SLIPPERY ROCK — Trash and recycling were major topics at borough council Tuesday night. Council started planning for next spring’s bulk trash date.

Slippery Rock University’s graduation in 2015 is May 9. Council President Dave Miller said that means either May 8 or 15 would be the ideal dates for bulk trash pick up.

Councilwoman Christy Tichy asked if the fall pickup date is necessary, and if both dates could be in the spring. Councilwoman Regina Greenwald and Vice President Ron Steele said that the fall pickup date is heavily used.

This year that will occur on Sept. 19.

Borough administrator Lucinda Lipko will call Tri-County Industries to see which May date will work best.

Council in 2012 voted on a three-year garbage contract with Tri-County that included changing one of the days of bulk trash pickup from May, the same week as SRU’s graduation, to March. Public outcry in 2013 urged the date change back to May.

A committee recommended the date change back, and council voted in February to change 2014’s date to May 16.

Council Tuesday night discussed the recycling and trash ordinance.

One part of the ordinance that was discussed was that residents can put bulk trash out only within 24 hours of pickup.

“I believe 24 hours is more than enough time,” Steele said.

Councilman Itzi Meztli said he would prefer if there is at least 48 to 72 hours in case of bad weather. Councilman Ken Harris said the borough could experiment with a longer period.

The $3 fee that is tacked on to monthly bills, which essentially pays for administration fees related to trash pickup, also was discussed.

Meztli said he was uncomfortable with the fee, especially since the Slippery Rock Municipal Authority sends the bills and collects payments.

He said he is afraid that the fee puts the borough at risk for being sued because it cannot justify it.

Steele said Lipko does a lot of work related to trash pickup. He said the fee is beneficial to the borough and the administration of trash service.

“I don’t think that the $3 is way out of line,” he said. “I think it should stay.”

Tri-County charged extra money to change the bulk pickup date to May, and the borough is using part of the fee to pay for that. Tichy said this might make it easier to justify the fee.

Borough solicitor Neva Stanger said she has started to gather information regarding what the fee covers.

Tichy said that when the fee initially was discussed, it was thought that the borough would do the billing rather than the authority.

Harris said the authority has a similar $6 fee on its bills to pay for overhead costs and even contributes some of that money toward its reserves.

Meztli asked if council members agreed that the fee should be itemized on printed bills so residents know it exists.

Stanger said the fee has come up several times in public meetings over the past few years.

“Hiding it is not even on the table,” Stanger said.

Meztli said he did not know about it until last year. He said he wants the fee printed on the bill.

Harris said he had a hunch the fee is not itemized on the bill because there is not enough room to print it.

Miller said the borough will look at what exactly will go into the fee, and said that it potentially could go up or down accordingly based on that.