Maybe the township needs to revise these rules, especially in the spring and fall. Thankfully the residents take pride in their properties and are anxious to clean them up. The township should consider multiple pick ups in spring and fall. If they have enough time to drive around town issuing summons, they could have just picked up the brush.

I feel the same way MJG. We live on Hilltop and the Cul-de-Sac on our corner had brush there since November 2011. The township trucks just kept riding right by and didn't pick it up until early March 2012.

agreed. we actually got a summons because we had a tree almost completely fall down from a storm and my husband put it all to the curb.. he had to then clean it all up into a trailer and dispose of it at the township building.

As this issue inspires strong emotions on both sides I think it would helpful if I provide some additional insight.First and most important, brush service is continuing at the same level as always.There is no decrease in service or pickup dates.The only change is the enforcement of a rule that has always been in existence though rarely enforced; that brush only be placed crubside the week of pickup.The primary reason the town must now enforce this longstanding rule is because of recent NJDEP Stormater regulations and designation of The Pompeston Creek as a Class A protected waterway.One aspect of these regulations require regular streetsweeping as well as keeping debris out of storm drains.When brush is placed in the street for long periods of time there is an increased risk that the drains clog.This places the town in violation of NJDEP regulations and puts our taxpayers at risk for hefty fines.Quite simply, the town has lost the flexibility it once had to "look the other way" when residents leave brush in the street for 3 or 4 weeks at a time.NJDEP issues aside, the town has always receieved a large number of resident complaints about neighbors putting brush in the roadway, from both a safety and property maintenance standpoint.

Residents often complain that brush in the roadway creates a negative appearance and violates our property maintenance ordinances. More seriously, brush in the street creates an obstruction in the township right of way causing safety issues for pedestrians and vehicles alike as they are forced toward the center of the roadway around the brush piles. Obviously, as brush must be placed in the street for pickup to occur, the town must find a balance that allows for efficient pickup service while minimizing the safety and aesthetic issues associated with brush in the street. Restricting residents to their alloted week is the best way achieve this balance. With regard to notice, the town has gone to great lengths to educate our residents to this new enforcement initiative. As with any new rule, there is a transition period as we adjuste. The "citations" issued would be more accurately described as correction notices. If brush is removed from the street (it can be placed on the curb as long as it's not in the street) then there is no fine associated with the violation. Compliance is our only goal. I am pleased that Patch has taken the time to write this article as it provides one more avenue for educating residents about our responsibilities. Needless to say, if residents have any questions, they should not hesitate to contact Fred Turek at Public Works or Pam McCartney at the Township Complex.

Seems to me that if we just drained the Pompeston Creek this wouldnt be as much of an issue.

I think Mr. Young misses the point.....the people who are putting the brush out do care about their properties, that is why they are cleaning them up from the winter. I I was home when my citation was left......how hard would it have been for the superintendent to just knock on my door and inform me of my violation, instead of leaving a threatening citation.

By the way, my neighbors and myself who all take pride in our properties were cited on March 21, 2012. When I finally was able to find the brush schedule, we were legally allowed to put our debris out on March 26, 2012......we were cited for being early by 5 days! I know spring is a very busy time for the public works department, doesn't the superintendent of public works have more important tasks to perform then to ride around and threaten the very people that pay his salary! What is happening with this town?

I'm glad their starting to warn people with fineless citations. I have one neighbor who puts out their brush, without fail, a day after brush pick up every year now for 8 years!!! Its sooooo annoying and makes our street look like trash. A few months ago, after the last brush pickup, the put a pile of twigs at the curb!! I was so tired of seeing it day in and day out (for months) that I just cleaned it up with my sons. It was a really good lesson for them on this is how you DON'T want to treat your home...curbside included!! Oh for those who are upset that they don't know the schedule....here is a really simple solution: get on the phone, call the township and ask.

