|
GENERAL INFORMATION
Solid Waste, Recycling, Leaf Collection
and Household Hazardous Waste
Solid Waste Collection and Disposal and Recycling Collection
New Hope Borough residents and businesses contract directly with haulers for solid waste collection and disposal services and the collection of recyclables. The haulers listed below collect solid waste and recyclables in New Hope. Check the Yellow Pages for additional haulers providing service in the area.
Ches-Mont Disposal
129 B South Ship Road
Exton, Pa. 19341
800-710-1333
Gorski Trash Removal
P.O. Box 100
Penns Park, Pa. 18943
215-598-3386
Allied Waste Services (formerly BFI)
731 E. Reliance Road
Telford, Pa. 18969
www.Alliedwastebucksmont.com
800-234-2583
Waste Management of Indian Valley
400 Progressive Drive
P. O. Box 439
Telford, Pa. 18969
215-257-1142
Haulers are authorized to collect in the Borough between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday, pursuant to Ordinance No. 2007-11, adopted September 19, 2007.
Recycling Program
Solid waste services by haulers in New Hope also include the collection of certain recyclable materials. Residents should check with their haulers to find out if recycling containers are supplied and, if not, to determine the appropriate container to purchase.
Haulers collect the following recyclable materials at curbside from residential properties in New Hope Borough.
- Aluminum, bimetallic, and steel cans
- Plastic bottles and jars, #1 & #2 only
- Clear, brown, and green glass
- Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, junk mail, and phone books
- Corrugated paper (cardboard)
- Glass containers, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans, and plastic bottles may be co-mingled (or mixed) in the recycling container. All glass containers, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans, and plastic bottles must be clean, with contents removed
Newsprint, magazines, phone books, and catalogues should be stacked twelve (12”) inches high and tied with twine or placed in paper bags. Plastic bags or tape of any kind may not be used for this purpose.
Corrugated and pressed paper or cardboard must be clean, not soiled, should not exceed 2 ft. by 2 ft. in size, and must be open and flat. Corrugated paper and cardboard products should be stacked twelve (12”) inches high and tied with twine or placed in paper bags, separate from newsprint, magazines, etc. Cardboard products include cereal and pasta boxes, toilet tissue and paper towel tubes, and clean pizza boxes.
Check with your hauler to determine if additional items are collected as part of its recycling program. For example, some residential haulers also collect #3 thru #7 plastic bottles and jars.
Haulers contracted by commercial and institutional establishments in New Hope collect corrugated paper (cardboard); high-grade office paper; aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans; and clear, green and brown glass.
Haulers servicing multi-family dwellings are required to collect the same list of recyclables as residential haulers.
For additional information about recycling programs in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Environmental Protection's web site.
Household Hazardous Waste Program
The Household Hazardous Waste Program is sponsored jointly by the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia. The counties contract with a private firm to accept, consolidate, package, transport, and properly recycle, process or dispose of household hazardous waste. Five regular collection events are held yearly in Bucks County. For more information on this year’s collection sites in Bucks County or neighboring counties, contact the Bucks County Planning Commission at 215 345 3414.
Appliance Recycling
If you have an older, working second refrigerator or freezer in your garage or basement, it may be costing you more money than you think. Did you know that it could use three times more electricity than a newer model, consuming nearly $150 in energy each year?
With this in mind, it doesn't make sense to hold on to it, especially when PECO will:
Pay you $35 per appliance for your refrigerator or freezer.
Have it hauled away for free.
Dispose of it responsibly—dismantling it and recycling its parts in an environmentally friendly way.
Pick up and recycle your old working room air conditioners along with your refrigerator or freezer. And, we’ll pay an additional $25.
PECO and JACO Environmental have teamed up to offer this unique program designed to save energy and help the environment. You must be a PECO residential delivery services customer, and your refrigerator or freezer must be:
Between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.
(Size is usually indicated on the side of the refrigerator or freezer door.)
Empty and working at the time of pick-up.
Accessible with a clear and safe path of removal. The removal team will not risk injury, remove personal effects or modify your home (e.g. remove doors or railings) to remove the unit(s).
Program funding is limited. Participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. For additional information call 888-5-PECO-SAVE or visit http://www.pecosmartideas.com .
Fall Leaf Collection Program
The New Hope Borough Department of Public Works conducts an annual fall leaf collection program on Wednesdays, starting October 12th and ending November 23rd in 2011. All leaves must be placed in plastic or paper bags. Bags must be tied and placed at the curb for collection. For additional Information, please contact Tom Carroll, the Borough's Director of Public Works, at 215 862 3031. Leaf management options for property owners are available by clicking here.
