Franklin Streets Buried In Brush As Crews Tackle 3,200-Ton Storm Mess
Sanitation crews in Franklin say they have already dragged nearly 3,200 tons of storm brush off city streets since January's ice storm, a cleanup that is running far beyond the usual workload. Teams are picking up extra shifts, zeroing in on neighborhoods with the biggest piles, and assuring residents that every corner of the city will get service.
City Crews Push Through Heavy Routes
In a Wednesday afternoon Facebook update, the City of Franklin's Sanitation team reported that crews have collected nearly 3,200 tons of brush and finished all Tuesday routes. The update added that two crews are concentrating on the highest volume neighborhoods, and that the largest piles, the ones that take more than one truckload, will be tackled through extra Friday and Saturday runs, according to City of Franklin, TN - Municipal Government.
How To Find Your Pickup Day
The city keeps an updated route map and pickup schedule on its sanitation page and is asking residents to check that information before dragging any brush to the curb. For questions or to request service, residents are directed to call the Sanitation and Environmental Services office at 615-794-1516, according to City of Franklin Sanitation and Environmental Services.
Why Crews Are So Far Behind
Local reporting has found that since the late January ice storm, crews have been hauling roughly five times the normal weekly amount of debris, which left Franklin with an unusually heavy load. That coverage noted a typical week comes in at about 54 tons, while recent weeks have climbed toward 269 tons, and that the city's usual yearly brush total is around 2,800 tons, according to WSMV.
Neighborhoods Getting Extra Attention
The city singled out several areas where crews are putting in extra time: Sullivan Farms, Forest Crossing, the Adams Street area, and the James subdivision, as they work through the backlog, according to City of Franklin, TN - Municipal Government. When the collection first kicked off in late January, crews deliberately started in flatter neighborhoods to move faster and cover more ground, local reporting noted via Williamson Source.
Stack It Right And Stay Safe
The city is asking residents to leave about five feet of space between brush piles and rollout containers and to keep debris clear of mailboxes, fences, water meters, and parked cars. Officials also caution residents not to stack brush under low-hanging branches or power lines. The department's full set of guidelines is posted on the city sanitation page, according to City of Franklin Sanitation and Environmental Services.
Sanitation crews say they will keep running extra routes until the cleanup is complete and that every neighborhood will get service as equipment is available. In the meantime, the city is urging residents to lean on the published schedule or call the sanitation office with questions, and to stack debris safely so this unusually large cleanup can wrap up as quickly as possible.
