Annual report & the Leaf Board
FY 2025-26 by the numbers
The full annual report runs 84 pages and is available in the document library. The figures residents ask about are below. The figures residents do not ask about are also below, because the Board voted for transparency in 2011 and has regretted it at least twice.
| Measure | FY 2024-25 | FY 2025-26 | Department comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves collected | 4,310,000 | 4,480,000 | A heavy mast year. The trees were showing off. |
| Leaves reattached | 3,880,000 | 4,100,000 | Difference is held in the surplus bay, plus normal winter losses. |
| Species accuracy | 58% | 61% | A record. The sorting line asks that this be acknowledged. |
| Parcel accuracy (right tree) | 44% | 47% | Improving since the 2004 tracking system finally shipped its update. |
| Branch accuracy (right limb) | Not measured | Not measured | A FY 2029 goal. Please stop writing in about it. |
| Adhesive consumed (TA-6) | 2,740 gal | 2,910 gal | Within budget. The drum discount helped. |
| Oak backlog | 11 months | 14 months | See the oak memo, pages 31 to 52 of the full report. |
| Misattachment complaints filed | 512 | 489 | 388 upheld, 61 denied, 40 withdrawn upon reflection. |
| Leaves lost to wind after reattachment | 61,200 | 44,800 | Zone 3 netting program working as intended. |
On the oak backlog
Oak leaves are leathery, curl in storage, and resist the standard petiole prep, so each one takes roughly four times the bench time of a maple leaf. The Department has been candid that the backlog, now 14 months, means some oak parcels are receiving spring 2025 leaves in spring 2027. The leaves are correctly filed and patiently waiting. Affected households are eligible for species-matched loaners under fee code LR-E, and the Board has commissioned an oak-specific applicator, which is in its third redesign, which is normal for a second redesign.
The Leaf Board
Five members, elected to staggered five-year terms. The Board meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Sorting Facility break room. Meetings are open to the public and minutes are posted after approval, which is its own agenda item, which is why they run behind.
Retired sorting-line supervisor, 31 years. Can identify 40 species by sound.
Runs the orchard on Cider Press Road. Recused from all fruit matters, permanently, at her own request.
Structural engineer. Author of the Zone 3 netting standard. Sleeps well now.
Town historian. Holds the complete leaf ledgers back to 1971 and will tell you about them.
Elected on a branch-accuracy platform. Has been briefed on the budget since.
Minutes & documents
- Annual Report, FY 2025-26 (full, 84 pages)
- Leaf Board minutes, September 3, 2026
- Leaf Board minutes, August 6, 2026
- Leaf Board minutes, July 2, 2026
- Zone 3 Netting Standard, rev. 2 (2025)
- Fruit Reattachment Pilot: Findings (2016)