Proposed Changes to Brush and Leaf Collection: Residents Should Review and Share Feedback
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Mayor Marathe has asked residents to provide feedback on proposed changes to West Windsor’s brush and leaf collection policy. I appreciate that this proposal is being shared publicly and that residents are being given a clear way to share their thoughts. I hope residents will take the opportunity to review the information and provide thoughtful feedback to the Township.
Brush and leaf collection are among the most visible municipal services in West Windsor. They affect many residents directly, and they also require significant time and resources from our Department of Public Works. DPW is responsible for much more than brush and leaf collection, including street tree maintenance, pothole repair, roadside litter collection, roadside mowing, street sweeping, guardrail maintenance, traffic line striping, snow response, and many other services residents rely on throughout the year.
The conversation should not simply be about whether people are “for” or “against” the proposed change.
It should be a broader conversation about what level of service residents reasonably expect, what our Department of Public Works can reliably deliver, and what rules are needed to make the program fair, practical, and sustainable.
Under the current policy, leaf collection runs for ten months, from March through December. The proposed change would shift leaf collection to April through January. Leaf collection would remain a ten-month service, but the schedule would change.
The Township has explained that many trees are dropping their leaves later in the year, leading to significant leaf piles in December and January. The proposed leaf schedule appears intended to better align collection with that seasonal reality.
Brush collection would see a more significant change. Under the current policy, brush collection is scheduled for ten months per year. Under the proposed policy, scheduled curbside brush collection would be reduced to five months: April, May, June, September, and October. Brush collection would no longer be scheduled in March, July, August, November, or December. Residents would still have the option to drop off brush at the DPW facility throughout the year.
The Township has framed the proposal as one where no service category is being eliminated. That is true in the sense that both brush and leaf collection would continue. At the same time, residents should understand that scheduled curbside brush collection would be reduced from ten months to five months. That is a reduction in service availability, even if the Township’s data shows that the affected months account for a smaller share of total annual brush volume.
The Township’s stated rationale appears to be operational capacity: allowing DPW crews to stay closer to the published collection schedule while also handling other important responsibilities such as street tree maintenance, pothole repair, roadside mowing, litter collection, street sweeping, guardrail maintenance, traffic line striping, crack sealing, and other public works needs.
That is a real issue worth discussing. But if the challenge is DPW capacity, then the public conversation should include not only which months to remove from the schedule, but also what level of service residents expect, what resources are needed to provide that service, and what rules would make the program manageable and fair.
The Mayor’s presentation also notes that some of the months proposed for removal have lower brush collection volume.
That data is important. So is resident experience.
Residents may want to share feedback about how often they use brush collection, which months matter most to their household, how storm cleanup should be handled, whether the drop-off option is practical for them, and what limits or rules should apply to curbside brush collection.
There are also broader policy questions worth considering. For example:
What should count as ordinary residential brush collection?
Should there be clearer limits on the size or volume of brush piles?
How should the Township handle brush generated by commercial tree work or major landscaping projects?
Would clearer rules and modern notification options make the service more predictable for residents and more manageable for DPW?
Are there seasonal staffing, contractor support, or operational changes that should be considered?
How should the Township balance service expectations, staffing capacity, cost, enforcement, and long-term growth?
These are practical questions, and they are exactly why resident feedback matters.
I encourage residents to review the Mayor’s proposal, watch the presentation if they are able, and share specific feedback with the Township before the July 15 comment period deadline.
This is exactly the kind of issue where public input matters. Brush and leaf collection may not be the most dramatic topic in local government, but it is a real service that affects daily life for many residents.
The most helpful comments will be the ones that explain how the proposed changes would affect your household, what parts of the proposal make sense, what concerns you, and what alternatives or adjustments you think should be considered.
We should use this moment to have a constructive conversation and develop a policy that works for residents, works for DPW, reflects the level of service West Windsor expects, and is clear, fair, and sustainable going forward.
Residents can submit feedback by emailing: BrushandLeaf@westwindsortwp.gov
The Mayor’s presentation and slides are available here:
Mayor’s Brush and Leaf Presentation: https://youtu.be/Q72Nx4oF1rE
Presentation Slides:
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