City Administrator Kuntz explained that different equipment is used for brush than leaves. The brush pickup is so intensive that all of City Engineer Kramer s personnel are used to supplement the brush pickup. Mayor Jones said there are other alternatives to leaf pickup. The leaves can be put in yard waste disposable bags and be picked up by Midwest Waste as part of the contract. City Administrator Kuntz said arrangements would have to be made to get the boxes back to dispose of the leaves once they are back at the Public Works yard.
More money is spent on leaf collection than snow plowing.
Alderman Byatt said the cost for Midwest Waste to haul away the mountain leaves was free in the fall. At this time of year, the dumping cost would be huge. City Administrator Kuntz said he guarantees it will not be just one week. It will be 2 or 3 weeks. It takes 4-6 hours in turnover time to convert the equipment back to snow removal.