A Narberth resident and condo association president told Borough Council on June 26 that her 32-unit building is being billed as single “property” under the borough contract, producing much higher solid-waste charges than nearby apartment buildings.

Kathleen Hutchison said she is president of the Wynmont Condo Association and lives at 1334 Montgomery Avenue, Apartment D2. She said the borough appears to be using Montgomery County land-use codes to assign rates rather than the borough’s three-tier solid-waste classifications, and that the result is what she described as a large, unfair disparity between condo owners and apartment renters.

Hutchison said the condo building’s owners are being charged $818 per unit this year while apartment units were charged $204, and that the difference, when aggregated across 32 owner-occupied units, amounted to “over $38,000 for last year and this year.” She asked the council to explain why borough billings appear to follow the county land-use designation (A/R/C) rather than the borough ordinance’s classifications.

Council members and staff responded in public comment and during the meeting. A borough official noted the ordinance defines the billing unit as a property (a deeded condominium unit counts as a property), which differs from how an apartment building with a single owner is billed. The solicitor and staff explained that the borough’s code treats each condo unit as an individual property for billing purposes and that the current fee schedule was set by resolution rather than embedded in the ordinance text.

Council members acknowledged the fairness concern Hutchison raised and directed borough staff to research the matter and return with recommendations when council sets trash fees later in the year. Council said staff should identify all condominium parcels, evaluate whether finer-grained classifications are feasible, and determine whether an opt-out for large condos or adjusted rates would be administratively and contractually possible. The borough also noted its current solid-waste contract runs through the end of 2027 and that contract terms (including whether private haulers may serve some properties) will shape options.

The council’s direction stops short of changing fees immediately; staff will review classification data, review the hauler contract for opt-out language, evaluate enforcement of requirements such as mandatory dumpsters for properties over a certain size, and report back in the run-up to the calendar-year fee-setting process (likely October–November). Hutchison offered to provide the borough additional property listings and photos to speed staff work.

Councilors also discussed enforcement: staff said code enforcement can require a dumpster where the contract or ordinance requires it (for example, for properties with more than the threshold number of dwelling units), and the borough will follow up on reported locations with apparent noncompliance.

Residents who called the issue to the council’s attention will be contacted when staff produces a recommendation.

Ending: Borough staff will analyze parcel classifications, the solid-waste contractor’s billing practice and the contract’s opt-out terms, and return to council with potential fee adjustments before fee adoption later this year.