DCMP on 
Dana Porter on 
The Northwest Civic Association is asking Mayor Coleman to reinstate free yard waste pickup by October 1, the same day the .05 percent tax increase goes into effect. In order to solve the budget crisis, Columbus ended free yard waste pickup on January 31. They initiated a voluntary program with a fee off $99 a year to have yard waste collected from homes. One of the promises the city made was that if the .05 percent tax increase was passed, yard waste pickup would be free again.
Currently, free yard waste pickup is not scheduled to begin until April of next year and the city has said this has always been the plan.
“This has never been a possibility [October 1],” Coleman spokesman Dan Williamson said of free fall leaf collection. “This has never been under consideration.”
Even the April date is not set in stone. Williamson said it is merely a goal.
However, Jennifer Adair, president of the Northwest Civic Association, disagrees.
In a letter to the mayor today, she wrote that she and others remember Coleman promising during a tax-hike forum in their part of town that yard-waste service would be restored Oct. 1.
Coleman may have misspoke at a forum. But anyone who knows the budget process in Columbus knows that it’s fluid and changes frequently based on numerous factors. The fact is, Coleman said if Issue 1 passes, yard waste will be free again and it will.
I find it interesting that the Northwest Civic Association waited until right before October 1 to send the letter to the mayor. The timetable has been in the news for at least three weeks. Was it to hopefully get more publicity by having the topic discussed so close to the tax increase. Or, was it because the weather has turned cold and the people of northwest Columbus are realizing damn, we are going to have to do something with all these leaves we’ve raked up.
Suck it up northwest Columbus. This timetable applies to all citizens of Columbus. You can opt into the paid program until April 10, or you can use one of the nine free drop off compost sites around the city.
P.S. You can type “yard waste” into the search box to see my other posts on this topic.
Sources:
Neighborhood group wants leaf pickup back
City Yard Waste Service On Hold Until April 2010
Northwest Civic Association
City of Columbus Yard Waste Recycling
It’s genius to not have leaf removal. Pure genius! Now all my neighbors f##k up the street by blowing their leaves into it. They’ll sit there until they turn into mush from the rain. I’m doing my part by filling the land fills with leaves. Which is better? Who cares? At least we have the new casino BS coming our way! Down with small business! Down with positive family fun! This city is starting to really suck and I’ve been here for 37 years.