Skowhegan adopts narrower spring leaf pickup, expands five-week fall cleanup

The Skowhegan Select Board voted 5-0 on Oct. 28 to adopt changes to the town’s brush-and-leaf policy intended to reduce multiweek spring operations and concentrate fall cleanup on a defined five-week schedule.

Under the adopted changes, spring leaf pickup will be limited to streets that have curbing and storm-drain systems and will run for roughly three weeks in the spring (weather permitting). The fall cleanup will begin in October and run for five weeks, with a neighborhood schedule: week 1 — streets east of Main Street; week 2 — streets west of Main Street; week 3 — streets between North Avenue and Madison Avenue; week 4 — streets west of Madison Avenue; and week 5 — streets east of North Avenue.

Public Works staff and board members said the narrower spring service is necessary to avoid long, open-ended pickup schedules that have consumed crew time and delayed other maintenance work. "I'm trying to limit it. We've been doing so much of it. We can't keep going for weeks on weeks and weeks," Jason said. He added that extended operations reduce the crew’s ability to maintain storm basins and other systems.

Jason offered a rough fiscal context during the discussion, noting that outside contractors could cost about $50,000 for a season and that the town’s equipment and maintenance costs can reach higher amounts in aggregate. "If you were gonna go out and pay for a truck to go out... we're talking $50,000 for a season," he said. The change is intended to prioritize equipment and staff use for higher-priority maintenance while keeping a fall cleanup program in place.

Officials said the town will publish the new schedule on the town website and encourage residents to place leaves out during the designated week. Town staff also discussed signage and using existing message boards to alert residents. The policy revision passed by unanimous vote.