Croyle Township leaving Forest Hills alliance

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November 23, 2009

By KATHY MELLOTT The Tribune-Democrat Mon Nov 23, 2009, 11:02 PM EST

NEW GERMANY — The Forest Hills Regional Alliance has hit a bump in its five-year journey toward unity – with one member announcing it is pulling out.

Croyle Township, one of seven municipalities in the alliance, is leaving because of what one township official said is anything but “alliance-like” behavior from other municipalities.

It’s all about garbage and who gets the contract in Summerhill, Ehrenfeld and South Fork boroughs, Croyle Township Chairman Lynn Bourdess said Monday.

Croyle has long provided trash pickup for the three boroughs.

“Three members of the alliance got together to bid the garbage,” an angry Bourdess said. “They could have stayed with us. I thought that’s what the word ‘alliance,’ meant, staying together.”

Remaining members Adams and

Summerhill townships and Summerhill, South Fork, Ehrenfeld and Wilmore boroughs are expected to attempt to delay the defection.

Croyle Township has provided garbage pickup for nearly two decade and South Fork, Ehrenfeld and Summerhill have been customers for much or all of that time, Bourdess said.

“It amounted to 4 cents per customer,” he said of the daily difference in the Croyle and Pro Disposal bids. “They could have still stayed with us, but they went with Pro Disposal.”

Pro Disposal submitted a bid 77 cents per month per residential customer lower than Croyle, and it promised a spring cleanup, something that was not indicated in the Croyle Township bid, said South Fork secretary-treasurer Carrie Mathieson.

“We went together to try to get a lower bid,” she said Monday.

The alliance was formed in 2005 by municipalities in the Forest Hills School District with a mission to improve services and control costs.

There was a short-lived defection in early 2007 when Summerhill Township became disgruntled over equipment sharing, but the township rejoined a few months later.

While still in its infancy, the alliance four years ago commissioned a regional police study. While that never came to fruition, the alliance is credited with increasing some shared services.

Successes include a shared municipal equipment agreement, a professional training program and historical trails in the St. Michael area. But the biggest accomplishment is the ongoing development of a comprehensive plan covering all seven municipalities, including a component on sewage needs.

In their notification letter Croyle supervisors said they want to stay involved with the comprehensive plan but are not expected to attend future alliance meetings. The Eads Group, contracted to complete the plan, can meet with them separately from the alliance, said the letter signed by Bourdess and Supervisor Chet Sewalk.

Now is not a good time to walk away in light of the ongoing plan set for 2010 completion, some alliance members said. They plan to hold Croyle to terms of the mid-2005 bylaws that members belong for a minimum of five years.

“I don’t think it would be fair to the alliance to let them drop out and say that the Eads Group has to meet with them at their (Croyle’s) convenience,” said alliance Chairman George Novotny of Summerhill Borough.

Remaining members also expect Croyle to pay just over $2,000 still owed on its $4,000 share for the plan.

Bourdess wasn’t making any commitments Monday.

“If they want that other $2,000 in their coffer, we’ll discuss it as a board and see what we’ll do,” he said.

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