More people complaining when the information has been sent to every resident multiple times over the years. I've seen this notice at least twice a year and saw it at Cinnaminson day as well. I hope they keep up the enforcement for the leaves come fall. I would say a lot of it isn't necessarily the homeowners, but the landscaping companies they hire. I know that's the case in my neighborhood, they put stuff out weeks prior to our scheduled pick-up dates and it ends up all over the place.

I would like to make a suggestion that the weeks rotate each year. My area is always the last week of the month (group 4) and in November and December for leaf pick-up, that's a little rough to be doing it that late in each of those months every year not to mention it's holiday time as well.

Does the reverse work......when they are supposed to pick up our debris and it sits there way past the date they are supposed to come, are we allowed to cite them? What I am speaking about, is leaving debris in the streets (and ironically mine was the leaves they didn't pick up in the Fall) such a crime that warrants such a response? It seems to me that this town seems to be fixated on appearances rather than substance. Mr. Young speaks about people don't realize until they get a citation, doesn't that speak to the fact that they aren't communicating effectively to the people of this township. Like the article said, before the collections start, put a township wide message out on the phone system informing people that if they don't follow the collection rules, they will be cited and MAKE SURE that the website if updated with the correct information before you cite people. That doesn't seem to be too hard to do.

@Janice, to be clear, the Superintendent of Public Works does not drive around looking for violations and writing citations. Properties in violation of the regulations are reported by the police, public works employees, code enforcement office, and neighboring property owners. With regard to the citation, it is a notice to correct and as it is an official document the verbage is standard legal form. It is not anyone's intent to "threaten" anyone. It is meant to inform the property owner of a violation as well as what happens if the condition is not corrected. Again, compliance is the only goal. With regard to property maintenance and Committeeman Young's comment, I think we all take great pride in our homes and properties. That's one of the main reasons Cinnaminson is such an attractive community. That said, there is an ability to maintain and improve our properties while complying with NJDEP regulations and this ordinance. Remember, the only restritction is that brush cannot be placed in the street until your neighborhood's alotted week. Brush can be kept anywhere else on your property until your week. You can haul brush to public works and dispose of it at no cost if you don't want to keep it onsite. I'm confident that once residents become familiar and comfortable with this rule we will be pleased with the enhanced appearance and safety of township streets. And, of course, that we're doing our part to comply with NJDEP's mandate to protect our waterways

I am very glad to see these rules being enforced. On narrow streets, the piles of brush are a driving hazard as well as looking sloppy. And please don't say we haven't been informed of the rules. They are on the township website, and come in the mail.

I very much appreciate the DPW for its street sweeping. I just wish they would schedule it on a day we do not put our recyclables out. The sweeper has to swing around the cans and misses a lot. By the way, in addition to the township sweeping my street, I also sweep in front of my house. It makes the property look better.

Does the township have rules about conditions of sidewalks? There are many well-kept sidewalks in this town but there are some real nasty ones that need repair. The sidewalks in bad shape bring down the well-kept look of their neighbors.

I am personally uphauled my Young's comment that we don't take pride in our properties and shows you the mentality on Township Committee. People who clean up are the ones with pride Mr. Young, I don't think you would appreciate a neighbor who did not clean their lawn. Since we have a committee man on here answering questions, I would appreciate some insight to the public works operation. Isn't public works usually busy around this time with snow removal ?? Being it was such a mild winter, what were they doing other than snow removal ?? Couldn't they have been out picking up the brush ?? Or is maintaining the parks now a priority since I see them constantly there....

@'ask'; I will be happy to re-state my policy regarding comment on the articles. I do not engage in debate nor will I conduct Q&A sessions on blogs, comment sections, or on the internet. On occasion, I will sign on to make a clarifying statement if I think it provides insight to the subject of a published article. The other instance where I will comment is if intentionally misleading information is being posted by anonymous "sources" and is causing unnecessary concern and confusion among residents. In that case, I have a responsibility to ensure that the correct information is being provided. Outside of those situations, the only appropriate forum for general Q&A is at our public meeting where you stand up, state your name, address, and question for the record and I will be happy to answer your question. Your question and my response will become public record and all residents have the benefit of our interaction. When I came onto Committee in 2002, we expanded public comment portions in both our regular and executive sessions and our regular meeting continues to be televised on Comcast cable access channel 28. Cinnaminson has long been a leader in transparency and every resident has the protected right to stand up, speak their mind, and question Committee on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 7:30pm. I hope to see you there.

