Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Taunton conservation staff advise resident at 17 Williams Ave after complaint about yard waste entering brook
Summary
A resident at 17 Williams Ave told the commission he used a blower to clear street debris and was unaware the practice could violate local wetlands protections; staff advised cleaning up material that moves from private property to the street and avoiding blowing yard waste into the brook.
At the Nov. 3 meeting a resident, Luis Cortez of 17 Williams Ave, appeared to discuss an allegation that yard waste and small clippings were being blown into a nearby stream adjacent to his property. Cortez told the commission he bags clippings from his lawn mower and uses an occasional blower to sweep debris from the street toward the curb; he said he did not intentionally place material in the brook and that he pulls obvious trash from the stream when he sees it.
Staff showed Cortez a video provided by a neighbor showing small leaves and dirt being blown toward the stream and advised the resident that material blown from his property that enters the brook or street should be collected and not allowed to reach the stream. The agent recommended blowing debris into a pile and bagging it, or scooping it into bags, and suggested that Cortez might volunteer to help clean up other trash in the brook if he wanted to help maintain the area.
The commission characterized this visit as informational rather than a formal violation; staff thanked Cortez for attending and advised best practices to avoid further complaints.
