June 06, 2007 – City of West Palm Beach residents are better prepared for hurricane season thanks to a record-breaking year for the City’s “Amnesty” program. The Amnesty program uses free curb-side pickup in order to encourage residents to cut back trees, bushes, and shrubs prior to hurricane season. This helps limit debris and damage in the event of a storm.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve had another successful, record-breaking year of vegetative Amnesty,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Lois J. Frankel. “It’s crucial that our residents understand the need for early preparation for hurricane season, and taking advantage of Amnesty is just one of the ways we get ready for storms.”
Between April 1st and June 1st of 2007, the City offered residents free pickup of yard waste and vegetative material, regardless of the quantity. In that two-month Amnesty period, the City collected more than six million pounds of yard waste, which is an all-time record for the program and a 26% increase over the 2006 total. In all, 646 truckloads of debris were hauled off at no charge to residents.
Amnesty encourages residents to trim back trees, plants, and bushes prior to hurricane season in order to reduce potential storm debris and help limit storm damage. Amnesty also helps keep the roads clear of debris after the storm, keeping the roads open for emergency vehicles and reducing the clogging of storm drains