Friday, October 31, 2008

LEAF ANGELS WANTED

LEAF ANGELS WANTED I just received a call from an 89 year old woman who was advised by a police officer that she will be fined if the leaves in front of her house are not removed. She does not have the physical ability to rake the leaves that are on the road and comply with the law. Her gardener comes once a week—cleaning up the leaves from her home. But, some leaves somehow land in front of her house after the gardener leaves.

A number of years ago the town started a program: SNOW ANGELS. We help senior citizens shovel their driveways. I’d like to extend the program and have leaf angels. Leaf angels will help seniors and disabled residents comply with the law –so they can avoid the fine. If you are interested in volunteering – please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com or call me on my cell: 438-1343.

PAUL FEINER



IMPORTANT NEW CHANGES TO LEAF COLLECTION REGULATIONS

Last year the Town of Greenburgh adopted changes to its Sanitation Code that prohibits the piling of leaves on any public street or pedestrian walkway. While it had always been illegal in Greenburgh to pile leaves in the roadway, enforcement was not possible unless a police officer or Sanitation worker actually observed the leaves being piled in this manner. This change in law creates a presumption that the resident or landowner, whose property most closely abuts the leaf pile or leaf bags, actually "directed, suffered or permitted the leaf pile to be placed in this location". This subjects the resident or landowner to a fine of no less than

Leaves may continue to be piled on the public right-of-way or on the resident’s property closest to the road for Town collection provided this does not obstruct a pedestrian walkway. Residents whose property contains a wall, shrubs or other obstruction that prevents the piling of leaves on the right-of-way or on that portion of their property closest to the road, must bag their leaves for collection and place the leaf bags as close to the roadway as possible. Under no circumstances shall leaf piles or leaf bags be allowed on any public street or pedestrian walkway.

These changes were adopted to address the public safety issues created by leaves being piled on public roads. Although we are in the process of notifying residents and landscapers about the new law through the use of various types of media, you can assist us by advising your gardener, landscaper or neighbor of this change. Thank you for your assistance in this matter and for your cooperation in helping to keep Greenburgh safe

$150 or more than $500 per offense and under the law each day the violation continues constitutes a separate offense.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

My neighbor's landscaper blew his leaves in front of my house. So can I report him to the police?

Anonymous said...

My neighbors landscaper did the same except that my neighbor is White Plains and WP has been picking up the leaves!! I now have 3 gigantic piles, all spilling into the street.

When are we getting leaf pickups?!

Anonymous said...

Just send the police up to my neighborhood in Hartsdale. You'll have a budget surplus in no time!

Anonymous said...

I'm in Hartsdale too. What a mess. Hey. It's HARTSDALE! What do you expect? Services?

Anonymous said...

Does this law apply to gardners that blow leaves unto other properties.

Anonymous said...

Something that might be helpful in the new budget is to add another code enforcement staff member. Whether it be leaves or illegal apartments or whatever, there is so much money that could be collected from those who choose to ignore the regulations if the town would choose to enforce the regulations. The elmininated arts position could cover this new person's salary, and the revenue boost would be wonderful.

Anonymous said...

It's time for these gardeners to start taking the leaves with them when they leave. The Town should let them dump the leaves at the proper designated areas where they dump their leaves.

Anonymous said...

Illegal apartments is a much bigger problem than leaves. But no one cares.

Anonymous said...

Come to my neighborhood the leaf piles are in the Roadways. Fines could prevent a tax hike. Paul are you listening ??? You create law anounce them and then do not enforce them. Why?? You could pay a salary with all the fines and still have plenty left over. Paul are you listening ?? The time for action is NOW. Paul are you listening ??

Anonymous said...

Was the leaf law for safety or to raise funds?

Anonymous said...

I believe it was a safety issue,but since most people in town do not listen. Fines are necessary because too many people are not paying ATTENTION. Didn't you receive the letter stating NO leaves in the STREET

Anonymous said...

9:01 appears to be more motivated by the thought of raising funds. Possibly a civil servant?

Paul Feiner said...

