Plum residents will pay two fees in a new way in 2025.
Starting next year, current and delinquent charges for garbage collection and the borough’s flood prevention or stormwater fee will be billed by Keystone Collections, replacing the Plum Borough Municipal Authority.
Keystone also collects the borough’s earned income tax.
Residents in most of Plum, serviced by the municipal authority, paid those charges monthly on their water and sewage bill. Those served by the Oakmont Water Authority were billed quarterly.
Keystone will collect the fees annually or quarterly, with a 2% discount given on each fee for annual payments.
Borough Manager David Soboslay cited the cost of postage in changing from monthly to annual or quarterly billing. He also noted that the garbage and flood prevention fees are fixed amounts, whereas residents’ water costs may vary from month to month.
While the municipal authority sends bills to the homeowner or renter who pays the water bill, Keystone will send bills to property owners, meaning those costs will fall onto landlords who now see them borne by their tenants.
Billing property owners is simpler than trying to bill tenants, who can come and go, Soboslay said.
The municipal authority expressed interest in no longer collecting the charges for the borough, he said.
“At the same time, we weren’t against it,” Soboslay said. “Their billing software centers around billing for water and sewer and is not really flexible for any changes we’d want to make to garbage or stormwater. Their software is designed to do what they need it to do.”
The garbage and flood prevention fee amounts are not changing for 2025, he said.
For garbage collection, Plum is in the fourth year of a five-year contract that began June 1 with County Hauling, Soboslay said. While the borough’s cost increased, the standard household charge remains at $22 per month.
The flood prevention fee, $10 per month for a single family home and $6 per apartment since 2023, began in 2015 at $5 and $3, respectively. Revenue from the fee is used for stormwater management projects, including replacing culverts and pipes and maintaining detention and retention ponds. Such projects cost at least $200,000 to $300,000, Soboslay said.
“These projects are expensive,” he said.
The annual cost for the fees, with the 2% discount, will be a combined $367.32. If paid quarterly, the cost is $384.
The municipal authority’s last bill for garbage and flood prevention will be mailed in December for those who pay monthly. Those who pay quarterly will get the last bill in February.
Unpaid account balances with the municipal authority after the final billing will be sent to Keystone for delinquent collection.
The municipal authority will continue billing monthly or quarterly for water and sewage services.
Residents will receive a welcome letter from Keystone in mid- to late December. Bills for 2025 will be mailed to property owners around Feb. 15.
If the entire bill is not paid within 30 days, quarterly payments can be made without penalty. Quarterly bills do not qualify for the 2% discount and would be due on March 15, June 15, Sept. 15 and Dec. 15.
Reminder notices will be sent before the third- and fourth-quarter payments are due.
Residents will be able to pay online or with checks. Online payments at keystonecollects.com using ACH, or automated clearing house, will not incur a fee. Credit card payments will be assessed a convenience fee.
Checks can be mailed to Keystone, dropped off at its Irwin office or placed in a drop box at the municipal center on Mike Thomas Way.
The drop box at the municipal center will be done as a trial for the first year to see how much it is used, Soboslay said.
“We want to give people the opportunity to at least walk your check up to our building and put it in the drop box,” he said.
Delinquent accounts will be subject to penalties and attorney fees.