Southampton Town Leaf Pickup Program Grinds To Halt Following Snowstorm

Last month’s blizzard brought Southampton Town’s leaf cleanup program to a screeching halt, and there is no firm date for when it will resume, Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor said this week.

The two-month program, which began in all six Highway Department districts on November 22, was nearly halfway complete—and more or less on schedule—when highway crews were redirected on December 23 to prepare for the storm that dropped more than a foot of snow in some areas of the town between December 26 and 27. Hampton Bays, the largest hamlet in the municipality, was the only section of the town in which highway crews were slightly behind with the leaf pickup schedule, and that was due to equipment problems, according to Mr. Gregor.

As of Monday afternoon, Mr. Gregor said that while he would like to see the program resume as quickly as possible, his department’s 46 workers are now preparing for another snowstorm that could arrive on Friday. Their preparatory tasks include fixing snow-removal and sand-spreading equipment, and restocking snow salt and sand—jobs that must be done to keep the roads safe, which he said is always a priority over leaf cleanup.

“It’s unfortunate that the weather hasn’t cooperated,” he said. “We didn’t get our two months of good weather. So now it’s going to be problematic.

“Please be patient,” he continued, speaking to town residents. “Workers will be out there to pick them up. The priority is now to keep the roads safe.”

Mr. Gregor said he has learned the same lesson in each of the past two winters: the leaf program cannot be completed in two months without interference from the weather. As a result, he is thinking about creating a program next year that would allow residents to drop off leaves for free at special locations and transfer stations throughout the town. He said such a program would essentially cut down on time that the Highway Department employees spend collecting the leaves, many of which are now covered with snow.

The program has seen some changes since last year. Under the current program, leaves are picked up if only they are loosely piled along the sides of roads, on private property, or if they are placed in biodegradable bags. No leaves in plastic bags are being collected this time. Also, the town is not collecting any brush; that work will resume in the spring.

Bridgehampton Citizens Advisory Committee Chairman Fred Cammann said this week that many of the streets in his community are still littered with leaves, although he does not blame the Highway Department. He said landscapers constantly dump leaves along the roads, particularly on Ocean Road, creating enormous piles that are difficult for crews to collect. That exact concern was one that Mr. Gregor raised during a Town Board meeting last summer, noting that he expected to see a spike in such incidents due to East Hampton Town canceling its leaf pickup program.

“I have complete sympathy for the Highway Department, because they’re trying to figure out how to solve this problem,” Mr. Cammann said.

East Quogue Citizens Advisory Committee Chairwoman Joan Hughes and Hampton Bays Civic Association President Bruce King, meanwhile, said they’re interested in learning more about Mr. Gregor’s idea of having residents dump their own leaves.

Never a fan of the current leaf pickup program, Ms. Hughes said she and members of her civic group asked Mr. Gregor back when he ran for office in 2009 if he would consider canceling it. She said the large piles of leaves block roads in East Quogue, posing a safety issue for cars and pedestrians.

Still, most of those attending a pair of “leaf forums” hosted last year by Mr. Gregor said they wanted to keep the leaf pickup program. In 2009, the town’s entire leaf and brush program, including labor, dumping fees, overtime, fuel and other expenses, cost in the neighborhood of $1.5 million, according to Mr. Gregor.

“Our feeling about it was that the program costs far more than it’s worth,” Ms. Hughes said this week.

Mr. King, who said he has spoken with about a dozen residents of Hampton Bays, said some understand why the pickup program was suspended while others are just annoyed at the delay. He said that, in his opinion, landscapers should be allowed to drop off their leaves at town transfer stations for free—a move that could save the town money and ease the burden of highway crews. Also, he said he’s in favor of fining residents who use plastic bags instead of biodegradable ones.

“I still see the plastic bags out there, and I think those people should get with the program,” Mr. King said.