To: Paul are you listening: How can I respond when you don't give us your address-- or at least your street?
I want to follow up on your complaint.
PAUL FEINER

Anonymous said...

Paul, You can expect to give fines to people if you do not have leaf collections. Yes, other landscapers piles leaves were ever the closest pile is and the spill into the street eventually. I live in College Corners and I currently have 4 large piles of leaves. I have corner property and it's an attractive place for leaf piles. I'm outside maintaining them as they continue to fall into the street. I've posted signs on my property asking my neighbors to tell their landscapers not to add to these piles!

I an NOT going to bad the leaves for my neighborhood! It's impossible for me to do.

What am I to do? Sue my neighbors if I get fined? Call the police?

When are we getting leaf pick up? Why haven't notices gone out to residents?

Anonymous said...

I think the law is unconsitutional. You can not prove whose leaves are whose. Why should I be forced to clean up the street? Where is the ACLU? Is paul a memeber.

Anonymous said...

Dear 7:58 and 12:22,
Consider these Greenburgh style solutions.

Careful what you write. If Chief Kapica reads or hears of it, the next thing taxpayers are going to hear is that he needs to order $400,000 of leaf DNA testing machines. The number of persons dying from unbagged leaves is a national disgrace and we've got to protect our residents. What if someone were to die.

Seriously though, what you might want to do is contact the Treasury Department in Washington. I understand that they maintain an extensive list of known leaf counterfeiters.

Ok, I was still pulling your leg.
But seriously the new software the Assessor ordered, so that the Assessor and the Head of DPW can visit together distant locations to check the accuracy of the software, can be used for surveillance of your block. Just ask the Town to run a 24/7 camera sweep of your block and you can plot the movement of each leaf.

OK, Ok, I apologize I'll bag it. I just can't help myself and I get carried away sometimes. But please consider and no jokes, for real, I mean it this time...

Leaf it up to the Supervisor. He knows the problem having spent an hour once upon a time riding on a sanitation truck. This expertise and willingness to see that the CSEA Leaf Control Officers get their long overdue but blocked raises are all that's necessary to get the job done. Trust me, it's in the bag.
Remember the DPW motto: "No leaf left behind".

And if none of this works you can always contact the Supervisor. He'll love to hear from you.

Anonymous said...

ACTING TDY COMMISSIONER WHITEHEAD LAUGHS AT AQUATICS DIRECTOR FIRING

I have been using the TDY pool for four years. But today was the last day I will ever enter through the doors of that Community Center. When I asked about what happened to Patricia Roper, in a vivid illustration of almost demonic proportions, Whitehead gleefully implied that she was no longer working at the Center. I was disgusted as to how giddy and cruel her mannerisms were at the point of my question. It was very clear that she took some type of perverted sick pleasure over someone’s loss of employment.

In the last two years Ms. Roper has been the Aquatics Director, I’ve seen a tremendous improvement in programs, staff courtesy, and equipment upgrades including a brand new electronic scoreboard, not to mention her determined advocacy of the FAST swim team. I don’t know what happened to cause Ms. Roper’s apparent termination but there was no reason for me as a Greenburgh resident to be subject to Whitehead’s attempt to denigrate and take joy from someone else’s pain. It seems hard to believe that with Whitehead’s attitude she’s employed at a community center. Her vindictive display is a poor example to our children.

Does Whitehead’s unprofessional behavior reflect the integrity, ethics, and motus operandi of you and our council members? Please answer this Paul.
OUTRAGED GREENBURGH TAXPAYER.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the civics and the Police Community Board (citizens) push for the new law? Blaming only the Town Board is unfair.
The law is intended to keep our streets safer. I have noticed big improvements in Edgemont over last year.

Anonymous said...

How very nice for Edgemont. The rest of us are living with piles 4 feet high laden with tics.

Anonymous said...

Paul- Oak St off of Woodlands Ave.
for that matter the whole Woodlands section

Anonymous said...

Paul Crest off of Palisade Ave

Anonymous said...

