Schuylkill Twp. residents call for action on nuisance properties

Schuylkill Township residents are not happy with neighbors who don’t clean up and maintain their properties, and they are demanding that township supervisors start pursuing a more aggressive approach to getting nuisance properties cleaned up.

Police Chief Frank DiMarco, who also acts as the township’s code enforcement officer, provided updates on several of the properties during his report. However, he explained that as long as there is some evidence that cleanup has been attempted, he can’t necessarily continue to fine the residents under the current statutes.

“You can cite these people every month, and as long as they’re making some kind of progress, it’s just going to be a waste of time to take them to court,” he said. “My thing is to keep putting pressure on them and keep getting them cleaned up.”

DiMarco said that some of the properties have been nuisance properties for 20 years, and they won’t be cleaned up overnight.

Patti Skripko, of Brockton, called a neighboring property “a disaster zone,” and said that she regularly sees rats running in and out of the piles of rubbish in the yard. She also indicated that the occupant of the property may remove a bag or two of garbage, but they are also adding more refuse.

Several other residents raised concerns about mosquito breeding grounds in abandoned tires. Skripko, and others, pressed the board of supervisors to enact a quality of life ordinance.

Supervisors said that an attempt at creating such an ordinance had fallen by the wayside several years ago, because there was a lot of disagreement as to how far the ordinance should go. Skripko responded that she’s not looking to get fined because she has a weed in her yard.

“I’m looking to get the town cleaned up.”

Supervisors also said that some neighboring communities have full-time personnel dedicated to policing the quality of life and code violations. Enacting such an ordinance could lead to increased costs for the borough.

Resident Gary Feathers added that even though some people may clean up their properties, it’s just a matter of time until they start the cycle again.

“This ordinance doesn’t correct the people,” he said.

Supervisor Frank Fabrizio said that he had a copy of a similar ordinance from New Philadelphia and felt that it could be good for the township with a few revisions. The township solicitor also recommended a quality of life ordinance as a way to motivate people to keep their properties maintained.

In other business, supervisors approved reimbursement for mileage and meals for the PSATS conference for the township secretary.

They also approved a $100 sponsorship for two veterans to attend a day trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington.

Supervisors also approved written authorization to issue a certificate of nonconformity for the property at 44 Valley St., Brockton, as an auto repair garage for Jason Hollan.