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Residents report maggot and wildlife problems with new automated trash cans; council to publish FAQ
Summary
After complaints about raccoons, coyotes and maggots in the borough's new automated trash cans, council members pledged to prepare and publish an FAQ and reminded residents about liners and backyard pickup options; officials said overall complaints are low.
Residents told the council Aug. 12 that the borough's new automated trash cans have attracted nuisance wildlife and caused maggot problems when food scraps are placed loose into containers. One attendee said he had to evict raccoons from his garbage can and described finding a dead raccoon in a neighbor's can.
Council members and the mayor said they have heard similar complaints, explained that some problems stem from not lining bins, and agreed to prepare an FAQ with tips for preventing pests. Council president Matheson said the vendor offers backyard pickup for an extra fee and that the borough will publish preventative measures. She added that the administration has received complaints from only a small percentage of households and that the automated system was selected after bids indicated twice‑weekly automated pickup was not feasible.
Provenance (selected excerpts): topicintro — "On a walk, my dog was sniffing and scratching at my trash can...I had to evict a family of raccoons from my backyard" (SEG 665); topfinish — "...putting together an FAQ is something that we could do." (Mayor) (SEG 1325).
