Princeton Will Issue Invoice For Leaves, Brush Piled On the Street

PRINCETON, NJ — If you’ve been leaving brush and leaves on the road outside of normal collection period, you’ll now be fined.

Beginning this week, the Municipality’s Public Works Department will be issuing notices of violation to those residents who leave materials on the road.

“Residents have five calendar days to remove the material. Starting next week our public works department will be out to collect the material and we will be issuing invoices to the property owner,” Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton said during Monday’s council meeting.

According to Municipal staff, many local roads have been clogged with leaves and branches. These piles keep growing every day, but there’s no collection scheduled in July.

“Not only do these materials contribute to unsafe road conditions, but they also end up in our storm sewers and streams,” according to a release from the Municipality.

“Any materials that are currently placed on the roadway need to be moved off the roadway until mid-August.”

Residents who fail to pay the invoice will then be faced by a municipal court summons.

The last spring collection was on June 12.

The reason why there is no brush and leaves pick-up this month is because Princeton has set a goal to be “fiscally and environmentally sustainable and to comply with all state regulations.”

Princeton Public Works will be focusing its summer efforts on increased activities related to compliance with municipal stormwater permits and other infrastructure repairs.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued new stormwater permit regulations in December 2022, which require more cleaning of streets, storm inlets, and drain pipes.

Public Works staff are needed to perform additional duties required by the NJDEP, which include inspecting and repairing Princeton's more than 3,000 stormwater inlets. These tasks are in addition to the essential work to keep our town running smoothly — repairing roads and sidewalks, picking up trash, keeping the business district clean, maintaining our sanitary sewers, clearing sidewalks and trails, and trimming trees and bushes.