Using plows to remove leaves makes no sense
Dear City Decision-makers:
I really hope I'm not the only person who is wondering where the plan originated to PLOW the leaves from the streets. I have not seen anything so puzzling in awhile. Today is a gorgeous sunny Saturday and there is a PLOW on my street.
If you were in charge, how would you arrange for the city to collect leaves?
" -- we have to pay workers (today on a Saturday) to go out with trucks and SNOWPLOWS to collect the leaves that have been piled up along the streets for weeks."
By the way, it was impossible to obey the city's request to put the leaves out no sooner than 24 hours before the assigned day. Some of us pay for professional lawn services.
What is going on in the city management offices?
I think many a first-grader would suggest the following for each homeowner:
1. Rake up the leaves.
2. Put the leaves in big paper leaf bags.
3. Put the bags along the curb so they can be picked up by a recycle truck.’’
If this is so complicated that workers have to work on Saturday and plow the leaves, maybe it is time to get some student planners!
Diana J. Touchton (Retired first-grade teacher), Ann Arbor
Comments
Gill
Fri, Nov 27, 2009 : 11:36 a.m.
http://www.a2gov.org/GOVERNMENT/PUBLICSERVICES/FIELDOPERATIONS/Pages/SnowRemoval.aspx
Freemind42
Wed, Nov 25, 2009 : 11:31 a.m.
So we do have snow plows in this city...imagine if we actually used them on the snow!
Barb
Mon, Nov 23, 2009 : 3:20 p.m.
I like how someone who confess to not actually dealing with the leaves herself has all these suggestions. I also try to mulch mine up into my lawn and garden but I have too many so I push the excess out into the street. And appreciate that the city then picks them up for me.
Gill
Mon, Nov 23, 2009 : 11:07 a.m.
Due to street trees the City needs to remove leaves within the right-of-way to prevent storm sewers from getting plugged with leaf litter. Water ponding and freezing/thawing on the roadways breaks up the pavement and curb & gutter faster than normal. To save money on road repairs and damaged storm sewer lines, the leaves are picked up. It is nice that they allow people to include their private leaves in the public right-of-way leaf pickup. They could make it illegal, I suppose, and fine anyone adding private property leaves to the right-of-way, but due to wind and people sneaking them out whenever leads to the maintainance issues for the street. Also, it seems they are using equipment the city already owns to pick up leaves. We could pay for some fancy vacuum trucks that suck up leaves, but I'm not sure people want to pay for more vehicles right now.
Sammy77
Mon, Nov 23, 2009 : 8:45 a.m.
Allow me to suggest the City halt leaf pick up altogether. My neighbors and I have mulching mowers. We go out, mow the lawn and spend the rest of the day drinking beers and watching our other neighbors struggle with raking the leaves to the curb. Of course, I came out Saturday only to find the HUGE mountains of leaves left Friday night were only spread over the entire street. Oh well, I guess that means street sweeper will be by soon. Hmm, I wonder how much that cost?
essene
Sun, Nov 22, 2009 : 8:44 p.m.
Diana, you must be new to AA. I can testify after raking many leaves for the last 40 years that (1) they are heavy, (2) they are hard to get in bags, and (3) left alone they will kill grass. A far better solution is to mulch or compost them and avoid the bags. Very few residences here do not have space for a composter. Ann Arbor should simply stop the leaf service altogether, leaving (!) it to private pick-ups or composting.