I will forward this notice to all the trees and bushes in my yard letting them know when they are allowed to break. Thanks!

I am just happy that the township takes the brush away.. Imagine living in an area that does not do this.. Like where we came from over the bridge. Its everyone for themselves and no one helped the residents by removing the brush.. We had to remove it ourselves or pay someone to remove it.. Just be happy with what we have people.. I am

Just follow the rules and this wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that people put out brush whenever they want and leave it there for weeks or months without caring about our waterways or the appearance of the neighborhoods. Kudos to the twp for taking steps to try to correct this problem and thanks Tony for clarifying the article.

If Cinnaminson DPW could actually stay on the aforementioned "brush schedule", then residents should adhere to the rules. But when collection is behind, as it generally is, residents show very little motivation to hold up their end of the bargain. It's a team effort.

@RL, There are two main reasons that brush pickup falls behind schedule. The first is due to weather, which is obviously out of the Township's control. The second reason is far more impactful and will hopefully be addressed through our new enforcement initiative; Our residents cause significant delays by placing brush out within days (and sometimes hours) of their street having been picked up. In those cases, our crews will often double back and re-pickup a road or section that had just been cleared. This is incredibly inefficient but our crews often visit areas more than once in an effort to ensure the roads are cleared. It is anticipated that if residents are committed to following the proper schedule, the delays in pickups we've seen in the past will be minimized.

I always try to follow Township "Rules", so I for one am pleased they are finally taken some type of action. After all, this is what we pay for is it not? For them to do their jobs....right? I have seen neighbors put debris out after the pick up in our area only for it to sit until the next scheduled pickup. Keep up the good work!

I am just wondering why Cinnaminson can't have pickups 12 months depending on the need. I believe that Palmyra picks up year round.

This policy was put in place over 12 years ago when I was in office. It is clearly frustrating to have a street cleaned up of brush or leaves and within hours after the truck passes your neighbor is putting something out that is going to sit there for a month and if it is a five week cycle longer. While I haven't seen the language or the tone of the citation, it is right to go forward with keeping the streets as clear as possible. Maybe the message needs to be softer. As a community, it can start to look trashy real quickly if not monitored. My only suggestion would be that it be a nine day window for ahead of your week instead of seven. This will give you the weekend before your scheduled pick-up to also get your brush and leaves to the curb. One last note to Anna, you can't have brush out twelve months a year due to the need to pick up leaves which can't be mixed with brush. Also, to plow snow your roadways need to be free of brush and leaf piles.

Everyone should be very thankful that our town even picks up brush removal curbside. There are many municipalities in Burlington County due to budget cuts that do not pick up brush anymore. I am sure following a few rules and regulations due to Department of Enviromental Protection Laws and Township ordinances, this slight inconvenience should not be a problem for anyone. If there is no brush pickup here by our DPW, maybe traveling to the Burlington County Landfill in Florence Twp. and being charged $15.00 per ton might be a better option for all the residents. I suggest putting your curbside debris out on your designated weeks. Craig

It would be great if enforcement was also cited for cleanup on the Pompeston Creek. Water flow is virtually stagnant in areas and homeowners along the Arbor side definetely do not clean anything up in the creek which stops the flow of water.

Residents, wake up and smell the roses. This very committee ticketed a number of small businesses in town last year along with the shop I go to (Long's), do you really think they would hesitate to ticket you for putting your branches out on the street !!! Courtesy is dead people, Cinnaminson is now mirroring other towns like Evesham and adopting a "you will do what we tell you to do" attitude. Mercy on all of us....

