BUTLER TWP — Township commissioners will seek permission from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to continue enforcing the township noise ordinance at establishments that serve alcohol.

Commissioners unanimously voted Monday to submit a petition to the PLCB requesting it conduct a public hearing at the township administration building to consider allowing township police to enforce the noise ordinance for five more years.

Officials said township police began enforcing the ordinance at liquor-selling establishments four years ago after the owner of an establishment asked the township to take it over from the PLCB.

Solicitor Rebecca Black said under PLCB noise regulations an establishment can be cited if any noise can be heard outside of the door.

A PLCB agent cited the establishment on one occasion because of noise from motorcycles in the parking lot, she said.

An establishment with a number of citations risks having its license revoked by the PLCB, she said.

The township noise ordinance is different and is enforced by police, Black said.

“I’m always in favor of allowing municipalities to enforce their own ordinances rather than an outside agency,” Black said.

She said there haven’t been any problems with enforcement since the police department began enforcing the ordinance.

Four years ago, the township was permitted the enforce the ordinance for one year. Then the PLCB held a hearing and decided to let the township enforce it for three more years. According to Jesse Hines, zoning officer for the township, those three years expire in 2020.

He said the township will request permission to continue enforcing the ordinance for five more years at the hearing.

Black said the PLCB will work with the township to schedule the hearing.

In other business

Tom Knights, township manager, said township residents recycled nearly 31 tons of materials last year, including almost 27 tons of electronics that could have cost a total of more than $40,000 if they took the items to a recycling center.

Reading a report from Waste Management Inc., the township garbage and recycling collector, Knights said a total of 30.7 tons of recyclable materials were collected in the township last year and 26.9 tons were computer equipment, other electronics and TVs. Latex and oil paint made up the remaining 3.8 tons. TVs accounted for 21.6 tons of the electronics.

Recycling collection is included in the fee residents pay for garbage collection, said Dave Zarnick, chairman of the commissioners.

If those residents who recycled had taken their electronics to the recycling center in Evans City, they would have been charged fees totaling more than $40,000, Knights said.