West Chester committee advances Chapter 62 revision, debates private hauler transition and dumpsters in dense neighborhoods

The Public Works Committee voted to move forward with revisions to Chapter 62 of the borough code and to schedule a public hearing before council after a discussion that included public comment from community group CASE.

The revisions are intended to clarify the borough's rules on limits to refuse at properties and the process when trash is not collected, including potential charges for special pickup. Anne Carroll, chairperson of CASE, said the group wants firmer enforcement and language to ensure trash that remains after notification is removed promptly: “If you're not picking it up? We'll charge you. We'll pick it up. We'll charge you.” Carroll urged the borough to include a clear backstop so neighbors are not left with prolonged refuse on adjacent properties.

Why it matters: Council members said they expect the revisions to guide how the borough will transition some properties from public collection to private haulers. Councilman Brian Travis noted the borough already uses sticker enforcement and follow-up visits to get properties into compliance, saying, “We deal with this all the time where we place stickers. We don't pick up the trash. They call us. They get in conformance. We go back out.”

During a CASE presentation, members asked the committee to prefer increased pickup frequency by private haulers rather than requiring dumpsters in tightly packed NC residential areas, citing concerns about odor and visual impact. Carroll summarized CASE's view that dumpsters are “unsightly despite the screening” and recommended reserving dumpsters as a last resort if enforcement does not reduce exterior refuse.

Committee members and staff said enforcement conversations — including whether to charge landlords for borough removals and when a property should switch to private collection — will largely be implemented through administrative processes rather than by writing every enforcement detail into the ordinance itself. The committee agreed to move the draft ordinance forward and schedule the public hearing before council.

Next steps: The committee advanced the measure to a council hearing; a formal public hearing date will be set by the council. The ordinance under discussion is identified in meeting materials as a revision to Chapter 62, “Garbage, Rubbish and Refuse.”