Council worries about leaf pickup changes

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

With changes coming to the City of Burlington leaf collection policy, City Council aldermen worried Tuesday night how to enforce the changes.

This year, leaf collection is set to go through Nov. 15. The Department of Public Works is asking residents to keep all garden waste – including pumpkins, tomato plants, etc. – and sticks out of leaf piles because they can jam the collector.

A change in the city ordinance would remove “yard waste” as permitted organic material by the curb for collection. City staff said Tuesday night that those items be brought to the city’s compost site.

Aldermen argued for close to a half hour about what would be the best method of handling the changes – whether notifying the public, issuing citations or simply giving a warning.

There was also the question of how to educate the public.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of complaints,” said Alderman Tom Preusker.

Alderman Peter Hintz added, “I think this is a good ordinance. I just want to know what we’ll do with people who don’t conform to it.”

For now, the council wants to leave notices for residents saying that items were picked up, but as a one-time-only deal. From that point out, anything in the piles will result in those piles being left behind.