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Mayor proposes seasonal changes to township brush and leaf pickup to reallocate DPW capacity
Summary
The mayor proposed reducing scheduled brush pickups and concentrating DPW crews on leaf collection in peak months so staff can prioritize potholes, tree maintenance and snow-related work; the council opened discussion and the proposal will be posted for public comment before any change.
The mayor presented a proposal to change the township’s brush and leaf pickup schedule, saying recent growth in collection volumes and competing public-works needs have left crews overstretched. "We can't keep up with the resources we have," the mayor said, describing the idea as a DPW-originated plan to adjust timing, not eliminate services.
Under the proposal, DPW would focus on leaf collection during the peak season and suspend brush pickups in selected months. The mayor described two related options: concentrating on leaves in November, December and January — with Christmas-tree collection handled in January — and a broader plan that would reduce brush-collection months from roughly 10 per year to five (the mayor later cited March, July, August, November and December as months recommended for suspension in the planning data). He said the changes would free crews for pothole repairs, street-tree maintenance, guardrail work, snow-fence removal and other tasks that have demanded staff time after recent storms.
The mayor offered data to frame the change: township pickup volume rose from about 13,000–14,000 cubic yards in 2002 to roughly 19,000–20,000 cubic yards in recent years. He cited that dropping brush pickup in five months would remove about 4,225 cubic yards — roughly 22% of last year’s total — and said DPW collected about 125 cubic yards of Christmas trees in January alone.
Residents would still be able to drop brush and leaves at the public-works facility on Southfield Road during posted hours; the mayor said contractors may drop material only when accompanied by homeowners to avoid out-of-town dumping. He urged residents to use the facility when feasible and noted that full containers are emptied in Hamilton to streamline disposal logistics.
On enforcement, the mayor said the township currently issues citations when violations are reported or observed but does not proactively patrol for infractions; he asked council members whether they want stricter enforcement or new ordinances to limit material left at curbs. He also framed the choice as a policy tradeoff for the council: increasing service levels would require more budget capacity or a change to the township’s expenditure limits.
The proposal will be posted on the township website and the administration will solicit written comments by email to the address provided; incoming comments are automatically forwarded to council and DPW. The mayor said staff will return to council with a revised proposal after public feedback and that any change could be reversed if it proves ineffective. A council member thanked the mayor and staff for producing the requested data; the council discussion will continue before any formal vote or ordinance change.
The council did not take a formal vote during this discussion. Next steps are publication of the proposal for public comment, compilation of council preferences, and a future meeting that may include DPW technical staff to answer follow-up questions.
