Trash pickup in East Greenville could be starting sooner.  Last week, Member Melissa Leinbach informed the board that Whitetail Disposal has requested permission to begin the process two hours earlier than normal.

            However, the members prefer a one-hour advance. The board voted unanimously during the April 4 meeting to allow pickup to commence at 6 a.m., rather than its current time of 7 a.m. Several members considered it a compromise.

            According to Member Douglas Criddle, the company has requested the extra time to empty dumpsters in the borough. Leinbach, who chairs the borough's recycling and waste management committee, said 5 a.m. may be "too early."

            Allowing the pickup to start an hour earlier would require a change in the borough's contract with the New Hanover company. Borough code already permits a 6 a.m. trash pickup, according to Administrative Manager Jim Fry. He said the company has until 10 a.m. to complete its work in the municipality.

            Council hopes to rebuild a section of Blaker Drive with federal money. Earlier this month, the members voted unanimously to submit an application for $206,970 though a 2022 Community Development Block Grant to complete the work from the middle of the 500 block of Blaker Drive to the borough boundary at State Street.

            If approved, the grant – funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – would require the municipality to cover engineering costs totaling $14,964, according to Fry. Borough officials had until April 8 to submit the application.

            In March, Fry repeated his previous assertion that the road requires the municipality's attention due to its use as a through road to the community. He told council that Blaker Drive is the next street in the borough's overall improvement plan.

            Borough officials are utilizing a similar grant, administered by Montgomery County, to reconstruct the 200 block of Cherry Street. Last month, council awarded a $203,457.80 contract to Spear Excavating, of Pennsburg, for the work, which is expected to commence this summer.