The City of Smithville is clarifying its brush and tree limb removal policy after officials say some residents are abusing the system. The city has provided the service to residents for many years, but is now redefining its policy to make the rules more clear.

During a special meeting of the Smithville Mayor and Board of Aldermen, the board voted 5-0 to approve an updated policy. Residents will now be permitted two free pickups of brush and limb piles per year, and only from their own property with limbs and brush cut by the property owner. The city will not pick up piles cut by commercial tree cutting services.

Before the vote, Alderman Jessica Higgins asked about why the city was limiting the pickups to two, which City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson replied, “We have a lot of people who take advantage of it. It doesn’t happen a lot.”

“Some people we pick up nine or ten times a year,” City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson explained. “They will put small piles out there and sometimes put big piles out there. Now, if a storm comes through, that’s a different story. We’re not going to exclude someone if a storm comes through.”

City officials say that they would rather have people try to have big brush piles ready at one time, rather than having several small piles for pickup.

The provisions under the revised policy are:

·         The pile of brush must be close to the edge of the road and also the piles must be kept away from mail boxes and other structures to avoid damage to the structures.

·         The maximum diameter of limbs must be no more than six inches. Anything thicker than that will not be picked up.

·         The butt ends must be facing the road.

·         Nothing longer than 10 feet.

·         Residents will only get two pick-ups per year.

·         No vines or root balls.

·         Don not include in the pile any building materials, trash, plastic, metal, wire, cardboard, paper,  or glass.

·         No commercial tree cutting will be collected by the city. If you have hired a commercial tree service, you will have them haul off the debris. The city is not responsible for picking up anything cut by a trimming or cleaning service.

·         City will only collect bush or limbs free for residents who do their own trimming, cutting.

In other business, the board authorized advertising for a new part-time janitorial position for the new Smithville Police Department building. City officials say that the department should be looking to move into the new building in the next few weeks, and needs to put the wheels in motion as far as janitorial service. The motion passed 5-0.

The board also voted to move up bonus payments to city employees. Using part of the $68,000 the city received in 2021-22 State COVID funds, Smithville will give each fulltime employee a $1,000 bonus, and a $500 bonus to the city’s part-time employee. The board had voted last month to approve the bonuses through Federal COVID relief money, but last week’s decision allows the city to use the money from the state and give the bonuses this week.

Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker also addressed the board, requesting part of the State COVID funds to outfit a new command vehicle with equipment such as a radio, lights, and a bed cover. The board had already approved funds to purchase the vehicle, though a national shortage new vehicles is delaying the purchase.

Chief Parker said that with the delay in purchasing the vehicle, he wanted the funds available to outfit the truck to avoid further delays when ordering the equipment, noting that if they waited until they received the truck to order the equipment, they may have to wait six to eight more weeks for those items to come in.

The board approved Chief Parker’s request.