Shane W Potter

SLIPPERY ROCK — For the past two weeks, residents in Slippery Rock borough have complained about their trash collection service failing to pick up large items at the curb.

After several complaints were made in the past week, it was discovered that the borough’s trash collection service, Serafine Hauling, had been sold to Aiken Refuse, council discussed at a meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 5.

The borough was not notified of the sale, solicitor Rebecca Black said after the meeting, nor was council made aware of the date of the sale.

“I believe it’s recent, but we never knew until a different company started picking up our garbage,” Black said after the meeting. She said some council members found out about the change as recently as a day before the borough meeting.

Being a college town, large items are often left on the curb in Slippery Rock as students move in and out.

The contract with Serafine stated that the borough would have an unlimited number of larger items picked up once a month, council said.

“(Slippery Rock) is a college town,” council president Jeff Campbell said. “You are going to get that transition … you know, kids they come here for a year, and then at the end of the year, that stuff’s garbage. It’s second- and third-hand as it is.”

Black said she would send a letter to the company expressing the borough’s concern on the matter.

“From what I can hear, there hasn’t been an issue with residential or commercial dumpsters yet,” borough manager Christian Laskey said.

Council discussed purchasing white lights for a 30-foot artificial Christmas tree in Memorial Park.

The tree was donated by a group at Slippery Rock University as part of a service learning project, Mayor Jondavid Longo said after the meeting.

Unbeknownst to the borough and street crew, the tree was not intended for outdoor use, Laskey said.

“Naturally, the water from the snow and rain have shortened the circuits on the lights,” Longo said after the meeting. “That’s why the borough now is trying to figure out how we can preserve this, because it’s a beautiful tree and we’d love to keep it on display.”

Laskey and other council members discussed possible short-term solutions, including purchasing twinkle lights, bulbs or putting a floodlight under the tree that would project light outward.

Borough council discussed amending an existing ordinance to reduce the mayoral $1,200 stipend to zero.

If amended, the ordinance wouldn’t take effect until the next term, Campbell said.

“It may be easier to donate back what you feel comfortable donating back,” Black said.

In a previous interview, Longo said he has donated his salary each year since taking office.

Resident Jonathan Foust addressed council on the matter.

“I think reducing (the mayor’s) payment to zero, I think it would create a bad incentive for future candidates,” Foust said. “I just don’t think political gamesmanship, which I don’t think you’re doing, would be good if someone is, let’s say, a wealthy competitor donates a bunch of money to the borough, says maybe they’ll donate more if you elect them, or something like that, and then they say they’re saving the borough money by being elected … I just think that kind of stuff creates a race to the bottom.”