Residents press Hamilton leaders on trash routes and animal-control response

Two residents told Hamilton Township councilmembers at the Jan. 6 re-organization meeting that recent changes to trash routes and animal-control response practices have caused problems for residents.

Janice Glonek, speaking during public comment, said she did not receive a letter notifying her that trash pickup days had changed and asked why the schedule was altered. Business Administrator Kathryn Monzo said the township consolidated zones after two collection crews finished early in some areas; as a result, pickup days are now Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday, and if a holiday falls on Thursday or Friday, pickup will occur the following Saturday.

Resident Steve Clegg recounted an incident in which a woman found two dogs on her porch late at night and called the police; according to the account he gave to the council, animal-control officers did not answer their phones and the caller was told to transport the animals to the shelter herself at about 11:00 p.m. Clegg said temperatures were around 30 degrees and expected to fall further, and he urged the township to ensure a more timely response in extreme weather.

Monzo said staff would follow up on the reported incident and reiterated that the township is not legally required to provide 24/7 animal-control coverage, adding that providing on-call pay or guaranteed round-the-clock coverage carries financial implications. Council President Pasquale Papero asked staff to gather information on shared-service options for the shelter and estimated costs; Councilmember Richard Tighe asked staff to provide data on the number of unanswered animal-control calls over the past year.

The council did not take immediate action at the meeting beyond requesting follow-up information; staff and councilmembers said they would revisit the issue as part of budget and contract discussions.