Mayor Bernie Platt announced today that he is instituting a special two-week program to help residents with tree debris clean-up following Hurricane Irene.
From Wednesday, Aug. 31, to Friday, Sept. 16, the Department of Public Works will allow residents to schedule large, unbundled yard-waste collections for debris gathered in the wake of this week’s storm.
Typically, township ordinance requires that items deposited for weekly yard-waste pickup — such as branches, bark, and small trees — be cut into pieces under four feet in length and placed in bundles no more than 50 pounds. For some residents who do not have access to the tools needed to break down large tree limbs, meeting the yard-waste collection requirements may present a hardship — particularly in light of this recent destructive weather.
Through this program, residents can place all branches, limbs and similar pieces of natural debris at the curb, providing they fall within a reasonable weight — that is, they can be easily picked up and moved –and DPW will chip the wood and remove it from the property.
“In Hurricane Irene’s wake, many of our residents are now faced with a daunting amount of cleanup, both inside and outside their homes,” Platt said. “By implementing this temporary policy change, it is my hope that we can ease the burden placed on those now stuck digging out from this storm.”
Households interested in using this service can register by calling the Department of Public Works at 424–4422 or the Mayor’s Office at 488–7878. Residents are asked to register by Wednesday, Sept. 14. Collections will be scheduled as staffing and equipment allow, but will be completed within a few days of the request.
