Troy City Officials Hope to Remedy Storm Drain Issues With Community Survey

By Brandon Wells

After being implemented in 2020, the City of Troy’s ban on leaf and yard waste burning has been both positive and negative.

With that being said, what is yard waste?

In the original ordinance document, yard waste is defined as ‘grass, leaves, flowers, stalks, stems, tree trimmings and branches.’ The ban prohibits open burning of said waste, but has many exceptions regarding recreational use.

Initially being done in order to keep the air clean and stop people from breathing in smoke, the ban has since presented one problem: Where will the leaves go?

The most concerning side effect of the ban is the clogging of the city’s storm sewers. Without burning, the city has trouble disposing of the large amount of leaves that end up covering the ground during Fall months.

With this in mind, City Administrator Jay Keeven said the city is conducting a survey with the purpose of finding a solution.

The survey consists of questions regarding the ban itself, as well as issues it has caused and how the city might go about fixing them.

One such solution has been discussed for some time, that being limited burning within the city. This is the primary solution being discussed by both citizens and officials.

The survey itself is meant to help City Council members see what the people of the city want in terms of leaf burning before they make a decision.

You may take the survey by visiting the City’s website, http://www.troyil.us/348/Home

The results of the survey and decision regarding the ban will be discussed in the City Council’s meeting next Tuesday, Sept. 6.