Livingston To Purchase Chipper To Help Brush Pick Up

Livingston approved an $87,194 bid to buy a new chipper to help an issue with city brush pick up.

Mayor Curtis Hayes said that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation told officials they would need a permit to continue burning brush pickup.

“We were just too close to residential and manufacturing so that’s left us in a hardship and the town in a hardship,” Hayes said. “We want to continue to provide the services for the city of Livingston and especially the residents. Picking up storm damages and things of that nature is something that we always want to do and want to continue to do.”

Hayes said that they used to be able to pile up brush and set it on fire. He said that they’re now having to buy a bigger chipper so the city can grind it to sawdust and hopefully use it for fill on Livingston properties.

Hayes said that communities like Cookeville are facing the same issue. Hayes said that they will likely have to put restrictions on the size of pick-up, but that this chipper will help them continue brush pick-up services.

“Right now we’re picking up residential brush so if anyone hires a contractor to come onto their property to say, cut a tree, then that contractor needs to be responsible for taking the rubbish and discarded items away and not the city of Livingston,” Hayes said. “We’re still going to take care of our folks like we always have.”

Hayes said that anything larger than about a 12 to 15-inch piece will most likely need to be taken care of by the customer.