Curbiside Pickup of Grass Clippings to Continue: Trustees Vote No To Code Change

The vote over an amendment to village code which would have ended the curbside pick up of grass clippings was upstaged by a lengthy discussion of the 2016 revaluation. Nevertheless, the Board of Trustees did discuss and vote to turn down the grass clippings amendment to the "Garbage Rubbish and Refuse" code for Scarsdale Village. The code also included provisions to pick up milk cartons, and beverage containers that are polycoated and to treat them as recyclables. That portion was passed with the balance of the resolution.

The vote came at a difficult time for the trustees who are under fire for the second revaluation. Though the amendment was touted as environmentally responsible, some residents perceived the change as a cut in services which would put an additional burden on them to cart away their own grass clippings. Proponents argued that the grass clippings could be left on the lawn and would provide nitrogen, improve the health of the turf and enhance water retention. Opponents feared that the clippings would clump and look unsightly.

Commenting on the proposal, Jane Curley of Hamilton Road said, "I would like my grass clipping and leaves picked up. I suspect that people who are agitating for this don't do their own yard work. I don't have a landscaper. I suspect that they employ sketchy people and treat them unfairly. I don't think the town should incentivize this."

Joseph Tannelli, past president of the New York State Turf and Landscape Association said, "Not picking up grass clippings puts an unreasonable burden on homeowners. Grass clipping clump up. I urge you to reconsider and come up with a compromise. We are receptive to work together with you to reach a satisfying solution."

Trustee Bill Stern spoke in favor of grass cycling and said that fear of tramping grass into homes was not a good reason to turn this down. He said, "Landscapers want to provide the ultimate service to their customers without regard to the environment.
The facts are that when the contracts for the village landscapers were up they got new bids – and they were much lower because we (the Village) does not have to pick up the grass."

Stern said that the Cornell Cooperative Extension recommends grass cycling, calling grass clippings a resource. He said, "They provide nitrogen; you end up buying it back as fertilizer... Clippings left on the lawn do not add to the build up of thatch and they reduces your water bill."

Trustee Deb Pekarek said she agrees with the practice of grass cycling and does it on her own lawn. She agreed that grass clipping add moisture and that it grass cycling is done by village contractors who save money by not bagging grass. She estimated that the amendment would save the village $12,900 annually. However she said, "While I believe in the environmental benefits I see landscapers making this change independently. I would like to see the board design an educational outreach program before we legislate change. I recognize that education is a slow way to implement change but I don't want to ask neighbors to bear additional costs, especially at this time."

Trustee Jane Veron said she is "pro environment," and "learned a great deal from the research." She said, "At this time I am not ready to vote for the law as is."
She called for more information. She said, "I want to hear from landscapers about how they would handle that change. Would they need new equipment? Would they have to mow more frequently? I also want to hear from a segment who manages their own lawn care – and would find this a hardship."

Trustee Matt Callaghan concurred with Veron, saying he would vote for the law, without the portion that eliminates grass clipping pick up.

Trustee Finger said, "I have dealt with this issue for a longer time. Education only gets you to a point. I favor the resolution as drafted. I won't oppose an amendment but will vote for the resolution as drafted."

With that, Mayor Mark said that with three nay votes, and the absence of Trustee Samwick from the meeting, they would not adopt the grass clipping portion of the amended code.