It seems that a follow up to my letter of Jan. 25 is required, regarding the city’s branch collection program.
I have been informed by a member of the Parks Department, both orally and by email, that the city has received numerous complaints (mine included) regarding the decision to collect only those branches which are more than five centimeters in diameter. As a result, the city has reversed its decision and is instructing their crews to pick up branches of any size, as was done in prior years. The Parks Department assures me that residents need only to put their branch piles on the boulevards, as usual, for collection.
With the program set to commence on Feb. 13, I have also been informed that surprisingly the city has no intention of announcing this policy reversal and continues to issue ads and news releases, several of which have appeared in this newspaper, which erroneously state that only the larger size branches will be taken.
This makes me wonder why the city has such a large and well paid communications department – for example the Director, Katie Josephson, received a promotion and salary increase to $142,273 last year (News, July 6, 2011). Apparently their mandate now is to keep citizens dazed and confused.
Roel Hurkens
Victoria
