CLINTON — Brush pick-up by city crews will continue but now under newly-updated rules.  The city council approved the new rules Monday.

Since mid-summer, commissioner of streets and public improvements, Kenny Buchanan, has periodically updated the council about plans to set new rules for brush pick-up.  On Monday, Buchanan explained the modification of the ordinance.  The modification amends Chapter 3, Title 4 of the city code, “Brush, Shrubbery and Grass.”

“Right now, what everybody’s been putting out, we’ve been picking up,” Buchanan said. 

“And, we’re spending probably close to three months of the year picking up brush.”

Residents will be limited to putting out brush piles equal to no more than one pickup truck load.  Leaves and grass clippings must be placed in paper yard waste bags.

“Brush will be picked up the third Monday of the month,” Buchanan said.  

And, residents cannot put out brush sooner than seven days before a scheduled pick-up.

Yard waste that is in paper yard waste bags will be picked up once a week.

The city will not pick up brush during December, January and February, unless necessary because of a storm damage.

“Anytime during the year, when there’s a storm, we will go around and pick up brush,” Buchanan said.

The new rules resulted in response to the high number of work hours the city was using to pick up brush.  In some cases, homeowners were putting out entire trees for city pick up or putting out especially larges piles of brush.

Residents also may transport brush and yard waste themselves to the city’s yard waste facility, located near the fire department training site.  There is no charge to use the yard waste facility.

Mayor Roger Cyrulik read a proclamation declaring National Constitution Week in Clinton.  The week is promoted by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and locally by the DeWitt Clinton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Additional council business, the city approved:

• the purchase of an alley maintainer for the street department for $14,500.

• purchase of a tractor for the street department from Central Illinois Ag for $35,000.

• placed on file bids for the Kelli Court sidewalk project.  The city received bids from K&K Construction, $22,396, and Quality Concrete, $41,355.50.

• placed on file purchase of an actuator for the water department from Industrial Process Equipment Group for $7,145.66.