MONROE — After a controversy brewed up on Halloween last year, the city is poised to set regular hours for trick or treating this year.

The official hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, according to Mayor Donna Douglas, addressing the matter on Monday, prior to the next Common Council meeting.

After initially agreeing to hold the city’s official Trick or Treat hours and ‘Trunk or Treat’ events on the Sunday before Halloween in 2022, the city council reversed course and restored the event to its regular holiday time slot.

The council debated the course reversal during its regular meeting on Oct. 17, 2022, during which citizens spoke out in favor of keeping trick or treating on Halloween night instead of the switch to Sunday, which the council opted to do four weeks prior.

This year, however, Douglas said city officials have no plans to change any of the dates, provided that the council approves the times at its Sept. 5 meeting, which is after the current newspaper edition goes to press.

“There’s no sense in trying to change the world,” Douglas said of the Halloween decision. 

In other business related to the autumn season, the council also was poised to buy a new leaf vacuum rig that should make fall clean up more efficient.

The council is eying options for the purchase that are between $120,000 and about $200,000 depending on specifications of the unit, which is made by Titan Leaf Solutions, of Dixon, Ill.

“Currently our leafing operation consists of a rear load packer truck and a Toolcat with a push broom,” the city’s staff said in a memo to Common Council members. “The leaves are currently windrowed in the curb line until they are picked up by pushing the piles into a leaf pan on the back of the rear load refuse truck. With future requirements of the DNR pending, we need to be looking into a new process to keep the leaves in the terrace until final pick up.”

Efficient pick-up of leaves is vital to keep them out of the city storm sewer system, officials said, adding that brush and other debris cannot be removed by a new leaf vac system.

Funds are budgeted for the leaf vacuum project through the Storm Water Utility Capital Equipment fund.