By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(March 26, 2026) Residents expressed frustration over storm debris collection at a Berlin mayor and council meeting this week and asked why some properties were skipped following last month’s snowstorm.

A massive windy, winter storm in February left branches and trees in disarray throughout the Town of Berlin, and residents are still feeling the event’s aftermath. To help town citizens deal with the cleanup, the municipality offered debris pick-up, so long as the wreckage was organized at the top of the curb at each property.

Several residents said this week that they followed town guidance but have since been left with large piles of fallen trees and branches.

“I lost two huge pine trees in my backyard,” said resident Linda Palmer. “They drive by my stack of stuff every time. Nothing has ever been said to me … it said you were picking it up. If that’s not going to happen you should at least tell people.”

Town officials acknowledged the concerns but said the original debris pickup effort — intended as a limited, courtesy service — has been stretched beyond what staff and equipment can safely handle.

Public Works Director Jimmy Charles said crews have collected storm debris using chipping equipment but have encountered piles that exceed operational limits.

“When we started this, it was, ‘if you have some broken branches, bring them to the curb,’” Charles said. “But now we’re getting whole trees.”

He added that certain debris cannot be processed due to safety concerns, including branches cut too short to be fed into chippers.

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said in response to Palmer’s concerns that the town must defer to staff judgment when it comes to safety.

“If Jimmy is not comfortable with the equipment that we have, to do it safely, we are going to have to defer to public works’ judgment,” he said.

Officials emphasized that the cleanup effort was never intended to replace private responsibility for tree removal.

“When does this stop?” Council Vice President Dean Burrell said. “Will we be chipping trees and hauling debris for the next five to ten years? … It is not the town’s responsibility to clear your property of trees that are yours … As far as I’m concerned, we have done as much as we can afford to do as a town.

“We don’t have a tree department in the Town of Berlin. Those guys that took it upon themselves to do this have other jobs. I would suggest for those folks that are still dealing with tree removal that you contact a company to do that for you … that favor needs to be done with because those folks do have other jobs.”

Charles noted that the town’s parks have been neglected as staff deal with residence cleanup.

Residents raised issues about communication and fairness, noting that the town’s initial outreach did not clearly define limitations on what would be collected or how long the service would last.

Resident Mary Hedlesky urged the council to consider additional solutions, including hiring contractors or using emergency funds to assist residents still dealing with debris.

“This is a one-time catastrophic storm,” she said. “A lot of people did what they were asked to do and now they’re stuck with it.”

Tyndall said that such an expenditure would have to be approved by the council, and argued that the town’s tax base should not absorb costs of individual properties.

For now, officials indicated that residents with large or unmanageable piles may need to arrange private removal.

“Those guys have been working hours upon hours since the storm,” Tyndall said. “The good work that they have done has been overshadowed by the few piles that still remain.”

The town also reminded residents that regular yard waste collection is scheduled for May, provided materials are prepared according to guidelines.