City will continue brush collection in some alleys

Port Washington residents who live on alleys that stretch from street to street will have to call city hall to have their brush picked up next year, the Board of Public Works agreed Tuesday.

Except for those people who live on dead-end alleys, where brush collection is being discontinued, the board agreed.

The changes in the city’s brush collection policy are being spurred by a need to increase efficiency and safety, Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven said.

Until now, the city picked up brush at both the curb and in alleys on alternate weeks in spring and fall and weekly in summer.

But this duplication of service adds time to the route — there are five miles of alleys in the city, which Vanden Noven estimated take one to two hours to service — and increases training needed for seasonal employees.

And because alleys are narrow, these seasonal workers are challenged as they back the chipper in dead ends and maneuver around tight corners.

Vanden Noven estimated the extra cost of providing brush pickup in alleys as well as along curbs at $3,800 annually.

That number reflects a savings in not just labor but also use of the equipment and fuel.

Officials considered eliminating the alley pickup completely in November but decided to ask residents for their input.

They were particularly concerned about people who use the alleys because cars frequently fill the parking area in front of their homes.

One suggestion was to eliminate the dead-end alleys because of the difficulty in maneuvering there but to allow residents on other alleys to call for brush pickup.

“I felt that delivered the best of both worlds,” Vanden Noven said, adding, “We don’t want to cut back on service. We just want to increase efficiency.” 

It was a suggestion that met with the approval of the board.

“I like that idea,” Ald. Paul Neumyer, a member of the board, said. “I think it’s a good compromise.”

The city will notify the affected residents by letter early in the season so they are prepared for the change, Vanden Noven said.