Council to consider ordinance amendment and letter to third‑party collectors on unpaid service charges

Borough Council members discussed amending a local ordinance and sending a letter to third‑party collectors as a next step in addressing unpaid trash and related service charges. Staff said changes may be required to the borough’s ordinance to allow collection of attorney’s fees and to make the letter and any contract align with consumer‑protection limits.

Council staff said the borough could share a draft order and ask collectors whether the borough’s proposed language would work for recovering attorney fees and costs. The discussion noted that consumer‑collection rules differ between pursuing businesses and consumers and that “fee shifting” and other constraints may apply to municipal collection efforts.

Council members directed staff to place both “the trash…things” and the letter from Drew on the agenda for the next meeting so council can decide how to proceed. Staff also said they would attach a copy of the relevant ordinance to any certified letters sent to collectors and that they would prepare a sample contract for third‑party collectors to show whether any hidden fees would affect the borough’s bottom line.

No formal vote or ordinance amendment occurred at the meeting; council signaled it will review proposed language and letters at the next meeting before taking formal action.