Large limb pick-up available for residents
BUDA — After Winter Storm Mara hit Central Texas in the early hours of Jan. 30, thousands of Texans were left without power, in large part due to fallen tree branches and limbs from ice.
During the Feb. 7 Buda City Council meeting, city manager Micah Grau said that disaster declarations had been initiated on both the county and state level after the storm and mayor Lee Urbanovsky shortly followed suit on Feb. 4. During the meeting, the council unanimously approved to adopt a resolution ratifying and consenting to the mayor’s declaration.
“We do not know yet if this storm event is going to hit the levels needed to institute FEMA funding to come back and reimburse us, but by implementing this disaster declaration, it’s the first step in the process for us to be eligible for that should those funds become available,” Grau explained.
Even with the declaration in place, residents may still be dealing with the effects after of the storm. City crews have been working on clearing roadways and sidewalks of fallen branches and limbs, but are aware that many residents need assistance in disposing of larger pieces that have collected on their property.
As such, the city is offering a special one-time pickup of larger limbs and logs.
Now through Friday, March 3, residents can request a tree limb collection by going to http://ow.ly/ Cvcg50MJyBz. Residents may stack at the curbside tree limbs that are at least 3 inches in diameter and larger and cut into sections no longer than 4 feet. Do not place tree limb stacks on the street. City staff is also urging residents to take precautions around utilities such as valve boxes and water meters when collecting limbs.
If you have any further questions about the program or need assistance scheduling a pick-up, call the Buda Public Works department at (512) 312-2876. This program is for fallen trees and large tree limbs only; smaller branches and tree debris will not be collected by public works crews. For smaller items, residents are encouraged to use the city’s Green Waste program.
The city has also outlined a few other local tree limb collection options:
• A “green waste” option is available for tree trimmings, yard clippings, leaves, branches and brush. Pick up is limited to 10 paper lawn bags and/or bundles of brush. Green waste material is composted or mulched at the Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) facility. Sign up for the TDS Waste Wizard to see your scheduled pick-up day. Residents also receive one free bulky or large brush pickup per quarter; contact TDS Customer Care for more information.
• Residents may take up to 5 cubic yards of material to the TDS landfill each month at no cost; customers will need to present a city of Buda utility bill at the landfill.
• At property owners’ expense, professional tree services and arborists can be contracted to assess tree damage and supervise cutting and removal of downed trees and limbs. Property owners can also visit the Tree First Aid After a Storm page on the Arbor Day Foundation website (www.arborday.org) for information on what should be trimmed and when, and tips on how to resist over-pruning to salvage trees.
