Public Works Department crews will collect loose leaves from residential neighborhoods through Jan. 31. There is no charge for this service, and no phone call is necessary. Leaves are collected each week on the same day as scheduled garbage collection as volume of leaves allows.
The department asks residents to assist in the leaf collection by taking the following steps:
- Rake loose leaves to the property line in a pile for vacuuming or bag leaves for pickup. Loose leaves can be placed in front of your property any time prior to your collection day. Bagged leaves should be placed out, no sooner than, the evening prior to your collection day. Biodegradable bags are available for loose leaves from the Public Works Administrative Office at 998 South Boston Road.
- Rake leaves, including those that have accumulated in the gutters, into defined piles to be collected. The gutters will be cleaned throughout the whole city at the end of leaf season. The crews do not have the equipment or manpower to vacuum the length of all the gutters each week.
- Make sure the leaf pile is placed within reach of the vacuum machine from the paved roadway (no more than four feet). Do not rake loose leaves next to vehicles or behind poles, mailboxes, guardrails and fire hydrants.
- Park vehicles away from the leaf pile. The city’s vacuum equipment uses truck-and-trailer combinations, so they require ample space to reach leaf piles.
- Do not place loose leaves in ditches below grade level.
- Do not mix loose leaves with brush, rocks, sticks, limbs, glass and other solid objects.
- Do not rake leaves on the scheduled collection day and expect to have them collected that day. The crew may have already passed through the area.
- Avoid if possible, placing loose leaves in storm gutters blocking the flow of water to storm drains or inlets.
- Avoid, if possible, placing loose leaves on top of water meters, gas meters, manholes and sidewalks.
Many factors affect the ability of leaf collection crews to stay on a weekly schedule. Those factors include the timing of the first significant frost, the duration of leaf fall (gradual or all at once), the amount of rainfall during leaf season, early snowfalls and equipment breakdowns. If your leaves were missed or you need to know if your area is behind schedule, call the Public Works Department at 799-5245 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.