As a result of the multiple ice storms between April 3 and April 7, Oxford and Addison residents were left with tons and tons of downed trees, limbs and branches to clean up.
Each community is offering residents various ways to deal with the big mess Mother Nature left on their properties.
Oxford Township
Oxford Township has set up a drop-off site at Seymour Lake Park, where both township and village residents can bring their yard debris from now until Friday, April 25.
The drop-off point is the first drive on the right just behind the tennis courts. Residents are asked to please deposit their brush at the far end of the drive.
‘I’d like them to start stacking it at the very back and work their way forward,? said Supervisor Bill Dunn.
For those unable to transport their debris to the park such as senior citizens or disabled residents, Dunn is calling on local service groups and community volunteers to lend a helping hand by hauling these individuals? fallen brush to the roadside.
A group of Trustys from the Oakland County Jail will come around with a stake-truck on Wednesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 24 to collect the brush on the roadside and haul it to the park.
Dunn said service groups and volunteers are needed to carry the debris to the roadside because the Trustys are not legally allowed to go on private property.
Dunn asked service groups, volunteers and any residents in need of assistance to call him at (248) 628-9787 so he can match them up. The supervisor asked that interested parties leave their names, addresses and telephone numbers.
‘All they have to do is call me and I’ll pair the service groups and volunteers up with those who need help,? Dunn said.
Once the collections and drop-offs have concluded, Dunn said the township will hire a private professional company to chip the wood at the park and haul it away.
When asked if the township considered a home-to-home pickup of the debris, Dunn replied, ‘We don’t have a DPW. We don’t have the means to do that.?
When asked about the possibility of hiring a private company to perform such a pickup, the supervisor said the cost would be ‘astronomical? given the number of residences and ‘hundreds of miles of roads? in the township and village. ‘The township can’t afford it,? he said.
For those residents who live on parcels one-acre or larger and wish to burn their brush, the township board last week extended the burn season to Thursday, May 15. The season normally expires April 30 and begins again October 1.
Residents must obtain a burn permit from the Oxford Fire Department and inform the department or village dispatch center of the burn on the day it’s to be conducted. If the wind speed reaches 15 miles per hour or more or the fire chief decides weather conditions are not safe, no burning is permitted in the township that day.
Oxford Village
Oxford Village is offering it’s residents two means by which to dispose of their brush piles.
For limbs two inches in diameter or smaller, the village has informed residents they must cut them into pieces no larger than four feet and bundle them. Each bundle must weigh no more than 50 pounds.
Village residents can place these bundles at the curb where they will be collected by the village’s contracted trash collector, Waste Management, as ‘normal yard waste.? The brush must be properly cut and bundled according to Waste Management’s specifications. The trash collector will not pickup brush piles.
Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19, village residents may dispose of limbs larger than two inches in diameter at the parking lot behind the village baseball fields on Glaspie.
Someone will be on site to direct residents where to put the debris. Residents must unload their own vehicles and show proof of residency.
At it’s April 8 meeting, the village council decided cleaning up and disposing of the brush on private property is the ‘responsibility? and ‘burden? of individual property owners.
Council reasoned that it would cost the village too much extra money (an estimated $40,000 to $50,000, according to Manager Mark Slown) to hire a private contractor or use the Department of Public Works (DPW) to stop at each resident’s curb-side and haul away or chip their brush piles.
Officials noted that residents already pay Waste Management to handle this type of debris as part of their monthly garbage fee.
‘Why spend taxpayer money to duplicate a service we already pay for?? said Councilwoman Renee Donovan.
Donovan said ordering the DPW to pickup each resident’s brush from the curb would ‘increase? the department’s ‘burden,? which would be ‘unfair.?
The councilwoman said the ‘only thing? the village should attempt to help with is that which is ‘over and above? what residents are paying Waste Management to do.
Donovan noted that when she lived in Pontiac and the community experienced an ice storm, city residents were required to cut and bundle their fallen limbs and branches for pickup. Pontiac setup a drop-off point for the ‘large pieces,? she added.
Slown agreed the village would be paying ‘twice? if a private contractor or the DPW was used when the service is already part of their contract with Waste Management.
The manager also expressed a concern that if ‘village resources? were used to remove debris that fell on private property, the municipality would be ‘taking away business? from private contractors. Slown added he was ‘not sure? if the village had adequate resources to ‘take care? of the private property cleanup.
Councilman George DelVigna agreed it’s the responsibility of each village homeowner to cut and bundle their brush for Waste Management’s regular collection. He said the village ‘need(s) to be fiscally responsible? and ‘use the process that’s in place.?
‘Everyone has to do their part,? DelVigna said. ‘I don’t think (the village) should get involved.?
For village residents who don’t have the ‘physical capacity? to cut and bundle their debris, village officials called upon neighbors to help neighbors. ‘We have to pull together as a community,? Donovan said.
DelVigna repeatedly suggested getting local Boy Scouts to help people who cannot help themselves.
Addison Township
Addison Township residents (including Leonard residents) have two options to rid themselves of their fallen tree limbs and branches. The township made arrangements with the Armada-based Tri-County Tree (the community’s contracted tree service) to conduct a roadside collection of residents? brush the week of April 28.
Residents who wish to advantage of this special service must pay $50 in advance and arrange for it by calling 1-800-286-0704 by Friday, April 25.
Or township residents can dispose of their brush free of charge by dropping it off at the gazebo next to the township offices at 1440 Rochester Road or at the entrance of Watershed Park, which is a ? mile north of Leonard. Volunteers are needed to aid senior citizens and the disabled in transporting limbs to either one of the drop-off sites or the roadside in front of their homes.
Call (248) 628-5409 to volunteer or if you are in need of assistance.