Town Board approves resolution to allow Highway Department to pick up loose leaves

The Riverhead Town Board approved a resolution last Tuesday to allow the town Highway Department to pick up loose leaves from the curbside in front of homes. The issue of loose-leaf pickup has been a source of contention for at least the last two highway superintendents, who have argued that it is not a highway department function. The issue was complicated by the fact that most residents support curbside pickups.

Newly elected highway superintendent Mike Zaleski sought to revolve the issue. 

In May, the Town Board and Mr. Zaleski agreed to seek an opinion on the issue from the state Attorney General’s office, which in turn, contacted the state comptroller’s office. The comptroller’s office found a 1976 case involving Brookhaven Town that stated: “A town board may direct the highway department to collect on a regular basis leaves and brush placed on a town highway right-of-way by property owners, with the highway department’s expenses chargeable not to the highway fund, but to the general fund appropriation for refuse collection.”

Thus, the highway department would do the work, but the expense would come from the town general fund. In Riverhead Town, all property taxpayers pay into both the general fund and the highway fund. 

That number should be increased each year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency rate schedule. Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said in her 2023 budget message that “funding has been included to continue providing leaf pickup for our residents.”

The Supervisor’s 2023 tentative budget includes $221,000 for “leaf pickup.” The Town Board authorized the agreement between the Town Board and the highway superintendent for loose leaf pick up its regular board meeting on Oct. 4.