With preparations for fall at hand, the town of Signal Mountain’s newest town purchase could mean residents will see quicker leaf pickup operations come November.
After years of community complaints and town discussion, town officials authorized the purchase of an Old Dominion Brush pull-behind leaf machine during the Town Council meeting in early September.
“We’ve talked about this every year, but seriously this year,” said Mayor Dick Gee. “[The machine will] give us more capability, more resources to do a more effective job of picking up the leaves.”
The $30,906 machine will join the town’s four other leaf vacuums to stabilize collection capabilities by ensuring that the process does not slow down when one unit malfunctions. Loretta Hopper, the town’s director of public works, said one round of leaf collection takes about two weeks depending on weather, but added that the process takes longer when the leaf machines are constantly going back into the shop for filter cleanings and repairs.
“It’s a pretty dirty job,” Hopper said. “We might get a little rock up in there that could bend the propeller or rip the hose. They’re used very hard.”
With the new machine scheduled to arrive sometime in October and five units to soon hit the streets, Hopper said the next step is purchasing a new truck. The truck, which Hopper said would cost about $70,000, will hold the new leaf collection box the town’s mechanic is building for the coming leaf machine.
In order to further increase leaf-gathering effectiveness this year, Hopper added that the wage for temporary leaf rakers was raised to $9 an hour to get more people interested in applying for the position.
“It’s a hard job,” she said. “A lot of people don’t want to do that.”
Though mountain residents are proud of Signal’s extensive tree cover, which Gee said increases property values, enhances the economic vitality of business areas and beautifies the community, town officials are hoping these measures will reduce the problems the trees cause when they shed, such as covering street lanes.
“That’s all we do after November 1 besides pick up garbage; we pick up leaves,” said Hopper. “…Our goal is to try and do a round as quickly as possible.”