Village keeps yard-waste drop-off free; approves biweekly bag pickup and twice-yearly brush chipping

The Village Board of the Village of Jackson on Sept. 9 voted to keep the yard-waste drop-off site free and approved operational changes for curbside collection: bag pickup every other week from May through November and brush pickup twice annually in spring and fall, with the board reserving the option for special post-storm collections.

The board debated a staff proposal that had considered an annual fee to offset tub-grinder costs for chipping. Jack (village staff) explained the trade-offs: the village has incurred roughly $12,000–$15,000 annually to tub-grind brush when the village accepted drop-off piles, and that returning to a drop-off model would again incur tub-grinder expenses. "If we go back to the way things were, brush will go back to the yard, the brush will be chipped with a tub grinder, and we're going to receive an invoice for something of 12 to $15,000," Jack said.

Several trustees argued that charging residents to drop off yard waste would discourage voluntary drop-off and raise collection costs. One trustee argued the village should incentivize drop-off to avoid higher curbside collection costs; another said biweekly bag pickup tied to recycling weeks gives residents an alternative to curb piles. Colin (staff) advised the board that the village currently has no ordinance regulating brush placement at the curb and suggested staff draft a proposal that would limit how long brush may remain at the street prior to an agreed collection week.

Trustee Heckendorf moved to suspend the rules to discuss both the proposed fee and the operational changes together; the board approved the suspension by roll call. The board then approved a motion (amended during debate) to: (1) decline implementation of an annual fee for yard-waste drop-off for 2026, (2) resume accepting residential brush at the yard-waste site for chipping, (3) set bag pickup to every other week from May through November (to follow recycling weeks), and (4) set brush pickup to spring and fall with the staff to announce specific dates. The amended motion was moved and then seconded; trustees voted "Aye" with no recorded opposition.

The board asked staff to return with proposed spring/fall dates and to draft a curbside-placement policy or ordinance for future consideration to prevent large piles from sitting at the curb for months. Staff said they will still provide a storm cleanup sweep after major wind events if needed.

The board and staff emphasized the goal of balancing resident convenience, labor costs and safety: third-party tub grinding reduces staff time and avoids inexperienced temporary staff operating chippers, while increased bag collection frequency offers residents an alternative to large curbside piles.