Leaf and Brush Removal

You posted this topic twice, so I'll start the responses with this one.

I don't know the HUD requirements - didn't know they would go that deep into trash, so ask that person to state where he/she got that information and then follow up. That being said, how have people cleaned up this stuff before? In many communities, the city or county trash picks up leaves during the fall and heavy trash at certain times, so you might want to check with the city. Some things don't qualify as heavy trash and you can't put it in regular trash, so it's the HOMEOWNER's responsibility to find a way to get rid of it.

Bringing out a dumpster twice a year for heavy trash is a good idea - it could be part of a community wide clean up day or weekend. You might even look around for local recycling organizations to come out and collect certain things like old electronic equipment (which shouldn't be placed in regular or heavy trash because of the chemical content of some components).

In between that time, you could rehire the guy who worked for the association before - if everyone was happy with the quality of work. If the previous president thought the price was too high, why didn't the board negotiate with him or shop around for another contractor? It's always amazing how people make things far more complicated than necessary.....

The present Board can reinstitute the cleanup that the previous president (unilaterally and improperly?) cancelled

HUD regs for leaf pickup and removal? That seems odd because most municipalities back east provide leaf removal services.
The only thing the homeowner needs to do is rake the leaves to the tree lawn. The same should be available in common interest
communities.

It seems to me you're making this a lot more complicated than necessary - you saw the pamphlet, so call the local HUD office and clarify for certain (and get it in writing). You should still check with the city or county regarding trash pick up - if you taxes are paying for this anyway, maybe you fix the problem by simply scheduling pickups.

Your previous president may have fired the other guy for whatever reason, but since that person is no longer running things, why don't you just rehire the guy if you liked him - simply negotiate prices and pick up schedules. This would also be a good time to establish or remind people of various rules regarding trash, such as not putting stuff like electronic equipment or used motor oil with regular trash, putting trash in trash bins and make sure it's secured to prevent vermin or insect infestation. While you're at it, consider establishing a recycling program as well as the community clean up day I suggested earlier. The less trash your community accumulates, the cheaper cleanup costs will be for everyone.

If the association has to pay for all this, that means assessments will have to be adjusted accordingly to cover it - if people don't like it, tell them they're still obligated to keep their lots neat and not a mini landfill, so either pony up or remove it themselves.