MAHANOY PLANE - Gilberton Borough Council will adopt an ordinance at its July meeting to set rules on the use of camping and travel trailers in the borough.
The topic was discussed at the June 27 council meeting, with borough solicitor Karen Domalakes explaining what had been brought up at a previous meeting.
"There was a question brought up about people living in campers," Domalakes said. "(County) zoning said that it was not a zoning issue, which I disagree with. We did talk to our engineer and the person who does our UCC (Uniform Construction Code) enforcement and they're also not coming up with anything (on the subject). I still think that it's a zoning issue."
The issue was raised previously due to a request from a trailer owner to connect the unit to the borough's sewage distribution system in the Gilberton section of the borough.
"Are they hooked up to sewage?" Domalakes asked.
"No, they are not," council President Daniel Malloy said. "They requested to be hooked on and we said absolutely not."
"If they hooked up, they would be under zoning," Domalakes said.
"Someone is living in a camper who wants to attach to a house for sewage," Councilman Michael VanAllen said. "We're not talking about a mobile home but a camper you put on the back of your truck to go camping."
Councilman Robert Wagner said having campers connecting to the sewer system could lead to a scenario where the camper owner doesn't pay the sewer bill over time and then disconnect and leave.
"I did draft an ordinance about not living in campers," Domalakes said. "It defines 'camper' as a camper trailer, a travel trailer, a motor home, a fold-down or pop-up trailer, or a trailer typically used as a sleeping place. We want to make sure that we've exempted the trailers that are fixed to the land."
The proposed ordinance includes language explaining that the camper/travel trailers "can provide overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, and for a lot of these different reasons it becomes a nuisance."
Domalakes said the ordinance allows for the owner to store a camper on their property. It also allows the camper to be used to camp on the property but not more than 10 days at a time or for three four-day intervals in a calendar year. A permit would be required.
"This would mean you can't just keep getting permit after permit and live in your camper," Domalakes said.
"And the campers have to be tagged and have a current inspection," Malloy said.
"That usually applies if they're on the road," Domalakes said.
Domalakes added that the ordinance does address the use of a movable trailer in the case of an emergency.
The citation for the first offense would be $75 per day, the second offense at $250 per day and the third violation at $500 per day. VanAllen suggested the lowest fine should be $250.
Wagner made the motion to advertise the ordinance, with a second from Councilman Lloyd George, and a unanimous vote by the council.