Pennsburg officials said they need to look into the viability of the recycling program they run with East Greenville borough after they determined the program may not be self-sustaining.

        On Monday night Pennsburg borough council members voted unanimously to transfer money not to exceed $1,000 to cover bills for the recycling center.  Councilman Bruce Lord said East Greenville had pledged to do the same as recycling equipment needed to be repaired and that would leave the account empty.

        "The cost of everything is down.  We've been losing money on colored glass for a while," he said.  "We're hitting a point with the equipment where it's showing its age.  This stuff has been let go."

        The current program, which picks up twice per month, uses a 1997 Freightliner truck which needs more than $3,500 in transmission and related repairs and a heater for the recycling center needs approximately $1,000 in repairs, according to estimates.

        A glass trailer is also rusting and will need to be repaired, said Roads and Maintenance Supervisor Jason Kulp.

        Officials said repairs weren't optional because the truck often wouldn't go out of second gear and the heat was needed not only for comfort during the winter months, but to ensure the recycling equipment's hydraulics didn't freeze.

        Council members discussed not accepting colored glass anymore but decided that would add to the borough's waste stream as well as their bill for trash from J.P. Mascaro, which is based on tonnage.

        "We can't stop picking up colored glass," said Councilman Fred Schutte.  "But drastic changes need to be made to recycling."

        Currently borough residents pay a $110 per unit annual fee for trash, recycling and branch chipping services, as well as $1 per trash bag fee.  Council members discussed possibly using an outside company for recycling as well as soliciting Red Hill to join efforts with the two boroughs to make the operation more sustainable. Officials said talks will continue. 

        Lord also announced the borough will stop accepting electronics for recycling at the end of the year as the service provider is no longer willing to pick them up.

        In other news, council voted 5-2 to spend $13,000 to purchase wayfinding signs through the Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce's initiative. 

        Pennsburg resident Charles Shagg urged council, earlier in the night, not to spend the money on the sign program and instead put the money toward a down payment on repairs to 8^th Street or to fix sunken catch basins.

        "I see this as a terrible waste of taxpayer money," he said.  "Not your money, this is taxpayer money.  We pay dollars and what do we get?  Signs; we already have signs." 

        Councilwomen Diane Stevens and Ethel Ritchey opposed the purchase.

        Council also tabled discussion on passing an ordinance to control feral cats in the borough.  Mayor Vicki Lightcap said she received calls from various animal welfare organizations which offered to catch and spay or neuter, as well as vaccinate, the cats.  Officials agreed that those services would likely be more beneficial than paying an animal control officer to trap each cat and then borough couldn't say whether or not the animal would be euthanized once turned over to a shelter.

        Officials later decided to purchase a backhoe at a cost of $79,850, and emergency management and police department radios at a cost of $27,083, through a Montgomery County program which offers them through a five-year, interest-free loan.