For last several years, Rush Township residents were asked to rake their leaves to the curb so township crews could collect them on scheduled days with a leaf vacuum.

“Previous years were easy,” Don Jones of Hometown said.

But this autumn, residents were told to bag their leaves for disposal.

“I watched the leaves being picked up from my yard. They were bagged, and they (township crews) were just cutting the bags open and then they sucked them up with the vacuum anyway,” Jones said.

Jones said he helped an elderly neighbor bag her leaves, and heard from another neighbor who spent $45 to purchase bags - only to have them torn apart by township crews.

“Most importantly, we don’t need the extra expense of buying bags in this economy,” he said.

Jones asked township supervisors Monday to return to the curbside vacuum pickup, which saved residents time and money.

According to board Vice Chairman Robert Leibensperger the change was made because the vacuum can’t handle wet or frozen leaves.

“Leaves are like newspaper. When they get wet, they turn into concrete,” he said.

The clumps of leaves clog - and sometimes break - the leaf vacuum.

When they’re bagged, they’re not exposed to any precipitation.

“When you bag them, they’re dry. They cut the bag open, they suck the leaves out of them,” board Chairman Shawn Gilbert said. “But bags are expensive. What isn’t expensive now?”

In the absence of the curbside and non-bagged pickups, Jones hoped the township could find a place for residents to take their leaves.

Gilbert said the township understood residents’ concerns and has been seeking property where folks can drop off leaves, branches and other yard waste. The township would monitor the site, and process what is collected.

“The problem is finding a piece of property in the township,” Gilbert said. “We are working on it.”

Bagged leaves will be collected through the first week of December.