Spring City is weighing whether to add trash and recycling containers along Main Street after a resident told officials that the request came up repeatedly during the recent Music & Market Festival.
During public comment at the borough council meeting on Monday, resident and Spring City Environmental Advisory Council member Sarah Grady said that she spent time at the October 3 event walking Main Street and asking community members what they wanted to see for the environment.
She said one idea came up over and over: trash and recycling bins along the downtown corridor.
"I would like to know what it takes to make that happen,” Grady said, acknowledging it could require time and money.
While trash receptacles were available at the Music & Market Festival, the borough does not currently maintain permanent trash bins in the business district.
During council comments, Councilor Matt Handley said he agreed with the need for trash and preferably recycling bins on Main Street, tying the idea to the borough's effort to draw more visitors and businesses downtown.
"The more traffic and the more business that we get down on Main Street, the more that's going to lead to trash on our Main Street if people have nowhere to put it," Handley said. “I think we should definitely look into whatever the cost would be for that.”
Councilor Brandon Woll also backed the concept.
"I too like the idea of trash cans," he said, while joking that he did not want to be the one emptying them. “It's not going to be the easiest thing to do, but I think it'll be better.”
Logistical Concerns Raised
Borough Manager Kisha Tyler cautioned that the proposal would not be simple. She noted that the Main Street sidewalks are privately owned, meaning the borough would need to confirm property owners agree to the containers.
Tyler also questioned who would be responsible for collecting the waste. She said the borough has three public works employees who are already "stretched thin to thinner than thin" compared with nearby Phoenixville, which has a separate sanitation department.
“We've got to put a lot into perspective when we think of these things,” she said.
Tyler mentioned the borough could ask businesses that want a container to bag the waste themselves. She also raised the possibility that people experiencing homelessness in the Spring City area might dig through the containers.
Handley disagreed with that concern, saying it's preferable for someone who is unhoused to have a place to throw things away rather than leaving trash elsewhere in the borough, including along the riverfront. He also suggested looking into whether the service could be added to the borough’s existing trash pickup contract.
No formal vote was taken, and council did not establish a timeline for considering the proposal.