For goodness sakes people, just put your brush out when you are supposed too! End of story.

@Mary Beth, you must not live in Cinnaminson because if you think Long's is bad you should take a closer look at the shop next to the Fire Department on Cinnaminson Avenue or even Meineke, now that's an eyesore !!! I am surprised that township officials are harrassing residents about brush when there are businesses like Meineke that look like they should be in Camden !!!

@marybeth. You see 20 junkers at longs? Isn't that a exaggeration ? Why drive the best repair shop out of town . Some of us don't have new cars and having long's in town has been good for me.

@Phil actually as I understand the ordinance, it is one week before your scheduled pick-up, meaning the Monday before your week. Pick-up in our area was to start this Monday 3/26/12 so the earliest that I could put it out our brush was 03/19/12. My suggestion was to move that back two days and to tone down the citation language. As with anything some level of flexibility needs to exist by both the homeowners and the Township. It is a great service to have but we do need to be mindful of a schedule so it doesn't get out of control. Also, I see a lot of grass clippings at curbside and I am not sure we pick clippings up. That should be clarified.

Wow....so let's see what I learned today.....I learned that since the township sent out two mailers it is okay that they didn't update their website. So for those of us who rely solely on getting their information off the website, we are out of luck. It is pretty hard to read something that isn't there. Then I learned we should be thankful for a service that we pay taxes for. Maybe I am wrong but I always thought that the township's main objective is to provide people with basic services before they spend money on other things. So if they are going to cut anything out of the budget, I would hope it would be these other expenditures first. Lastly, I learned that this law has been in effect for over 12 years and sometimes is enforced and sometimes isn't during those 12 years. Well if the township did what I suggested in the article and had the phone system call everyone and tell them that from now on this will be strictly enforced, then the citations wouldn't take people by surprise and there wouldn't have been a need for this article!
this article.

I have received several inquiries about how/why this ordinance now must be enforced so I'm going to give some background.Former Committeeman O'Connor is correct, Cinnaminson has had 1 week restriction "on the books" for years. As it was a town ordinance only, enforcement was flexible & at our discretion.In the last 6 years, Cinnaminson was hit with a "double barrel"of NJDEP regulation.First, the Pompeston (at the urging of the Pompeston Creek Watershed Association) was designated a Class A protected waterway meaning it was endangered. Concurrently NJDEP passed new stormwater regulations called MS4. Because nearly all of Cinnaminson drains to the Pompeston, & because PCWA was successful in having the Pompeston designated "Class A protected", we were ordered to comply with "Tier A" standards (the most restrictive). Over the last several years the Town has been phasing in mandatory ordinances of MS4. As brush pickup is the service most impacted, we've been educating residents through announcements (at every televised meeting), mailers (in every tax bill), and explanations each year like the recent mailer. The bottom line is we have no choice but to begin enforcement of face fines from NJDEP. Again, this in not the town's choice, but a state mandate and due largely to the efforts of PCWA and former their presidents Dey, Lord, and Pierson. I am including a link to the model ordinance the town was compelled to adopt.
http://www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/pdf/Tier_A/Chapter%207.pdf

To be clear, we've had to adopt the entire package of ordinances. The section pertinent to "yard waste" can be found on page 10 of 18. I would invite those with questions to contact current PCWA president Cindy Pierson for her feedback. Her organization was instrumental in this effort and should be taking an active role in educating our residents about these restrictions. Again, the town does not have the flexibility it once had. It doesn't matter whether we agree with these regulations. We are mandated to comply with the NJDEP. I don't believe the requirement to place brush at the mandated time is unreasonable and I do believe it won't be a problem once residents understand the how and why this is necessary

Ah....Mr. Minniti is passing the buck to the Turtle Lady. Well played, Mr. Minniti, well played.

