Local crews answer limb pick-up call

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Following Mayor Tom Henry's announcement Thursday that the City will hire private contractors, the City received numerous calls from companies and individuals interested in helping to speed clean up of limbs and branches left curbside following the December 19 ice storm.

"My office and 311 have been inundated with calls from contractors wanting to assist the City in collecting debris from the ice storm. I've been impressed with the response we received from qualified companies," Mayor Henry said. "I am eager to help put local companies to work in Fort Wayne neighborhoods and get our City cleaned up."

Depending on weather, some crews could begin Saturday with others starting Monday. The contractors will either haul away the branches to the City's drop-off locations or use a chipper on site to turn them into mulch.

The City received more than 100 inquiries Friday from tree services, landscapers and contractors and is contacting qualified companies in Fort Wayne or Allen County for cost estimates. The City has a sufficient number of potential contractors and does not need additional calls.

Fort Wayne residents need to have all tree limbs and branches at the curb by Friday to ensure all branches are ready for pick-up when crews come through. There will only be one curbside branch collection per street.

The City has posted a map of the 52 pruning sectors on the City's website. It shows the areas where City crews have already cleaned up the branches left curbside, where City are working and the next locations to be picked up as well as sections covered by private contractors.

To see a map of the branch collection sectors, visit www.cityoffortwayne.org/branchpickupmap

People no longer need to call 311 to report branches in their parkstrip. To help expedite the curbside pick-up, the City offers the following recommendations when possible:

*Place branches perpendicular, not parallel, to the street
*Put the branches in multiple small piles instead of a single, large pile
*Trim long branches into smaller pieces
*Keep the branches from extending into the street

The following sites for limb and branch drop-offs will be open through the end of January:

Shoaff Park by Conklin Pavillion
Tillman Park Ball Field parking lot off Hanna St.
McMillen Park in pool parking lot
Foellinger Theater/Lincolndale lot in Franke Park
Foster Park West in soccer field parking lot
Biosolids Compost Facility, 6210 Lake Ave.
National Serv-all Compost Site, 6231 MacBeth Rd.