DPW begins second and final round of winter-storm brush removal

The Manchester DPW will be making a second sweep of village residences for brush pickup starting this week.

by Marsha Chartrand

With storm damage from ice and heavy wet snow just 10 days apart in late February and early March, the Village Department of Public Works has had its hands (and its trucks) full, clearing brush that has fallen in residents’ yards.

New equipment, including a grapple hook and a bobcat, has been put into service to expedite the cleanup process, but it has been slow and heavy work. With just three full-time employees and a few part-time helpers, the DPW has had an overloaded schedule that also included snow and ice removal, salting, and their regular weekly tasks.

To make this process go as quickly as possible, and to accommodate the use of the new equipment, DPW Supervisor Brent Jones advised that, “We are making two trips down every street. Once that is done, we will not pick up any more brush until May.“ He added, “At this time, we are only picking up bulk and not raking up the fine material.“

Jones also stated that brush left at the roadside should be stacked in line with the street (parallel to the street). This is a change from the prior chipping routine where brush was requested to be left with the cut side toward the street. It should be no larger than three inches in diameter and no longer than eight feet. The DPW also requests that piles need to be a reasonable size and amount. Please don’t bring brush from your friend’s house outside the village! And don’t decide that this is a good time to prune your bushes around the yard. That can wait.

“Our second trip around town will start this coming Tuesday,“ Jones concluded.

The DPW has customarily had a routine schedule of brush pickup and chipping on the first Monday of each month from May through September (excluding July). New procedures may be implemented for this year’s brush pickup; watch your village newsletter and the Mirror for updated information.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.