SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough council on Tuesday voted to accept the report of its solid waste committee.

However, it will not take any action now on the recommendations.

Council Vice President Christy Tichy, who was on the committee, told council members the committee unanimously wants to move the bulk trash date to sometime in the spring after Slippery Rock University’s graduation and that it wants the $1.50 per customer per month that it would cost to move it to come out of the $3 service fee on every trash bill.

The committee also recommends the borough should support community groups and the borough should work more to communicate with residents, particularly through its website.

Borough council last year voted on a three-year garbage contract with Tri-County Industries that included changing one of the days of bulk trash pickup from May, the same week as Slippery Rock University’s graduation, to March. Since May, several residents and landlords have urged council to return to the later date.

Council in July formed the committee, which is made up of one council member, residents, landlords, business owners and SRU representatives.

Councilman Itzi Meztli said the $1.50 fee is inappropriate.

“They want $21,294 just to move it back,” Meztli said.

He said the borough should renegotiate the fee.

Councilman Royce Lorentz said other parts of the borough’s bulk pickup also should be renegotiated.

He said maybe bulk trash pickup could be split in half, with some trucks doing pickup before graduation and some doing it after graduation.

Councilman Ron Steele said the date needs to change, but he said he does not want to see the $1.50 to come out of the $3 fee. He said the $3 fee was voted on by council years ago when he was council president as a way to generate money without raising taxes.

“We need to sit down with Tri-County,” Steele said.

He also said he does not understand why the contract approved last year increased $90,000 from the previous contract.

Mayor Ken Harris said the borough should talk with Tri-County to see what drives its costs.

Councilman Jerry Heller said the easy part is for council to accept the recommendations.

“The hard part is we have a contract,” Heller said.

Borough solicitor Neva Stanger said the borough should try to take a more active role in getting more companies to bid.

“We need more companies to bid out garbage,” Stanger said.

She noted only two companies bid last time, and the company the borough did not choose bid a significantly more expensive contract.

Council President Dave Miller said that although council accepts the report, that information as well as other information needs to be gathered, and council cannot act immediately on the recommendations.

During public comment, Tom Cooper, who served on the committee, said Tri-County broke the contract by adding the fee.

“He opened the contract when he put the $1.50 on it,” Cooper said.

Because of this, he said the borough has a legitimate complaint for Tri-County.