Plum Borough residents likely will see a 7 percent increase in their sanitation rates beginning June 1.

Council is set to approve the new rates Monday night. Senior citizens' rates will increase from $38.50 per quarter to $41; all other residents' rates will increase from $45 per quarter to $48.

Council approved a four-year contract with Waste Management two years ago that saw rates jump between 56 and 88 percent. The latest increase will carry residents through the end of this contract.

Borough manager Mike Thomas said he is looking at options to change the collection schedule to keep rates down when the borough puts the contract out to bid in 2010.

For example, having several collection days throughout the week rather than one universal pickup day might be less expensive, he said.

Council decided last month to continue to offer a 15 percent discount to senior citizens even though Waste Management offers only a 10 percent discount.

The borough subsidizes the extra 5 percent with a slight increase to the bills of the remaining customers. It will cost most customers an extra 22 cents per quarter to maintain the discount.

Borough officials are still trying to recoup delinquent sanitation bills through its collection agency, Creditech Inc. About $7,000 has been collected since the bills were turned over in January.

Eleanor DeMichiei, Plum resident, asked council this week why the collection hasn't been more successful.

"People who haven't paid in 10 years aren't going to pay in two months," said Thomas. "But it is coming in."

DeMichiei also asked council about its year long debate over whether to print the names of those who haven't paid their bills.

Paul Dern, council president, said council hadn't made a decision yet and he plans to address the issue at an executive session next week. He also wants to talk to council about Creditech's success rate.

When Creditech was hired, council intended to give the company a month to collect and then to vote on whether to publish the names of those who owe more than $500 in local newspapers.

Last month, council members suggested waiting six months before making a decision.

There was a total of around $171,000 in delinquent bills handed over to Creditech. Thomas said about $110,000 of that money can be collected, but the rest will not as property owners have died or ownership is unknown.