If you’re tired of looking at tree branches stacked up on the curb, you’re probably going to have to wait another week to get rid of them.
The Orion Township Board of Trustees on April 21gave supervisor Jerry Dywasuk the authority to hire one or more private contractors to remove tree branches and limbs from properties in the township. The clean-up will begin on April 30, and all limbs and branches must be brought to the curbside or between safety paths and roadway by then.
The township received several quotes from contractors to do the work, but some were just received the day of the board meeting. Due to time constraints, the board decided to let the supervisor, with the help of other department heads, select the contractor so that work could begin before the next board meeting on May 5.
“There comes a point where we can’t keep waiting two more weeks to make a decision,” clerk Jill Bastian said. “We also need to have some type of storm policy in place.”
That was the point of Eaton Gate resident Dick Flasher, who told the board it should forget about this ice storm and begin preparing for the next one.
“I was disturbed there was not a policy in the township,” he said. “To have you here talking about this two weeks later…I think you’re wasting our money.”
Flasher said the board should be discussing an emergency policy.
“It’s very nice you’re talking about doing something, but you should be talking about what you’ll do for the next one,” he said. “I really don’t think you need to do anything on this anymore. No one remembers the ice storm.
“Bite the bullet and let it go,” he told the board.
Bastian responded that some people couldn’t afford to dispose of branches and limbs on their own.
“I don’t want there to be a health issue with people leaving their branches lying there,” she said.
“We won’t keep everybody happy, but we’re trying to act appropriately for the condition,” Dywasuk said.
The board also agreed on some guidelines for picking up tree limbs and branches. The township will only take storm-damaged tree limbs, and originally said nothing over 12-inches in diameter, but will change that if a contractor was hired who could dispose of larger branches.
The clean-up is expected to take about two weeks. Crews will work from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and most waste haulers will take tree debris if it is put in brown recycling bags or cut and bundled in managable lengths.
Branches and limbs should be neatly stacked on the curbside, and should not block road, catch basins, fire hydrants, or safety paths/sidewalks. Residents should report any hanging tree limbs in public roadways to the Road Commission for Oakland County at (877) 858-4804.
Trustee Michael Gingell asked if the township should create a schedule for the clean-up.
“Or are we going to do it as service requested by neighborhood?” he asked, adding that the township should include residents in the village.
“We’re not excluding the village,” Gingell said. “We’ll work with them.”
Dywasuk said the township would be divided into quadrants and they would be contacting homeowner’s associations to let them know approximate times of pick-up for different neighborhoods.
“This will be tricky,” he said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
Gingell said the township needed to set an end date for the clean-up, or they would be “picking up trees in December.” Treasurer James Marleau said the board could send out a schedule to newspapers, cable and publish it on the township’s website.
Trustee Eric Wilson recommended that the township do clean-up by voting precincts.
“Just say these are the days we’ll be doing these precincts,” he said. “Everyone knows where they vote.”
Bastian wanted to know who would be responsible for the larger limbs that were in the road right-of-way. Dywasuk said the road commission would be at the township for a meeting on April 22, and it would be discussed then.
Parks and recreation director Rock Blanchard said it would be difficult to set up a schedule other than the starting date.
“We don’t know what’s out there,” he said, adding that contractors would not be picking up any yard waste, fire wood or construction wood.
Gingell said that if citizens have problems with contractors hired by the township, they should contact the supervisor.
“Citizen complaints can end a contract,” he said.”If there are issues, they should report them.”
For more information on the clean-up process. call the township hotline at (248) 393-7048.