Leaf Us Alone

How many Portlanders have paid the new leaf removal fee.

4 Comments

More than a month after street sweepers passed through Portland’s “leaf districts” to clear fallen foliage, only 37 percent of assessed property owners have paid the new removal fee.

By comparison, almost the same percentage—35 percent—of the 30,000 assessed property owners have withheld their payments, ranging from $15 to $65, under an opt-out provision.

And 28 percent of billed residents have simply ignored requests for payment, according to the latest figures from the city.

That all means Portland’s Bureau of Transportation has raised $335,000 from the new program—less than half of its $800,000 goal.

But residents peeved about the new charge for about 15 percent of the city’s households say they’re surprised the city has collected even that much.

Julie Poust, one such resident, owns a bungalow in the Colonial Heights neighborhood of Southeast Portland. She says she’s not opposed to paying for services like leaf removal. But she “ranted and raved” when she got a $30 bill last year because her block has no street trees. She then opted out of the program, along with 10,499 others.

Officials with the city’s Transportation Bureau caution these numbers are preliminary. They expect a more complete breakdown late next month. However, preliminary bureau budgets are due Jan. 31, and staffers have drafted financial scenarios for fiscal year 2011 that include lower revenue estimates for leaf-removal services.

Even Portlanders who paid the fee are grumbling. Eastmoreland resident Robert McCullough owns one house on Reed College Place divided by a median strip with city-owned trees, and a second house with no street trees. “I had to pay twice,” he says, “once for leaves that weren’t there and once for leaves that weren’t mine.”

01.26.2011 at 01:42 Reply

frank ball

I would suggest either making them pay or eliminating the service, as the whole county shouldn't have to pay for it.

01.27.2011 at 10:31

Steve B.

Frank, you have it wrong. The city should clean the streets, and not charge the property owners. We already pay for this with our property taxes. This is nothing but a money grab by city hall. Like the citizens, the city needs to do more with less.

01.28.2011 at 12:09 Reply

stephenomist

This subject deserves more attention & significantly more analysis. First, we need reliable data. Exactly how many leaves are we talking about? If the number is unknown, the City should immediately hire staff to count the leaves and identify whether they're generated by public or privately owned trees? (It's important that those hired by the City to perform this work have Union representation, and that their compensation and working conditions be subject to new collective bargaining agreements negotiated under good faith). After eatablishing how many leaves are to be subject to the new rule making, a Public Commission should be established to make leaf removal policy proposals to City Council. It's critical that this commission is comprised equally of homeowners, landscapers, homeless leaf-kickers, members of Portland's LBGT community, cyclists, drivers (of internal combustion & electric vehicles), stormwater experts, Friends of Trees, Enemies of Trees, Anarchists & manufacturers of Leaf Blowers (not connected with Portland's LBGT community).

Obviously, City incentives for tree planting (currently offered as discounts on Water & Sewer Bills) will need to be dramatically increased. Concurrently, the leaf removal fees charged charged to homeowners and Portland business owners need also be exponentially increased to offset the revenue losses created by the aforementioned discounts. The Portland Department of Transportation must increase its budget by 15% awhile Portland's Bureau of Plannning & Sustainability furloughs the two employees who still believe Portland Bureau of Environmental Services Director, Dean Marriott owns the Portland Marriot Hotel.

If ever an issue screamed for Sam Adams to use the "bully pulpit" it is this one. Either at the next State of The City Address, or at the next mention of the word "sustainability" during a session of City Council, the Mayor must declare his commitment to address this critical issue by re-shuffling City Bureaus, assigning Nick Fish as Police Commissioner with the expectation that from hereforward use of 'Deadly Force' be sanctioned in all matters related to collection of leaf removal fees.

02.05.2011 at 12:08

pseudoname

ROFLMAO!!!

I haven't had such a good belly laugh since Nov, Stephenom! That was brilliant, thank you!

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Leaf Us Alone

How many Portlanders have paid the new leaf removal fee.