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Residents tell Uwchlan board automated 96-gallon trash toters are inaccessible; officials promise follow-up
Summary
During public comment at the Dec. 9 Uwchlan meeting, multiple residents and HOA representatives said newly deployed automated 96-gallon trash toters from the township’s contracted hauler are too large for seniors and people with mobility issues; township staff said the contract has been signed but will pursue accommodations and follow-up with the hauler and HOA representatives.
Residents told Uwchlan Township supervisors on Dec. 9 that the township’s newly contracted automated collection system and deployment of 96-gallon toters are creating access and safety problems for seniors and residents with mobility or health limitations.
Robert Gins (public commenter) described multiple neighbors who “cannot handle this big can,” including an 85-year-old resident, a person with a walker and a neighbor on dialysis, and said the oversized toters cause practical and safety problems when residents must move them to collection points. Multiple other commenters—identified in the record as Kathy, Karen Van Allen and Kelly—said hills, porches and steps in their neighborhoods make moving a 96-gallon tote impractical or impossible and urged the township to pursue alternative arrangements.
Township response and options: Township staff and the township manager, Ronda, said the township conducted a public bid process and that the contract with the hauler has been executed. Manager Ronda said the HOA has the option to opt out of township trash service and that staff will continue to work with the hauler and HOA representatives to explore potential accommodations such as smaller toters, bag options or alternate pickup locations. The board also said there would be follow-up conversations and offered to facilitate a meeting between HOA representatives and the hauler.
Representative exchanges: The manager told attendees the township averaged about 30 complaints per month with the prior contractor and that the new contract was selected as the best option available to the township; several residents disputed that characterization and emphasized that perceived benefits for the township’s overall efficiency conflict with individual households’ mobility needs.
Quotes from the meeting "these people cannot handle this big can it's ridiculous," a resident said during public comment. "We have a diverse community with lots of different types of housing...we're committed to working with White Tail to oversee this transition and make changes as we're able within our contract," the township manager said.
Next steps: The board asked staff to arrange further contact between affected residents, HOA leaders and the contracted hauler and said options (including smaller toters and a bag/sticker option) would be explored; no formal policy change or immediate operational reversal was announced at the meeting.
