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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | DeKalb County's Oldest Newspaper

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City considers leaf pick-up changes

By Jared Felkins
The Times-Journal

Published November 19, 2009

The Fort Payne City Council opened discussion Tuesday on a possible leaf pick-up ordinance after street department workers reported problems with leaves in the streets.

“The biggest problem we have is people blowing or raking leaves into the streets, and before we can get to them they are stopping up the storm drains,” said Public Works Director Stanley Byrd. “The biggest problems we have are with landscaping services.”

Byrd told the council a policy is needed to let residents, particularly in the downtown area, know the best way to get the leaves ready to be picked up by the street department.

Byrd said he would like to have residents pile the leaves up on the sides of yards next to the curb. He said the two leaf vacuums would get leaves 1 foot behind the curb, and workers would rake leaves into that area should they be beyond 1 foot away.

“It’s a good service, but we need some guidelines,” Byrd said. “It takes a long time to cover 55 square miles with two leaf crews.”

Byrd suggested a policy that would model one currently in use in Huntsville. That policy sets up a window for loose-leaf collection from Nov. 3 until Feb. 26 on a weekly schedule according to residents’ garbage collection days.

It also requires residents to:

• rake leaves behind the curb and not in the gutter.

• not mix sticks, rocks, pine cones, limbs or other debris with loose leaves.

• not to place loose leaves in containers.

City Attorney Rocky Watson suggested the council draft an ordinance for leaf collection. Council members said they would work on a proposed ordinance. Councilman Kevin Chitwood said it was too early to say what penalty would be suffered by violators of the proposed ordinance.

Mayor Bill Jordan said the city’s two leaf vacuums were “worn out,” but a new leaf machine was included in the 2010 budget.

The council also:

• held a public hearing to review a proposed revised zoning map for the city.

• approved a resolution that would allow the city to apply for a $31,518 grant for airport improvement assistance from the state Department of Transportation.

• approved a resolution to place a lien on property at 1301 Forest Ave. N., more commonly known as the Fountains, to collect $2,927.99 in expenses for recent cleanup.

• approved a resolution to apply for assistance from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to buy the Fort Payne Church of God property.

• authorized bids to buy fuel, tires rock and asphalt.

• appointed Randall Ham as supernumerary on the Board of Zoning Adjustments.

• approved a permit for the Fort Payne Christmas Parade on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.

• sent a lawsuit filed by Thomas Wayne Walls to the city’s insurance carrier.

• noted that garbage collection on Thanksgiving would be picked up the following Friday.

• in the mayor’s report, firefighter William Grant Smith was fired due to job abandonment; Joel Burt was transferred from administration grounds maintenance to recreation department; DeSoto Golf Course manager Michael Middlebrooks and supervisor John Mark Barfield were given probationary raises; Zoning and Environmental Coordinator Jimmy Ray Gilbreath was given a probationary raise; resignation was accepted from patrol officer Ada Hamilton; Patrolman Tim Smith was moved from part-time to full-time; and Brandon Hairel was transferred from cemetery to street department.

The council next meets in a work session Tuesday at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

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