So much brush, so little time
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS - Driving around Tinton Falls, it is hard to miss areas where there are still branches, twigs and brush on the sides of the road.

Council President Brendan Tobin said that he has received several inquires on the need for brush pickup in the borough and the perception that it has been a slow process.

Tobin said he did some research into the real volumes generated by the Feb. 14 ice storm among other weather-related problems and found that the volume of brush is staggering.

"The numbers give you the real picture as to why it has taken so long to get caught up," he said.

Tobin explained that in January, the borough's Department of Public Works crews picked up 59 tons of brush (over 118,000 pounds)

"The kind of stuff that falls in the winter and ends up blocking roads, snow plows and storm drains," he said, adding, "It is a normal amount for that time of year and, under normal circumstances, the volume doesn't get much heavier than that each month until April, when spring yard clean-ups start. Not this year."

He explained that when the ice storm hit on Feb. 14, it took about three days to get all of the homes in the borough reconnected to electric power lines. It wasn't until that point that the roads were safe to start brush collection.

He noted that the DPW crews then cleared 128 tons (256,000 pounds) in 11 days.

In March, that number jumped to 456 tons and for April, it was 349 tons, bringing the volume to a total of over 1,000 tons picked up or brought in to DPW since Jan. 1, Tobin said.

"The crews are on their third round of clearing main roads like Sycamore, Tinton, Wayside and Hope, and are getting side streets done, too," he said.

In order to provide some perspective on the volume, he said the borough collected an average of 76 tons (152,091 pounds) per month in 2006. For 2007, the borough is averaging almost 250 tons per month, three to four times the usual amounts.

"This number will grow as people do spring clean-ups and those branches still stuck up in the trees fall down in the wind, but our DPW crews are making excellent progress against the massive volume."

Tobin urged residents to be patient.

"If they've just come through your neighborhood to clean up, don't refill your street this weekend. Call the DPW at (732) 542-3400, ext. 4, to find out their best estimate of when they will be around again, so we limit roadway hazards."