Harrisburg committee reviews resolution to ratify $200,000 leaf truck grant application

The Harrisburg Budget & Finance Committee reviewed Resolution 4 of 2025 at a work session to ratify the city’s 2024 application under the Municipal Waste Planning Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (Act 101) for a $200,000 recycling development and implementation grant to purchase a new leaf truck.

The resolution would authorize the city to execute forms required for a subsequent award of $200,000 toward the purchase. The item was presented by Dave West, director of public works, and discussed with committee members; no formal vote was taken in the work session. Vice President Green said she would recommend the item for placement on the next legislative agenda.

“This committee, we have 2 resolutions that we'll be discussing tonight. The first is resolution 4 of 2025 which is a resolution ratifying the 2024 application ... authorizing the city of Harrisburg to execute any or all forms required relating to the subsequent award of $200,000 for the purpose of purchasing a new leaf truck,” Vice President Green said during the introduction of the item.

Dave West, director of public works for the city of Harrisburg, explained why the third truck is needed: “We already have 2 leaf trucks currently, but we need the third leaf truck because the third option that we use currently is called a pull behind, which takes an employee to drive the truck, an employee to operate the vac, and another employee to rake and keep the line straight enough for the vac to work.” He said the vac also mulches the leaves and reduces labor needs.

Councilwoman Ross asked about total cost; West said the vendor initially listed the leaf collector at $244,924.59 but provided a reduced price to $233,000. The city would cover the remainder, about $33,000, from a neighborhood services budget line item labeled “equipment other,” which currently contains $70,000. “The $33,000 … would be used out of the city funding,” West said.

Committee members also discussed scheduling. John Watson, operations manager for public works, described the typical window for concentrated leaf collection: “leaf season … typically the month of December,” and noted crews will continue to operate as long as leaves remain, sometimes into January.

No formal action was taken in the work session. Vice President Green and other committee members said they would move the resolution to the next legislative agenda for formal consideration.

If placed on the legislative agenda, the resolution would permit the city to proceed with vendor procurement and execute forms required to secure the $200,000 grant award; the city’s contribution was specified as coming from the neighborhood services equipment line.