Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 28, 1994                   TAG: 9404280235
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-11   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

BRUSH PICKUP SPEEDS UP AS FEE DEADLINE NEARS

With less than a week before the Montgomery County Landfill reimposes its tipping fees for brush pickup, the town is making an all-out effort to get as much of its tree carnage out of town and into the dump.

Bonnie Svrcek, interim public works director for the town, said she decided to work the town's crews overtime last Saturday and this Saturday in a last-minute push to get as much brush gone while it can be dumped free at the landfill.

Last Saturday, the effort apparently paid off, as crews hauled more than 90 tons of brush. They were aided by the fact that other localities didn't work their crews that day, and turnaround time to dump brush at the landfill was quicker than normal.

Two weeks ago the town pulled most of its crews off brush pickup detail to put them to work on other projects such as lawn mowing and curb and gutter work. But Svrcek decided that for most of last week and this, the town needed them to answer the winter's ice storm challenge again.

"I'm pretty confident we're saving money" by working crews overtime, Svrcek said.

She estimated that there's still 500 tons of brush to be cleared, and even working weekends, at least half that will be left to pick up after the county imposes its tipping fees again. At $38 a ton, that could add up to a $10,000 bill for the town, which is banking on Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to help it foot the bill.

"We could use some FEMA money," said Councilman Michael Chandler at the Town Council's Tuesday meeting.

"In the county's defense," Town Manager Ron Secrist said, "they have used [the landfill] as an enterprise fund. They've gone as far as they feel comfortable going." The county, too, is banking on federal help.

Crews have carried more than 3,000 tons of brush to the landfill so far, Secrist said.

"The town's crews have just been outstanding to get over what is a monumental task," Secrist said. "We're all seeing trees in our sleep."