Options to increase spending to pick up loose leaves more frequently and in more areas of the town will be on the table during this year’s town budget process.
A staff report (item 9.3) presented to town council on Aug. 9 outlined ways to improve services to meet increasing demand – at a cost.
In some of Oakville’s older neighbourhoods with larger trees, the town currently picks up piles of leaves that residents rake to the curb. Pickups take place over six weeks through October and November.
Residents who don’t receive loose-leaf pickup can get rid of leaves by bagging them for pickup every two weeks or delivering them to the region’s waste facility on Highway 25.
But with town councillors seeking to add new areas to the loose-leaf pickup zones over the last year, a new strategy is being proposed by town staff.
The plan envisions providing the service to neighbourhoods when they reach 25, 40 and 60 years of age.
At 25 years, neighbourhoods would receive one fall loose-leaf pickup. The town would add a second pickup at 40 years and a third at 60.
"Introducing tiered visits based on canopy age allows for a balanced approach in providing additional service," Sam Inchasi, the town’s manager of works operations, told councillors during their Aug. 9 meeting.
He also proposed adding service on streets bordering mature woodlots and improving communication with residents about pickups.
The improved service level would add $13,750 to the town’s budget in 2022. As more areas age into the plan, yearly spending would continue to increase.
Alternately, councillors could consider a tiered pickup schedule based on 25, 34 and 50 years. That would add $34,250 to the 2022 budget.
The issue will be considered by the town’s budget committee when it meets later this fall.
Ward 5 councillor Marc Grant, who had sought to expand the service, applauded the suggestion to formalize service levels through a tiered approach.
"You’ve certainly found a good path down the middle, where we’ve got some good compromises, I think," he said.
The town also plans to create an online Leaf Tracker app, similar to its snowplow tracker app.