PETERSBURG — As fall turned to winter, piles of leaves still remained in parts of Upper Township, clogging drains, narrowing streets and in some cases creating extra work.
Township Administrator Jimmy Van Zlike said Jan. 12 that the weather played a large role in slowing phase one of leaf collection, forcing a change in the usual route and delaying the start of phase two, which consists of a second pass of the township.
He apologized for not communicating better with the public and promised to fix the problem by posting a schedule weekly on the township’s website starting next fall.
Van Zlike noted a letter he received from a resident illustrated what prompted his decision.
“Because he didn’t know the schedule had changed, he raked his leaves to the curb daily based on historical timing. And because we didn’t arrive when he expected, the wind blew the piles back into his yard. And without him knowing when we were going to come, he had to rake his leaves daily to the same location waiting on us,” he said.
“We cannot have residents guessing when to put materials out. This creates redundant work for them and frustration with the township and the hard-earned tax dollars they pay. This is unsatisfactory service delivery on our part.”
Operation Autumn
With his usual military efficiency, the retired garrison command sergeant major at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst outlined the collection process.
“I think it’s important to clarify that our base start times for leaf collection are not based on a calendar date, they’re based on conditions on the ground,” he said. “Had we stuck to the traditional November schedule, our crews may have been patrolling empty streets. So instead we waited until the volume warranted the deployment to be an efficient use of taxpayer dollars.”
He said when the temperatures finally dropped in late fall/early winter, the township experienced a rapid blanketing of leaves.
“This created immediate volume issues that blocked drainage and narrowed roads. Public Works made a tactical decision to prioritize routes based on safety and access, rather than the historical rotation,” Van Zlike said.
That meant some neighborhoods where collection was traditionally done in the beginning of phase one were moved to a later date, causing confusion and complaints.
“While this operational pivot was necessary for safety, this lack of information created friction upon some of the members of the community,” he said, taking full blame. “That’s something I need to get better on, communicating and getting the township better communicating when we make an operational pivot.”
Committeeman Zach Palombo said Jan. 12 that the Department of Public Works had gathered more than 1,400 tons of leaves during phase one, a complete sweep of the township, and had started phase two that day.
Van Zlike said the township traditionally collects 1,500 to 1,700 tons each season and that because of the mass drop, “we have essentially hauled a full season worth of material in the first pass alone.”
Palombo said the second phase had begun and “hopefully we’ll get the leaves up as much as we possibly can before the next snow.”
The fix is in
Van Zlike detailed his plan for ending uncertainty.
“Moving forward, what we’re going to do is, at the start of a season, we will post a forecast to our website letting you know the route we will take for the entire round of leaf collection,” he said, calling it his preseason plan.
The regular season will consist of a week-by-week forecast.
“Going into the week, on Monday, we will advertise the neighborhoods and roads which we will collect leaves on. That will go on week by week so that people know when the debris will be collected, and they’re not left guessing, raking to the curb, raking daily,” he said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff