As many of you know by now, the City of LaSalle has started a leaf program. We are asking residents who want their leaves picked up to call and schedule an appointment. You , as a resident, are instructed to rake your leaves to the front of your home and make a long thin pile stretching along the curb. We will bring our equipment and men and dispose of your leaves without you having to bag them or (god forbid) burn them in a safe area. Seems like a wonderful program and I have to admit that if that’s what the public wants we should try and accommodate them. Here’s the problem……bad planning!
Mayor Grove first discussed the possibility of setting up this program with the help of the City of Peru. Both cities would exchange equipment in an effort to save money on duplicating equipment purchases. Sounds wonderful! But no agreement had been brought to the council of either LaSalle or Peru by their Mayors. As of this date the council is still waiting for that ordinance to be created. The problem came when Fall arrived and the leaves started falling. Because Mayor Grove promised we would do this this year he decided to improvise and use a piece of equipment not designed for this type of work. On his own he made the decision to use our old sewer vacuum truck. This unit functioned Monday and Tuesday but the fan unit burned out on Wednesday.
Because he committed to pick up the leaves which at this point were accumulating on many blocks throughout the city, he instructed our superintendent of public works to rent a leaf machine from a Chicago firm.
The cost to rent this equipment is $6500.00 per month. The unit is a 1997 (read 12 years old) which we can purchase for $15,000. A new unit would be $35,000. I understand we appropriated $20,000 for a leaf vacuum this year.
What’s wrong with this picture? Why the rush Mr Mayor. Their is a process we go through on establishing programs for the city. Mayor Jeff apparently feels the process doesn’t work for him and he has the authority to do things without council approval. I think this stems from lack of understanding the job of Mayor. Had he thought before he acted or better yet, worked with the council we may have avoided this mistake. As it stands we are on the hook for at least $6500 in rental, cost of repair to a piece of equipment which should not have been used in this application, and whatever labor costs that go along with leaf work versus doing other city functions.
Other cities doing this have a schedule and route dictating what streets are picked up when. We are running all around the city without a plan, just an appointment book. This will lead to duplicating pickups on the same blocks and at an unnecessary additional cost.
Fall comes at the same time during the calendar year. 6 months would have and should have been plenty of time to set up a program. If he was involved in other things this plan could have been set up next Fall. The idea that Peru would have lent their equipment at a time of year that they are using it makes little sense.
I hope the Mayor has learned a lesson and realizes that this city is governed by himself and the City Council not as a dictatorship. If he has, maybe we will get this leaf pickup thing right next year !
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