@Anonin,I believe all residents have a right to know the genesis of regulations they find unpopular.If these regs have their roots with the governing body, I will provide insight into our thought process and desired goals.If the regs come from outside agencies,residents have the right to know who has written the law so they may ask similar questions.The fact is all Cinnaminson residents need to be educated about the activities of the PCWA.They are more than a volunteer group that cleans the river & puts on seminars for school children.Under their most recent presidents, Lord & Pierson, they have engaged in environmental political activism at the County and State levels. While the Committee was unable to prevent the NJDEP classification of the Pompeston (resulting in mandatory & burdensome municipal regulations), PCWA has continued to pressure this Committee to pass local ordinances that would have tremendous impacts on all homeowners, particularly those that live within 150 feet of the Pompeston.Committee fought back attempts to regulate the fertilizers residents use on their lawns,sealers they use on their driveways, where & when they can wash their cars, disposal of pet waste in your own yard, requirement of expensive rain garden drainage on new home construction/additions & even an ordinance requiring NJDEP approval of sheds or additions if you live along the creek.The brush pickup ordinance is a minor inconvenience compared to what Committee succeeded in turning back

Gotta love those environmental activists.

Just a little Thank You to the guys out in my neigborhood yesterday. They did a great job picking up the brush and debris.My street looks great.

Sorry I didn't respond quickly enough for some of you - I teach, and have to wait until I get home from work to take a look at the patch comments. Now that I have scanned the comments, I am going to follow my own advice and type my response, have someone proofread it, and then I'll post it. I would rather take a little bit of time so that I can address specific comments with accurate information that can be documented, instead of just lashing out or being accused of trying to scapegoat anyone. Please be patient.

Mr. Minnitti - you are essentially passing the buck to the PCWA. The PCWA didn't write the strongly worded threatening "warning". The PCWA didn't have outdated information regarding brush pickup on their website. Nor is the PCWA responsible for the lack of notification or clarity of information to residents.

Please Mr. Minnitti. Your smoke and mirrors aren't fooling anyone.

Mr. Minniti,
I don't think I'm confusing the issue at all. There are ordinances in place for a reason. Pretty much everyone on here seems to be in agreement that the ordinances need to be enforced to have a smooth flow in the pickup. It's great that we can be flexible but it seems to create more work and, if most residents are complying, then all should be. By following the rules, it lessens the work for DPW and keeps the streets clear of debri when it shouldn't be there. It allows the drain system to do what it is supposed to do; clear the water from the streets. What's so confusing?

Mr Minniti, as an aside, I think the issue has been complicated by attempting to explain at length PCWA's involvement with all of this. You yourself in earlier posts on Wednesday cited that the ordinances should be followed to keep Cinnaminson streets clean and not have duplicate work down by public works. I'm not sure why now we have to be upset by losing our "flexibility" in following the ordinances. That choice of "flexibility" is what causes problems when some residents are giving leeway and some aren't based on arbitrary decisions. We all need to be treated equally as residents, right?

Except that PCWA's actions have nothing to do about the issue should the ordinances be enforced for everyone for the betterment of our community? If they should then PCWA is a non-issue unless you feel we should "bend the rules" when it suits us. And then who gets to have that flexibility and who doesn't. It's sets a bad precendent when we pick and choose what rules to follow; I'm a democrat and even I know that. And even though environmentalists may be a bit too passionate in their causes it evens out those who could care less and use the streets, parks, etc as their own private dumping grounds for their trash and waste. Otherwise we'd be living near a cesspool instead of a creek.

