Framingham Budget Cuts Reduce Leaf Collection, City Says

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Department of Public Works will reduce leaf and brush collection this autumn, and officials says that's partly due to budget cuts linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

DPW typically collects leaf and brush over five weeks in late fall. This year, curbside leaf collection will run Nov. 16 to 28, and brush collection Nov. 30 to Dec. 4.

The DPW reduced its leaf and brush budget by about $20,000 during budget deliberations last spring. Expecting a drop in revenue due to coronavirus, the Framingham City Council in June approved a budget that was about $16 million lower than what Mayor Yvonne Spicer had proposed before the pandemic hit.

"Every fall, we typically offer five weeks of curbside leaf collection and two weeks of curbside
brush collection,” DPW Director Blake Lukis said in a statement. "This reduction in service is attributed to the combination of increased leaf disposal cost and budgetary reductions."

DPW's yard waste facility along Dudley Road will be open this fall. Residents need a recycling drop-off permit to use it.