After repeatedly telling its residents that it was expanding its fall leaf collection program, Concord, at a date that is unknown, quietly terminated its bulk leaf collection and annual cleanup of its parks well before it completed the work.
The only public announcement of the city’s unilateral decision to abandon its annual fall cleanup of its parks and roads appeared in a small column in the Concord Insider. Even after the Insider article provided the only notice that the city would not pick up any more leaves, Concord posted a notice on its website touting its new expanded leaf collection, announcing that “three weeks of bagged fall leaf collection (will) run simultaneously with the last weeks of bulk fall leaf collection.”
The city did not mention the fact that it had silently terminated its bulk fall leaf collection, nor that the Insider column had reported that only those bagged leaves left on the curb one day before the Insider article appeared would be assured of being picked up.
The city’s decision not to collect the numerous piles of leaves that still clutter its streets, particularly in west end neighborhoods and the north side of Franklin Street, means (according to a Concord city councilor) that the residents of those areas, who pay taxes for city services, will be expected come spring to shovel the heavy semi-composted leaves into bags, purchased at their own expense, for disposal so that the city can do spring cleanup of its streets.
Apart from the expense and inconvenience to those residents who still have large piles of leaves in front of their houses, Concord’s decision to simply leave the leaves on the street not only detracts from the appearance of the city but will cause actual damage in the winter when the integrated leaf-snow banks melt and clog the storm drains.
Complaints to city officials on this issue have yielded no response, other than the city is now in winter mode and can’t be bothered with fall responsibilities. Yes, the residents have paid taxes for these city services, but there are a lot of things the city does and taxes go only so far.
The current weather forecast is for two weeks of clear weather. There is no snow to plow and no sidewalks to clear. What possible winter activities are consuming all of the city’s work force?
The leaf piles along the roads are not the exclusive responsibility of residents who live along city streets. A good portion of the leaves were produced by the city’s own trees that line many neighborhood streets. The residents have collected the leaves, some or many of which belong to the city, and have done exactly what the city directed them to do by raking them into piles on the side of the road.
The residents have done their part. It’s up to the city to do its part.
(Leslie Ludtke lives in Concord.)