It’s nearly time for the leaves in York County to start falling like snowflakes. And while it is to the delight of many young children, it may be bane of many who live in the City of Sanford.
The city’s resident had long enjoyed leaf pickup service, until a few years ago when the service was cut back due to the cost and lack of staff within the Public Works Department. At that time, the city decided to only continue to pick up leaves in areas where there are catch basins, in an effort to keep them clear. That meant residents in those areas could continue to rake their leaves to the edge of road in the fall, and city staff would vacuum them up.
Now, the city has decided that it must cut the service city-wide, and require resident to dispose of their own leaves.
The writing was on the wall for this change, and it seems to make the most sense ”“ on a financial level and a fairness level.
When the city was only vacuuming up leaves for a select few, residents who used to benefit from the service but lost it complained. There were also people who were unaware ”“ or unconcerned ”“ of the change, who continued to rake their leaves to the side of the road. But since those leaves were no longer picked up, they became a dangerous problem for people driving in the area, causing unsafe conditions in the rain and snow.
With the change ”“ and proper notification ”“ everyone in the city will now know it is now their own responsibility to take care of their leaves. It shouldn’t be a problem, since the cities of Biddeford and Saco do not get their leaves vacuumed up either. In some municipalities, like Biddeford, if residents bag their leaves and leave them by the roadway during specified times in the fall, the city will pick up the bags, at advertised times during the season.
This seems like a good solution for Sanford, if city staff can manage it, since every residence already receives curbside trash pickup and recycling. If the city were to offer a few leaf pickup days during the fall season, it would give those who have difficulty securing transportation or without an alternative for disposing of their leaves the opportunity to get rid of the waste without the city completing the time-consuming process of gathering leaves along city streets and roads.
In this day and age, it’s important that everyone do their part. In cities like Sanford, where the annual budget seems to keep growing, while the tax base stagnates, people have to step up and help out, even if it means giving up a few luxuries of which they have benefited in the past.
It’s good to see Sanford making this change to ensure fairness for all residents, while focusing its staff on the highest-priority work.
— Robyn Burnham Rousseau is the city editor of the Journal Tribune.
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