Last Chance For Leaf Pick Up Dec. 11

ST. CHARLES, IL - From The City of St. Charles: The City of St. Charles has received an overwhelming request for additional leaf collection after the regular leaf collection program ended this week. In response to the demand, the City has retained Kramer Tree Specialists to perform one final, community-wide leaf collection Monday, Dec. 11, 2017.

Leaves will be picked up for residents within St. Charles City Limits who place their leaves in piles on the parkway by 6 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 11. Please keep in mind that it may take several days to pick up all of the leaves throughout the city. However, to ensure that no piles are missed, all leaves for pick up need to be out Monday by 6 a.m.

For any remaining leaves, the City’s yard waste hauler Advanced Disposal will continue to collect stickered yard waste bags on regular refuse collection days through the end of the year.

Unusual Pattern of Leaves Dropping this Year

A combination of a summer drought and an unseasonably warm fall meant some leaves dropped early and others later. The last regularly scheduled pick up had to be extended over two weeks to pick up the large volume of leaves residents put out for the final collection.

“Early in the year we review previous programs and make every attempt to identify the best pickup times,” said Public Works Manager AJ Reineking. “It can be hard to predict what the autumn conditions will be. The goal is to target collection for the bulk of leaves that fall. This year, we pushed the last collection one week later than last year. But many leaves still remain. This additional collection, along with the option to bag any remaining leaves for pick up will resolve any issues.”

The varied timing of leaf loss also can be a side effect of a maintaining a diversified tree canopy. While it is desirable to have different varieties of trees planted throughout the city to keep disease or insect infestation from devastating the city’s tree population, it also means that not all the leaves will fall at the same time. Mulching leaves with a lawn mower early in the fall can help reduce the amount of leaves in a yard throughout the season.

Leaf Collection Helps Deter Flooding

The City performs leaf collection to keep leaves from clogging storm drains, avoiding neighborhood flooding from heavy rains or snow melts. It is estimated that this additional collection will cost approximately $50,000.

For more information, contact Reineking at 630.377.4405.

About the City of St. Charles

City of St. Charles Mission: Heritage. Community. Service. Opportunity. Friendly neighborhoods, unique architecture, beautiful parks, cultural amenities and innovative schools have earned St. Charles its reputation as the Pride of the Fox. Located in both DuPage and Kane counties, the City of St. Charles is 35 miles west of downtown Chicago, and has a population of approximately 33,000. Over 2,100 businesses, consisting of a balanced mix of retailers, restaurants and manufacturing facilities, employ more than 18,000 people. The City of St. Charles was named the #1 City for Families by Family Circle® magazine in 2011; one of the “150 Great Places in Illinois,” by the AIA Illinois; and one of the “Top 10 Towns To Live In” by West Suburban Living magazine. www.stcharlesil.gov

Photo by Linus Lorentzen via Unsplash