New Leaf and Brush Collection Proposed

A joint meeting of Princeton’s Borough Council and Township Committee tonight will discuss several consolidation-related issues, including proposed leaf and brush pickup service in a consolidated Princeton.

The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at 400 Witherspoon Street in Princeton. 

The Transition Task Force has unanimously recommended a proposed schedule, one that task force member Brad Middlekauff said aims to keep service comparable to what residents have now.

In includes more frequent pickups in central Princeton- roughly defined as streets with parking restrictions or high parking/ traffic density or narrow streets.

Here are the current and proposed leaf and brush pickup schedules throughout the year:

Fall

• Current Borough: approximately every two weeks
• Current Township: weekly fall bagged collection and two unbagged brush collections
• Proposed: weekly collection from mid-October to mid-December, plus two unbagged brush collections from mid-August to early October and two unbagged leaf collections between mid-October and mid-December. Central Princeton would receive two additional unbagged collections- one brush pickup and one leaf pickup.

Spring

• Current Borough: approximately every two weeks
• Current Township: two unbagged brush/leaf collections
• Proposed: Weekly bagged collection from Late March to early June and two unbagged brush/leaf collections from early April to late May. Central Princeton would have one additional unbagged brush/leaf pickup.

Summer

• Current Borough: approximately every two weeks.
• Current Township: none
• Proposed: Central Princeton would receive bagged pickup every two weeks

Post Storm cleanup: would still continue on an as-needed basis.

The new proposal is expected to save nearly $218,000, Middlekauf said.

But Borough Council Member Jo Butler expressed concern.

“I don’t want to speak for anybody, but I think we’ll have a hard time on the Borough side of this proposal,” she said, noting that $75,000 of the proposed savings is due to a decline in service in the Borough because residents will now have to bag their leaves.

“I think when people look at the numbers, they’re going to see it as reduction in service.” Butler said. 

But others pointed out that regular unabagged service could make Princeton non-compliant with new stormwater regulations if residents leave their leaves out more than seven days before the next scheduled pickup. 

Township Mayor Chad Goerner said enforcing compliance with that seven-day limit is “virtually impossible.”

Although the proposed leaf and brush schedule would save money, those savings wouldn't come off residents' tax bills because Princeton employees are doing the work. Instead, it would free up time for employees to work on roads and other preventive maintenance around town, Middlekauff said.