I would like to politely point out that Mr. Minniti is mistaken. I have uploaded several PDF documents that will show that the PCWA is not responsible for the things Mr. Minniti accuses us of. Also check www.state.nj.us/dep and looke up the NJ Municipal Land Use Law and read article 12! Note that the laws and requirements that the committee fought were from the state, not the PCWA. And even though they fought, all of those laws were adopted by the committee and made part of the township code. I find it interesting that the committee seems to be proud that they fought against regulations whose purpose is to protect the health and safety of residents. I have not read any of the citations, but I get the impression that people were upset by the tone and wording more than the citations themselves. And for the record, I support the township's yard waste policy - when debris of this type gets washed to the storm sewers, it creates all kinds of problems - from street flooding to non-point source pollution. Perhaps if the township had taken advantage of the offer to host neighborhood stormwater education programs, people would understand the situation more clearly, and would have been on the lookout for the brush pick-up schedule to arrive, or known where to look for it. And in spite of attempts to discredit both the PCWA and me personally, we would still be happy to work with the township to provide these free programs

The Public Works website was not wrong, they were late changing the heading "2011" to "2012. The schedule has been the same for 12 years. The Township also made a contribution to the Make A Splash Foundation last year supporting Stormwater Education. Thank you Mr. Minniti for taking the time to communicate with our residents.

Dear Steve,
FYI, I actually agree with the ordinance. I appreciate efforts to keep my neighborhood clean and free from debris, as well as keep our stormdrains clear to reduce backups.

What I don't agree with is Mr. Minnitti blowing smoke by bringing the PCWA into this rather than address the actual issue itself: brush pickup. Not to mention his usual tone of hubris and condescension.

I would like the town to address the real issue, enforcing the ordinance to keep squirrels from moving into my brush. It is hard to remove them, especially with all the prickly sticks from the rose garden.

This local ordinance is simple and straightforward.

Superintendent Turek and the DPW should also abide by the law. It is a Federal offense for the DPW to place the violation notice and brush schedule directly in mailboxes without postage - they can be fined for each offense.

Where has everyone gone? We the People, Silvia, Reality Check - Did you do the research, visit the links and find out that someone's comments were untrue and uncalled for? I guess the name calling and sarcasm aren't as much fun, or as easy, when the target of the venom counters with courtesy and facts.

Committeeman Anthony Minniti and Fred Turek - I would like to have someone interpret what the brochure says that you hand out:
Brush Pickup: Brush is picked up between March and October. To insure pickup of brush (during the appropriate season) it must be at the curb no later than 7:00 A.M. on the Monday morning of the collection week scheduled for your area. Brush and/or leaves can only be placed curbside for collection one week prior to the beginning of the week of your scheduled pickup. Failure to comply may result in fines assessed. At the end of the season, your last bush pickup will be the week in October that you are scheduled, not the end of the month.
I am specificially looking at the 3rd sentence.
Thank you

All I know is....In some areas I have had to drive in the middle of the road to avoid leaves/limbs etc. and when cars are coming the other way it makes it more difficult. ALSO, Since moving here awhile back we have been pleased with the services afforded by the township government! ALTHOUGH, the price IS included in our taxes.......which I hope don't increase much anymore ELSE....................

I had a few branches at the curb that the wind blew down.
A large Refuse truck and a backhoe with a front scoop parked in front of my house.
Two men got out and looked at my twigs.
The truck driver got back in the truck and, a few minutes later, walked up to my house and left me a citation.
It would have taken much less time to pick up the twigs, especially since the truck and loader were already there.
Fearing for God knows what wrath, I broke up the twigs and put them in a trash bag.
Couldn't the Township use someone in a car or pickup to drive around giving out citations. I'm just saying...........

Its seems simple to me. Since so many people have fire pits, etc...., in their backyards now, it is time to start burning your own leaves and brush like we used to do.

IMPORTANT MEETING ALERT! I have learned from sources that Cinnaminson planning committee will be hearing an application tomorrow(Tuesday) night 4-24 at 7:30pm. The plan for reuse of the Corestates Bank on the corner of Meeting House and Route 130 will be presented. I'm told that former candidate for council, KEN GERTIE is the owner and is FIGHTING against the township requirement for sidewalks on Route 130. PLEASE ATTEND and tell all who are worried about Route 130 safety to come. The planning committee needs to know the people of Cinnaminson support a safer Route 130! It is important that we the community DEMAND Mr. Gertie put the safety of our town and Route 130 first!