Where in Edgemont are the streets cleaned from leaves.
The best idea is to have the gardners collect all the leaves and dump them .
I'm tired of fighting with my neighbors gardners because they dump on me every week.
The gardners do not understand english so how can we make them understand the new law.
How about sending out some fliers to the home owners who in turn can explain what the new law states.
This town seems to forget that not everyone gets the local news, newspaper or watch the town meetings.
I guarantee that more than half of the residents have no idea as to what is happening.

Anonymous said...

We can't complain about tax hikes and then ask for more services. Better leaf collection requires more employees. More employees require more taxes.

Anonymous said...

Feiner cuts where he knows people will complain. And then says -- ok guess we cant cut. Instead we are stuck with a town artist, an energy czar, excess admin people in parks and rec. There are plenty of places which can be cut. We should be cutting the Marine Unit from the PD, and seeing if we can rely on County Swat teams, and switch to civilian EMT.

Anonymous said...

Isn’t it funny that when someone brings up a concern about the TDY Center, a blogger here responds by saying, “Close that place!” Mr. Feiner, is that you???

Anonymous said...

Town employees are the best! I luv Greenburgh.

Anonymous said...

" " " ditto

Anonymous said...

Paul,why do I have to give you a street address ? Durning normal working hours doesn't the town DPW go down almost every street? Are you tell me they don't see all the leave piles or are the keeping a blind eye so they can get the Saturday overtime? What are we doing ?

Anonymous said...

5:45 you are so right.

The town does come through the roadways to see if the workers are doing their jobs or where are they parked.

They see everything that is going on but why should they tell .
Then there will be on overtime .

This is how Regula keeps his workers quiet.

Anonymous said...

HEY REGULA WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TO PICK UP THE LEAVES.
I BET I KNOW THE ANSWER-------
SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.

Anonymous said...

Leaves were picked up today. Saw the trucks and crew members.

Anonymous said...

Super. My 3 foot high piles, yes, piles of leaves that every neighbor has dumped on me, have officially become a place to dump garbage as well. Please GET MY LEAVES. Corner of Harvard & Rutgers.

Anonymous said...

There should be no overtime for leaf collection. Several days before Halloween the garbage collectors were out bright and early collecting leafs and were still able to come back later in the day to complete the regular gargabe collection for that day. So instead of finishing at 1pm almost every day let them work a full 8 hours. I never received any letter regarding leaf fines or regulations. I currently bag my leafs weekly and place them curbside in a single line. I think that I am doing the town a favor by bagging approx. 10 bags per week. If I piled them on my lawn they would be sky high before the town came back again, not to mention that the grass that I spent all summer replanting would surely die.

Anonymous said...

What in the world makes you think Regula could run an efficient operation? The undersized Public Works Garage, that wont fit trucks? The constant overages on the library?

Anonymous said...

3 foot high piles of leaves,just wait for the snow to come pay back time for the five workers

Anonymous said...

Yes, now about 4 feet high and filled with garbage! I too spent hundreds of dollars each spring to reseed because between the leaves and the salt and sand, it kills everything. COME GET MY LEAVES!

Bagging would not solve my problem as when I bag, the bags are left on my property as well. I would be able to fill 20+ bags with what I have at this point. Where would I leave them?

Anonymous said...

Buy a lawn mower that mulches the leaves and you won't have big piles
or so many bags of leaves

Anonymous said...

Has Regula driven through the roadways.
I think he is avoiding the fact that his law of no leaves on the roadway is bull.

Check out the roadways and see what a disaster is taking place.
The roads are getting so narrow that you have to drive on the piles of leaves.
On one roadway the leaves are on top af two bolders so if a car has to drive closer to the side of the road he or she will have damaged their car.
Who will pay for the damages?
I do think that the town will be responsible since the leaves are on town property.
No one wants to place leaves on their property because it will damage their l;awn,so the end result place them on town property.
You still own fifteen feet from the center of the road.RIGHT.

Anonymous said...

Paul can you tell me how many fines have been issued for putting leaves in the roadways?? Paul are you listening ?

Anonymous said...

Forgettaboutit.

This is all BS
Did you believe that the sanitation supervisors will be given out tickets.
THAT'S WORK

.