Trail cams set to be installed in borough, township
SHENANDOAH – Municipal officials are trying to send a message: the Greater Shenandoah area is not your dumping ground for trash.
At Monday’s borough council meeting, eight trail cameras lined the table, ready for deployment throughout Shenandoah. They were ordered last month at the request of Code Enforcement Officer Mark Pronio.
They are solar powered and will be installed to cover various hotspots around town.
The Sentinel then received word Tuesday that West Mahanoy Township intends to follow suit.
Code enforcement there says that they are looking into installing cameras in parts of the township as dumpers have trashed areas along Route 924 north of town and locations in the William Penn area.
In Shenandoah, the camera idea was first raised in February.
Illegal dumping has become more and more prevalent in the region, especially as trash companies, and residents who haul their own trash, face exorbitant tipping fees at area transfer stations.
In August, dumpers chose to use the entrance to the Ringtown Valley Scenic View and, when a name was found in the trash, the apparent dumpers were located and made to clean the mess up.
“There’s a lot of garbage,” Council President Joe Boris said Monday.
Boris raised the idea of holding a clean-up similar to what East Union Township does, in which residents clean an area, pay a fee, and have the township pick up their bags.
Councilwoman Katie Catizone also brought up another clean-up idea raised previously.
“The town needs a clean-up,” Council Vice-President Mike “Zeckie” Uholik said, noting that money from the upcoming closure of the North Schuylkill Landfill Association could be used.
Councilman Joe Gawrylik said a private hauler may be needed to help, to avoid overloading borough workers.
Mayor Andrew Szczyglak asked how the borough can prevent the mess from building up again.
“We could spend $20,000, that $20,000 is gone, and six months later down the road, people are throwing their trash on Herald Road again,” Szczyglak said, worrying that such a clean-up is akin to putting a band-aid on the problem.
Councilman Michael Whitecavage motioned to send the clean-up matter to committee for further investigation.
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