Bath Borough Council is in the process of making changes to its trash collection ordinance.

At the July 7 meeting, council debated a number of changes. The first measure will adjust the rules associated with signage.

"We had complaints from residents about the jumble of signs in town," council President Robert Fields said.

"The new ordinance actually makes it easier to get a sign," added Councilman Mark Saginario.

The impact on visual clutter will get refined as the new changes take effect.

The last ordinance involved changes to the time trash receptacles can be placed outside. Presently, rules indicate trash cans can be placed out after 5 p.m. on the night before pickup. Pickup usually takes place Tuesdays.

The new ordinance changes the time to 3 p.m. Councilman Michael Reph questioned the measure.

"We passed a similar type of ordinance last year and it wasn't enforced," he said.

Council did authorize exceptions to the ordinance. Those with requests for exceptions will now need to appear before council and state their case for an exception, concluded Saginario.

In a related matter, Sam Augustine, sales representative for J.P. Mascaro & Sons, and Chris Caris, the refuse hauler's general manager for the Bath area, asked council about the level of service the borough has received from their company. Saginario shared stories about delayed pickups, garbage strewn across roadways and trash cans tossed around.

Fields also shared a story about how one worker missed the collector on the back of the truck and the garbage spilled to the street.

"He gave me a bit of an attitude when I told him to clean it up," he said. "He wasn't going to do anything and finally the driver made him clean it up."

The trash removal contract is scheduled for renewal in 2016.

"I am not inclined to vote to renew the trash contract with Mascaro from what I have seen," said Saginario.

Council wants to see some standards established with supervisors checking to see that corrections are made.

"We need to see that something is happening to improve the level of service we get," Fields said.

According to Augustine, Mascaro keeps a log of all complaints and other operational data on service. Augustine offered to share the information with the borough although he did not review the data prior to the meeting.

Borough Manager Thomas Petrucci will continue to monitor the situation and provide feedback to council.

Petrucci reported to council that Bath has an opportunity to receive a grant from the Monroe County Local Share Account. When Pennsylvania legalized gaming, one provision of the law was that counties adjacent to counties that had gaming parlors would be able to share in a set-aside revenue pool.

Petrucci said he had information indicating a request from the borough would be considered. After some debate, council acted to have Petrucci apply for a grant to purchase a street sweeper with an estimated cost of $142,000.