West Windsor officials have announced that, effective immediately, all landscape contractors that are doing business in the township must register with the township’s engineering department.##M:[more]##
The issue regarding leaf and brush collection has been ongoing for more than three years, and the registration requirement was proposed during council meetings in the past as a solution to enforce stormwater regulations. An ordinance enforcing the registration requirement was adopted in December to ensure the contractors themselves know the rules and regulations for brush and leaf collection in town.
Landscape contractors will be charged $10 yearly to register prior to May 1 of each year, following 2009, said a press release from the township. Accordingly, each landscape contractor will also be provided with provisions of the West Windsor Township Yard Waste – Leaf and Brush ordinances, and will have to certify that they will comply with these ordinances. Registration will also include a map of collection zones in the township and a schedule of yard waste collection by the township in each zone.
They will only be permitted to put out residential yard waste from the West Windsor homes at which they are working, for collection, and in accordance with township ordinance, that is only allowed seven days prior to a scheduled collection established for the zone, the press release stated. They will also be given a vehicle identification for each vehicle they use so that police and public works members will know that the business is properly registered. Those who do not register will be subject to fines and other penalties.
Yard Waste Drop-Off. On a related matter, the West Windsor Public Works Department announced a new pilot program that will allow residents to bring their yard waste — including leaves and brush — to the public works facility on Southfield Road beginning on Monday, July 6.
The pilot program, says Business Administrator Chris Marion, comes after the township has had success with its bulk drop-off. The initiative is being entirely funded through a recycling grant.
The drop-off will be for West Windsor residents only, and contractors will not be allowed to drop off yard waste, even if their clients are residents of the township.
Residents must be prepared to empty bags or containers at the drop-off point. Items that may be dropped off include branches, twigs, shrub clippings, garden trimmings, plant stalks, pine needles, tree trimmings and pruning debris, weeds, flowers, brown Sweet Gum seed balls, and all other yard debris.
All brush must be no longer than five feet in length, and branches over four inches in diameter must be cut down into pieces no longer than 18 inches in length.
Items not accepted at the drop-off include garbage, grass, soil, railroad ties, landscape timber, pressure-treated materials, wood, construction materials, plywood, two-by-fours, concrete, stone, and bricks. The hours of operation are on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Marion said township officials will evaluate the pilot program in about six months to see if the program can be expanded.
