to the Act 32 committee to represent the borough and help to decide who will handle earned income taxes. The first meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in Carbon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2. Phyllis Smith will serve as the alternate.

Council is also looking to change the meeting night to better suit council member's schedules for 2010. Council is tentatively discussing moving the meeting night to a Tuesday night.

Council plans to adopt a parking ordinance. Once the new ordinance is advertised, it will be adopted during a public meeting and signs will be posted.