Participatory Curbside Leaf Pick-Up Program Proposed

While raking leaves may not be on many Manalapan residents’ minds this spring, it is certainly on Township Committeeman Ryan Green’s. At last weeks public meeting, Green proposed a curbside leaf collection program for the township that does not require leaves to be placed in biodegradable compost bags.

Green’s proposal asks that any resident interested in curbside leaf pick-up apply for a permit through the township for a nominal fee; the permit would be able to be purchased through the township Web site. Then, a vacuum truck would come to all Manalapan residences where a permit was purchased and dispose of the leaves along the curb.

The revenue from the permit fees would allow the township to contract a landscaping company to pick up the leaves on the curb, Green said. This public-private partnership would be similar to the township's current garbage contract.

“These public-private partnerships can really be cost-effective and it is something that I would like the Township Committee to consider,” Green said.

Why not just get curbside pick up for the whole township, you ask? According to Green, curbside leaf pick up is cost prohibitive because the trucks are expensive and additional personnel to staff the trucks would need to be hired.

All residents who do not want to participate in this proposed program can continue to bag their leaves in the biodegradable bags for pick-up by the Township, a service which is currently, and will continue to be, covered by municipal taxes.

According to Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin, leaf pick-up within New Jersey is currently regulated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and curbside leaf collection is legal in the state, Green said.

Manalapan Township’s current Stormwater Management Plan indicates that leaves must be picked up within seven days; therefore, Green’s proposal specifies that a vacuum truck be in Manalapan one day a week during leaf season, assuring that every resident who has purchased a permit will have their leaves picked up within seven days.

Currently, Manalapan Township’s solid waste ordinance requires all residents to place yard waste (defined as leaves and grass clippings) into biodegradable bags in order to prevent it from spilling or blowing into the street and coming into contact with stormwater. The amendment calling for the placement of leaves into biodegradable bags was made in 2007. If the Township decides to move forward with Green’s proposed program, an additional amendment to the ordinance would be necessary. 

Green provided the members of the Township Committee and the Township Administrator with packets of information on the proposed curbside leaf-pick up program. He asked the committee members to go over the specifics of the program, bring additional information to the table, and voice their opinions on the proposal at a future meeting.