City Crews Still Working Overtime on Storm Clean-Up

City crews are working 11-hour shifts to keep up with regular fall duties while continuing to clean up from the effects of Hurricane Sandy last week.

Mayor Tom Perciak said the Service Department is working 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily -- and may be called in over the weekend -- to handle leaf collection and take care of branches damaged by the winds.

"We're doing everything we can to get these leaves picked up because we don't want them in the sewers," Perciak said.

Service Director Joe Walker said his department typically idles its chipper truck in November to focus on leaf pick-up, but said he is sending it out daily because so many residents need branches disposed of.

"We're still doing a lot of brush pick-up for residents, and probably will be for the next two weeks," Walker said. "If they can drag it to the curb, we can get it in the chipper."

Residents are asked to call the Service Department at 440-580-3170 if they need the chipper.

Otherwise, sticks less than 4 feet long can be tied into bundles less than 40 pounds and left out on regular trash pick-up day.

Walker said he assigns 27 employees a day to collect leaves -- three people on each of nine trucks -- and another crew on the chipper.

"We're working the guys till dark," he said.

Hurricane Sandy woes came mostly in the form of wind damage, Walker said. Although there were significant amounts of rain, it came steadily rather than in a deluge, leaving Strongsville relatively flood-free.