Brush Chipping Policy
We are happy to provide brush chipping service to residents of unincorporated Fremont Township who reside on Fremont Township roads in the spring and fall (Brush Chipping Dates). This service is intended for assisting homeowners in disposing of woody material from pruning and cleanup that might otherwise be burned. This service is not meant to cleanup brush and trees done by landscapers and tree companies, nor is it intended for lot clearing. Please be reasonable with quantities, with a max chipping time (including road cleanup) of 15 minutes per house.
This is an additional service that we are happy to provide. It is intended to fill the void between Groot’s landscape waste disposal (material less than 4’ in length) and landscapers and tree companies who chip or dispose of the material themselves. This reduces the need to burn woody material, which improves air quality for all. However, in order to properly maintain our road and storm sewer responsibilities, we ask that you follow our guidelines to we can continue this service in as efficient manner as possible.
DO:
PLEASE DO NOT:
Stack branches with the cut-end pointing towards the road
Keep piles no higher than 4 feet and no wider than one armload
Keep all plant material off the road
Limit branch width to 8 inches—larger sections will not be taken
Limit to reasonable amounts that can be chipped and the area cleaned up in 15 min or less
Join the Fremont Township newsletter or your HOA’s email list in order to receive chipping updates
Leave brush removed by landscapers or tree companies
Use this service for lot clearing or woods cleanup
Leave green clippings such as evergreens clippings or piles of leaves
Include soil in rootballs or metal of any kind (including nails
Include piles of small branches that can be disposed of with Groot’s landscape waste program
Put branches in waste container
STORM DAMAGE
After strong storms (as defined by storms that require our department to clear trees and branches from the road due to strong winds/ice), our department will prioritize clearing the roads and cleaning up right of way debris.
Starting no sooner than 48 hours and one weekend after the storm, our department will make their rounds to chip storm damage from properties along our right of ways. We will make one pass through all of our roads and will not make subsequent returns, unless workload allows.
Please follow our brush policy guidelines for storm damage cleanup. Damage requiring tree companies should be removed by the tree companies.
FAQs
Why do you require specific stacking techniques?
Poorly stacked piles, with tangled branches and logs, add considerable time to de-tangle. When branches are neatly stacked with the cuts ends close to the road and angled toward the flow of traffic, each stack can be hauled to the chipper by one person, with little maneuvering or de-tangling required.
Why didn’t you take my rootball?
Rootballs will not chipped if they contain soil, as they can hide rocks or metal that can damage our equipment. If you have a rootball that you would like chipped, please wash all the soil off the roots. Also consider using Groot’s waste disposal if it fits in a paper landscape bag.
Why can’t I put branches in waste container?
Often times, collections in waste containers include metal, rocks or evergreen clippings that we do not want going through our chipper. If your material fits in a container, consider Groot’s landscape subscription program.
Can I call you for additional pickups throughout the year?
Our roadway network is 35 miles and over 2000 homes. In order to offer this service to all of the residents living on Fremont Township roads, we can no longer do brush pick-ups ad hoc. If our roadway work load allows, we will schedule additional pickups, but they will be localized on specific dates.
Will you add more frequent chipping in the future?
We realize this is a very appreciated service and would like to offer it on a more frequent basis. Even on light chipping days, it takes a crew of two 3-4 days to cover all of our roads. This takes focus away from roadside mowing, tree removal and trimming along roads, sign replacement and maintenance, and catch basin cleaning and repair. Once our workload is at a manageable level, more frequent chipping will be the first service we add.
What’s the problem with small sticks?
Piles of small branches and sticks are time-consuming to clean up. Each stop for small piles requires raking, handpicking up sticks and blowing the resulting woodchips off the road. These materials are best handled by Groot’s landscape waste service, allowing us time to tackle larger debris that is more difficult to get rid of.
How can I stay up to date with the chipping schedule?
Our department schedules chipping days with the HOA board in subs that have them. Please make sure you are on your HOA’s email list. If you do not belong to an HOA, please join our newsletter or check our calendar for your date. Dates are also listed on the Fremont Township website calendar.
If a storm hits on a Saturday, when will storm damage cleanup start?
Storm damage cleanup will start a week from the Monday after the storm. This allows time for residents to get storm damage to the right of way.