New Hope Borough Solid Waste Regulations
Borough Ordinance No. 2007-11 establishes regulations for the accumulation, storage, collection, and disposal of solid waste. Section 223-25 of the ordinance states that refuse containers may only be placed at the curb for collection between the hours of 4:00 P.M. on the day prior to collection and 7:00 P.M. on the day of collection. No container may be placed in such a manner as to block a sidewalk or pedestrian walkway or to hinder the safe passage of motor vehicles.
Individuals, who place trash at the curb on days or at times prohibited by ordinance or who otherwise violate the provisions of Ordinance No. 2007-11, may be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 per violation.
Other important requirements of Ordinance No. 2007-11 are summarized below.
1. No person owning and/or occupying a property shall permit any municipal waste to accumulate for a period of longer than seven days upon property in the Borough of New Hope, owned and/or occupied by said person.
2. Regulations for Residential and Non-residential Properties.
Every person shall provide adequate and sufficient containers for receiving and holding municipal waste.
Municipal waste containers, other than those used for the storage or collection of recyclables, shall be made of durable, watertight, rust resistant material having close fitting lids, doors or covers and handles to facilitate collections, or durable, watertight plastic bags. Only residential property owners may use durable plastic bags for storage and collection of municipal waste. Non-residential uses and properties must use durable, watertight, rust resistant containers for storage and collection of municipal waste.
Municipal waste containers shall be of sufficient capacity to hold accumulated refuse until the time of collection.
Municipal waste containers shall be maintained in good repair. The containers shall be free of all liquids and residual solids and shall be periodically cleaned.
Municipal waste stored outside of buildings shall be stored in containers of suitable size, shape and material so as to prohibit the waste from being scattered by wind or rain and shall prohibit accessibility of such waste to rodents and other vermin.
Municipal waste containers shall be adequately secured at all times to prevent waste from scattering from the storage or collection points.
Municipal waste containers that are screened from public view shall be located no less than 10 feet from any public street, alley, or other public place. Municipal waste containers that are not screened from public view shall be located no less than 25 feet from any street, alley, or other public place.
3. Regulations for Dumpsters
All dumpsters that are used for the storage and collection of municipal waste shall be located on private property, set back a minimum of 5 feet from any property line or public right-of-way, and screened from view by any adjoining property used for residential purposes or an adjoining public right-of-way. Screening may be accomplished by either a fence and/or appropriate landscaping to a height of at least one foot higher than the dumpster on the side or sides facing residential property or public rights-of-way. The fence and/or landscaping shall at all times be maintained in good repair.
Municipal waste dumpsters shall be serviced as needed, but not less than once a week.
Dumpsters shall be in good structural and visual condition. The top covers must be in place and in working condition.
Dumpsters and containers with an individual capacity of 1.5 cubic yards (40 cubic feet) or more shall not be stored in buildings or placed within 5 feet of combustible walls, openings, or combustible roof eave lines, unless approved in writing by the Fire Marshal.
The fencing and screening of dumpsters shall be completed by April 1, 2008. Persons who are unable to comply with the screening and fencing requirements may file a written request for an exception thereto with the Borough Manager.
^ top of page ^
Emergency Preparedness Information
New Hope Borough Emergency Email Alert System
New Hope's Emergency Management Organization provides public alerts to residents and businesses during times of floods and other critical incidents. If you desire additional information or wish to subscribe, visit http://lists.newhopeborough.org/dada/mail.cgi/list/emalert/
Special Needs Registry
Advance planning and preparedness for emergencies are especially important for people with special needs, such as those who can't receive, understand or act upon emergency protective orders. Emergency responders must be able to rapidly identify the location, accessibility, and mobility requirements of individuals with special needs.
The Special Needs Registry is a free, voluntary, and strictly confidential program designed to help individuals who would have difficulty during an emergency because of physical or cognitive limitations, language barriers, or lack of transportation. Individuals or their caregivers may register by accessing www.specialneedspa.org or contacting the Bucks County Emergency Management Agency office at 215 340 8700. The information collected will not be available to the public and will be held securely and accessed only for the purpose of emergency response and planning.
Participating counties include Bucks, Montgomery and Chester.
Emergency Preparedness Guide
Are You Ready: An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness is available online from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov/areyouready.
This publication offers a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness for individuals, families, and communities and provides important information on specific hazards such as floods, hurricanes, winter storms, and terrorism.
Additional emergency preparedness information is available on-line from Bucks County at
www.buckscounty.org/readybucks.
ReadyNotifyPA - FIND OUT FIRST!
Emergencies. Severe weather. Threats to homeland security. When situations arise in Southeastern Pennsylvania that may affect you and your family, ReadyNotifyPA allows local officials to notify you quickly.
