Rush Township supervisors, who in recent years have purchased a truck trailer, plow truck, leaf mulcher, commercial chipper, tractor and commercial mower, have run out of room in the township garage.

During a meeting Thursday, the supervisors voted to advertise for bids for a 60-by-80-foot equipment storage building, which would be erected adjacent to the township building. Supervisors didn't have an estimate of cost. A pole building of similar size from Pioneer Pole Buildings, a leading supplier in Schuylkill County, lists for $40,000.Resident Cathey Schimpf and supervisor Robert Leibensperger argued over the township's expenditures. Schimpf took Leibensperger to task on monies being spent for recycling, including the township's curbside, single-stream recycling program for residents and the township's accumulation of associated equipment, which includes a leaf mulcher, chipper and tractor-trailer for hauling electronic recyclables to a facility in State College.Schimpf said that despite providing residents with the convenience of curbside recycling containers, the township as a whole is not recycling more by tonnage. Residents formerly could recycle using county-provided containers for separate materials, which were located at the Hometown Fire Company. Once the township committed to the curbside recycling, the county removed the containers.Schimpf said after the meeting that the township is actually recycling 30,000 pounds less than it did when recycling was done in the county containers. Leibensperger didn't dispute the numbers, but said that when the containers were at the fire company, people from other areas and visitors to the weekly Hometown Market used the containers.Leibensperger said the township was able to get the equipment by using grants. The township used grant monies to purchase the tractor-trailer ($64,532), wood chipper and leaf vacuum ($52,201).Leibensperger said that because of the grants, the equipment was free to the township, which irked Schimpf."It's not free, it never was free," she said.The discussion of leaf pickup prompted resident Joe Shamonsky to complain that leaves and debris often block gutters near his house. He said he's had to call to get township workers to clear the area. After Charlie Shamonsky and Bill Boyer revisited old complaints, with Shamonsky asking when signs restricting truck traffic would be posted on Meadow Avenue, and Boyer asked when the township would reopen Walnut Alley, Joe Shamonsky lost patience with the supervisors.He tossed a profanity at Leibensperger, and Chairman Shawn Gilbert asked police Sgt. Duane Frederick to escort Shamonsky from the meeting. Shamonsky grudgingly left, saying that he was "being thrown out for speaking the truth."Gilbert adjourned the meeting immediately after Shamonsky left the room.Other businessThe supervisors:Accepted Elden Neifert's decision to step down as road department foreman but remain on the road crew as of June 29.Appointed Lance Frantz as the new road department foreman as of June 29 at a rate of $17 per hour, with a one-year probationary period.Hired Steven Troxell for the road/sewer department at a rate of $17 per hour.Purchased a commercial Hustler ATZ zero-turn mower for $11,560. The mower will be used at the township's four parks.Motioned to readvertise for bids to pave Bnosky Street, Meadow Avenue and Grove Street. The township had not received any bid response to its first effort."There's too much work and not enough contractors," said township engineer Bill McMullin. He said that large paving contractors are focused on completing work on deadline for state contractors, and hiring small contractors to do so.