Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 14, 1991 TAG: 9103150506
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mark Layman
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Instead, the county is asking residents to bag leaves. The bagged leaves will be collected by county garbage trucks.
As in past years, the leaves probably will be taken to the county's Green Hill Park, where they will be composted or given to residents who want them for mulch.
The change was recommended by the county staff, and approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, because of the growing cost of vacuuming leaves.
Originally, eight surplus garbage trucks were refurbished to vacuum leaves. By last fall, however, only four of those trucks were still in use. The trucks are more than 15 years old and have more than 200,000 miles on them.
The trucks break down frequently, resulting in high repair costs and scheduling problems.
In 1989-1990, 70 percent of all the leaves collected in the county were vacuumed. This past fall and winter, that dropped to 50 percent.
According to a staff report to the supervisors, it would cost $177,500 to replace only the four vacuuming trucks still in use. Replacing all eight trucks that originally were used and buying two spare vacuum machines would cost $400,000.
by CNB