It may be spring, but leaf collection is on the mind of the Kenbridge Town Council.

Actually, it has been for some time.

“I’m hearing some grumbling from different citizens about the leaves,” Mayor Emory Hodges noted at the council’s Tuesday, March 15, meeting.

Some residents resent having to bag leaves for collection and wish the town would return to vacuuming them up for disposal. Subsequently, Hodges acknowledges, the town is sending leaves to the landfill that could be turned into compost or even put back into the woods.

That is, if the town’s leaf vacuum was working; but it’s not.  The continued discussion on the vacuum prompted Hodges to ask that the town do an assessment of all its tools not running and what is wrong with them as the town looks to better brace for the purchase of replacement and new equipment, or repairs.

Since late last year, town leaders have struggled with replacing the leaf vacuum, examining several options. In December, town leaders considered contracting with someone to vacuum the leaves.

“That’s not necessarily the solution,” Hodges said. “That’s just a possibility.”

Another option was purchasing a new vacuum, but town leaders said that could cost about $25,000.

“We’re going to have to go up on taxes if we buy some equipment,” council member Ken Blackburn noted at the time. “We don’t have any money lying around.”