Task Force Recommends Sustainability Initiatives

When the Scarsdale Board of Trustees considered a resolution to end leaf pick up in Scarsdale in the fall of 2014 they formed a Leaf Education Task Force with the mission of educating the public about the benefits of mulching leaves in place rather than raking them to the curb for pick-up by the Village. After hearing public comments pro and con, the trustees decided that it would be best to raise public awareness about the benefits of mulching in place before passing a resolution to change the Village's leaf pick-up policy.

At a July 14, 2015 work session with the Scarsdale Board of Trustees the task force reported on their progress and made a recommendation for moving forward with sustainability initiatives in Scarsdale.

Task Force member Anne Jaffe Holmes reported that the group worked on a study of the soil composition in Chase Park, to gage the effects of the onsite mulching that is being done in the park. Turf management expert Chip Osborn said that all the leaves in Chase Park should remain them and found that the turf and soil have shown benefits from leaf mulching. Osborn will run an educational program in Scarsdale to teach sustainable management techniques to residents.

Madelaine Eppenstein told trustees that the Cornell Waste Management Institute had enlisted to Scarsdale to participate in a downstate soil study to determine the effects of mulching on soil. They will use about a third of Chase Park for the study. For a control property, they have identified a home on Autehreith Road where the homeowner leaves absolutely no organic matter on the lawn ... "a zero organic waste property."

Task force member Ron Schulhof outlined efforts to reach out to residents, landscapers and houses of worship through the interfaith council. The task force is hoping that houses of worship will mulch mow and place signs that read, "Leaf and Grass Mulching in Progress," on their lawns to educate their members. These signs are available for pick up at Village Hall.

In addition, the group hopes to create magnetized signs that can be affixed to village trucks that say, "Scarsdale Mulches – Leave Leaves in Place." The cost would be approximately $20 per magnet for ten to twelve trucks.

Other initiatives include the development of an FAQ list with answers to questions about mulching and how to make it work and an upcoming landscape design conference to help landscapers design properties that will be amenable to eco-maintenance. The Task Force hopes to get residents to sign a "Leaf Pledge" to mulch and will also make phone calls to landscapers to encourage them to use mulching blades on their customer's properties.

Trustees had asked the task force for additional recommendations and they offered one at the meeting. The task force recommended that the Village end the practice of picking up grass clippings from Village curbs. Arguing that grass is 99% water and nitrogen, they said that it was best to leave the grass clippings on the lawn. Holmes said, grass is "organics that come up from the earth that is designed to go back into the earth."

The task force believed that this was a small step forward for Scarsdale and would serve to educate the public about the benefits of mulching.

Village Manager Steve Pappalardo told the group that the village picks up 15,000 tons of yard waste a year, and 15% of this is from village-owned properties. About the proposal to stop picking up clippings, Pappalardo said, "I think it would require some education. I am concerned about pulling the plug with pulling people into the conversation."

Mayor Jon Mark added, "It would be good to get some community feedback.
We need to take some time to get some input from the community and the landscapers."