Leaf Collection Picking Up Steam

Mother Nature is finally cooperating and lots of leaves are coming down. The Streets Division is gearing up for the onslaught by planning to work overtime in the weeks ahead. "It has taken awhile, but large volumes of leaves are finally falling in Madison," recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said. "This late leaf fall has left many Madison residents concerned that their leaves will not get picked up this fall. The Streets Division is committed to collecting leaves as long as possible." Streets Division crews will begin working ten hour days starting Monday November 11th. Crews are also expected to work Saturdays and even Sundays if necessary. There will be at least 20 crews collecting leaves in the weeks ahead. "Because of the late leaf fall, it did not make sense for us to begin working overtime as early as we usually do," Dreckmann said. "Now that leaves are down, we will go all out for the rest of the fall." Residents are urged to rake their leaves to the curb right away. Those who wait run the risk of having their piles buried under the snow. "There are no set number of rounds for leaf collection in the fall," Dreckmann stated. "We will continue to collect leaves until they are buried under a significant snowfall." In addition to leaves, the Streets Division is also collecting garden waste and pumpkins as part of the collection service. Leaf piles can be covered with a tarp to prevent the leaves from blowing. If you must bag your leaves, please use compostable paper leaf bags or leave plastic bags open at the top so crews can identify their contents. Residents are reminded that they should not put brush in your leaf piles. Mixed piles of brush and leaves will not be collected. Brush is tree and shrub trimmings over 18" in length. Regular brush collection has ended for the season. Brush must be brought to the drop off sites. Residents can also bring leaves to the City's drop off sites. The sites are located at 1501 W. Badger Road on the south side, 4602 Sycamore Avenue on the east side and 402 South Point Rd. on the west side. Do not bring brush to the South Point Rd. site. The sites are open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings til 8 p.m. The sites remain open through Sunday December 8th. More information is available at www.cityofmadison.com/streets

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