Be among the first to find out and stay informed during an emergency. ReadyNotifyPA can send an E-mail or a text message to your cell phone, BlackBerry or other E-mail enabled device. You let ReadyNotifyPA know how you’d like to be notified.
When an emergency happens, ReadyNotifyPA is your personal connection that will help you stay informed.
You choose the county or counties–Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia–that will send you alerts. Pick the county or counties where you spend most of your time–it can be where you live, work or play.
Sign up at www.ReadyNotifyPA.org.
ReadyNotifyPA is a Ready Region service funded by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force and the emergency management coordinators of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
National Flood Insurance Program
In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in response to the rising cost of taxpayer funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source for flood insurance in the U.S.
Nearly 20,000 communities across the United States and its territories, including New Hope Borough, participate in the NFIP by adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. In exchange, the NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available to homeowners, renters, and business owners in these communities.
Property owners are required to purchase flood insurance to get secured financing to buy, build, or improve structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA's). Lending institutions that are federally regulated or federally insured must determine if the structure is located in a SFHA and must provide written notice requiring flood insurance.
Flood insurance is available to any homeowner, renter, or business owner located in a community participating in the NFIP. Flood insurance can be purchased from a licensed private insurance company or an independent property and casualty insurance agent. Talk to an insurance agent if you have questions, would like additional information, and/or are ready to purchase a flood insurance policy. Your policy will take effect 30 days after your purchase.
If your insurance agent is unfamiliar with the NFIP or is not licensed to sell National Flood Insurance, you have several additional options:
• Find an agent serving your area
• Find companies that participate in the NFIP and offer flood insurance
• Contact the NFIP at (888) 379-9531 to request a referral
Landlord Registration Program
New Hope Council, at a public meeting held on July 12, 2006, adopted Ordinance No. 2006-08, establishing regulations governing the rental of dwelling units within the Borough. The ordinance defines a dwelling unit as “…any room or group of rooms or any part thereof located within a building containing habitable space and forming a single housekeeping unit with facilities which are used or designed to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating for a single family or the functional equivalent thereof.”
Ordinance No. 2006-08 provides a means to determine the number of occupants who may reside in a particular dwelling unit in relation to the unit's gross floor area, requires the licensing of rented dwelling units, and allows for inspection of such units, as necessary, to determine compliance.
The ordinance prohibits a landlord, owner or a tenant of a dwelling unit from allowing a greater number of people to rent or occupy a dwelling unit than the permitted maximum number of tenants listed in the Landlord Registration Statement and License. In addition, tenants are obligated to notify landlords of any increase in the number of tenants within ten (10) days of the arrival of a new tenant. Fines for violations range from $300.00 to a maximum of $1,000.00.
The cost of the annual License is $25.00 per building, which includes a maximum of 1 rental unit per building, plus $10.00 for each additional rental unit over 1.
The Landlord Registration Statement and Application form and the occupancy standards established by Ordinance No. 2006-08 are available at Borough Hall, located at 123 New Street, New Hope, Pa. 18938, or at the Documents and Forms page of this web site. Completed Registration Statements and Applications should be filed annually at Borough
Hall.
^ top of page ^
Local Taxes
Real Estate or Property Tax
Each year the County of Bucks, the New Hope Solebury School District and New Hope Borough establish separate real estate tax rates. The governing body of each political subdivision sets its real estate tax rate as part of an annual budget process. For example, the current real estate tax levies are as follows.
New Hope Borough, 12.225 mills;
Bucks County, 23.2 mills; and
New Hope Solebury School District, 83.30 mills.
Borough and County tax bills are mailed to property owners on or before April 1. School District tax bills are mailed to property owners on or before August 1.
The Bucks County Board of Assessment is responsible for determining the assessed value of each property. For questions about individual property assessments or assessment appeals, please contact:
Board of Assessment Appeals Office
County Administration Building
55 E. Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-6219
or Fax: 215-348-6225
New Hope Borough Elected Tax Collector
The elected tax collector bills and collects all real estate taxes for the Borough, County and School District. Each taxing district sets its own tax rate and informs the elected tax collector. The Borough's elected tax collector is:
Denton Kanouff
P. O. Box 444
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: 215 862 0717
Earned Income Tax (EIT)
New Hope Borough and the New Hope-Solebury School District each levy a one-half of one percent tax on earned income, which applies to all Borough residents and to individuals who work in New Hope Borough and pay no EIT at their place of residence. Individuals subject to the EIT, whose total earned income and net profits from all sources for a specific calendar year are less than $5,000.00, are exempt from this tax. Keystone Collections Group, starting on January 1, 2011, will collect this tax . Individuals, who qualify for this exemption, should contact Keystone Collections Group with any questions.
