City of Brookings to conduct one more round of storm cleanup

The City of Brooking will implement one final round of curbside tree debris cleanup starting Monday, June 13th, to pick up remaining tree branches from recent storms. Cleanup crews will be canvassing the City one time only. The cleanup is for residential trees and branches from storm damage only; no commercial tree cleanup or other storm debris or waste will be picked up. All non-tree storm items should be hauled to the Brookings Regional Landfill for disposal. 24/7 availability of the Landfill’s Citizen Campus to the public will also resume on the 13th. Residents are encouraged to haul any small branches/tree debris to the campus if they are able.

Tree debris should be broken down into manageable pieces for removal and placed parallel to the street on boulevards/rights-of-way and not directly on streets or alleys. The items should also be easily accessible to workers for cleanup. “Ten-to-fifteen-foot branch lengths are okay, as long as we can access them and they are placed away from obstacles like other trees, street lights, signs, cars, etc. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to pick up obstructed debris because our equipment can’t get it, so make sure there isn’t anything in the way,” said Interim Solid Waste Director Jeremy Linstad. Residents should refrain from parking vehicles, trailers, and implements in front of piles.

The City asks residents to practice caution and courtesy when approaching and driving through work zones. During the last cleanup effort, the city staff reported several near misses and dangerous incidents due to distracted driving. Motorists should be aware that crews will be in the street and operating and maneuvering heaving equipment. “If you see crews working up ahead and can help us out by taking an alternative route, we’d appreciate it — it will help keep everyone safe and minimize the potential for accidents,” said Linstad.

Residents will be able to track the cleanup in real-time using the City’s storm cleanup tracker available at www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/cleanuptracker.

June 8, 2022