The Department of Environmental Protection is awarding a $64,532 grant to Rush Township's leaf waste collection program, which will be used to purchase a truck to haul leaf and chipper waste.

The supervisors announced the grant during their meeting Thursday. DEP awarded $16.8 million in grants to 120 municipalities. Supervisor Robert Leibensperger, who applied for the grant, said the township plans to purchase a large truck such as a Ford F550 within the next few months.The township launched a curbside recycling program last year.Leibensperger also released some preliminary estimates of how that program has affected garbage tonnages. He said that curbside recycling from residents may total 227 tons; this figure does not include totals from a recycling bin at the township building or at the Hometown Market. Preliminary, he said, Rush Township garbage pickup tonnage will be reduced from 1,800 to 1,400 tons.The township can do better, he said."You have to get people to do the job of recycling," Leibensperger said.You also have to get people to pay their garbage bills. In response to questions from residents, supervisors directed the township secretaries to look into several options to collect on delinquent garbage accounts: developing a system which would allow people to pay by credit card, putting liens on properties, and not picking up garbage from residences where the bill is delinquent. The supervisors will revisit the issue at next month's meeting.Township solicitor Chris Reidlinger said that the cost of putting a lien on a property is costly. Leibensperger questioned whether or not a 2 percent fee to collect a bill via credit card payment would be worth it. Resident Cathey Schimpf said it made sense to her mathematically."Are you trying to tell me that every bank in the world is wrong?" she asked, referring to a charge to accept a credit card payment. "Why aren't you willing to pay 2 percent to collect?"The Rush Township garbage cost is $180 per year, which includes recycling. Delinquent accounts total more than $40,000.The supervisors also voted to advertise an ordinance which will restrict the Hometown Fire Company from having members with certain types of criminal backgrounds, such as felony convictions and crimes against property such as robbery. In response to questions from Hometown Fire Chief Barry Messerschmit, Reidlinger pointed out that the existing bylaws of the fire company are stricter than those included in the ordinance."There have been no allegations of any wrongdoing; the ordinance regulates those who join," Reidlinger said. "If you had any members that fit those definitions, you should should have already expelled them under your bylaws."The fire companyis hosting a WoundedWarrior benefit spaghetti supper from 4-7

p.m.Jan. 24.