For questions regarding the earned income tax, please contact:
Keystone Collections Group
546 Wendel Road
Irwin, PA 15642
1 866 539 1100
H. A. Berkheimer Inc. will continue to collect earned income taxes levied in the 2010 tax year through the close out of the 2010 tax year, including the receipt of 4th quarter remittances, individual final return, employer year-end reconciliations and delinquent taxes or reports arising from the completion of the 2010 tax year until June 30, 2012. Berkheimer may be contacted at 1 215 441 9125, or toll free at 1 800 360 8989.
Pa Act 32 provides for the countywide consolidation of earned income tax collections and mandates certain changes in the methods of collection. Keystone Collections Group has published an overview of Act 32, which provides the basic infromation that a business owner must know to comply with the new state law. The overview is available by clicking here.
Local Services Tax (formerly Occupational Privilege Tax)
New Hope Borough levies an annual tax of ten dollars ($10.00) on individuals, both residents and non-residents, engaged in an occupation within the Borough. Keystone Collections Group will collect the Local Services Tax starting January 1, 2011. For questions about the Local Services Tax, please contact Keystone Collections Group at:
Keystone Collections Group
546 Wendel Road
Irwin, PA 15642
1 866 539 1100
H. A. Berkheimer Inc. will continue to collect local services taxes levied in the 2010 tax year. Berkheimer may be contacted at 1 215 441 9125, or toll free at 1 800 360 8989.
Business Privilege Tax
New Hope Borough levies an annual Business Privilege Tax and License Fee of $375.00 on every person engaging in a business, trade, occupation, profession, vocation or commercial activity in the Borough for each and every place of business maintained in the Borough. The tax is collected by the Borough Treasurer. All inquiries should be directed to:
Ms. Janell Hammond
Treasurer
New Hope Borough
123 New Street
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: 215 862 3347
^ top of page ^
Residents' Parking Permits
New Hope Borough Council has established a new class of parking permit to encourage Borough residents to support local businesses. This permit will allow a resident of the Borough to park at any on-street metered parking space, except for special purpose parking spaces such as those reserved for the disabled, on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 A.M. to 12 Noon, and Monday through Friday, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M., throughout the year. Permits are available at the New Hope Borough Police Department, located at 125 New Street, at an annual cost of $25.00. Permits purchased in 2011 are valid through December 31, 2011. Proof of residency (i. e., a valid Pennsylvania drivers license showing a New Hope Borough address) must be submitted to, and verified by the Police Department in order to obtain a permit. This program is limited to one (1) parking permit per dwelling unit. The permit must be displayed on the vehicle in accordance with Police Department regulations.
Street Sweeping Schedule
The Borough's Department of Public Works schedules sweeping in the downtown area every Monday and Friday, starting at 7:30 A.M., weather permitting. Other local streets and neighborhoods are swept at four week intervals. By special agreement, the Borough sweeps the Riverwoods development four times each year.
Grass and Weeds
Chapter 10, Part 1 of the New Hope Borough Code of Ordinances requires property owners to cut or trim all grass and weeds in excess of twelve (12”) inches in height. This also includes the grass and weeds located in the road rights-of-way, between the sidewalk and the curb. The penalty for violation is a maximum fine in the amount of $600.00.
Street Lights
The Borough maintains all street lights within the Borough of New Hope, except those street lights located in private developments, such as Village II and Riverwoods. The street lights in private developments are owned and maintained by a homeowners’ association. Another exception concerns underground wiring, which is maintained by PECO Energy. Please refer all street light outages, except those in Riverwoods and Village II, to Borough Hall at 215 862 3347. The Borough street light maintenance contractor will determine the nature of the problem and either make the necessary repairs or refer the problem to PECO Energy, if the outage is caused by an underground wiring problem. When reporting street light outages, please refer to the pole number or provide the street address closest to the inoperable street light.
Property Address Display Regulations
All property owners within the Borough are reminded of the requirement of the International Property Maintenance Code to display approved addresses in a position to be plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property. The numbers must contrast with their background. Address numbers must be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers must be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch.
Bucks County Department of Health Regulation of Private Wells
The Bucks County Department of Health administers regulations and construction standards for all types of wells. Only wells specifically regulated by the PA Department of Environmental protection are excluded, i.e., wells with a minimum of 15 service connections and 25 year round users. Individuals installing a new well or modifying an existing well must first obtain a permit from the County Department of Health.The folowing types of wells will require a permit: individual residential wells, geo-thermal wells, agricultural wells, monitoring wells, and commercial and community wells that are not regulated by the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
Copies of the rules and regulations and construction standards are available at the Bucks County Department of Health, Health Building, Neshaminy Manor Center, Doylestown, Pa. 18901, 215-345-3318.
^ top of page ^
|
