MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough 10/14/2005

"Leaf Collection Underway for 2005"

Autumn has arrived. The daylight hours are shorter and temperatures are cooler. The leaves are turning to beautiful colors. And yes, those leaves are beginning to fall and will soon create mountains of dead leaves to be raked by homeowners and then hauled away by City of Sylvania Street Division crews.

The City of Sylvania, or "city of trees", lives up to its namesake by having tens of thousands of trees throughout the community. Approximately 7,700 trees are growing along city streets alone, with many thousands more in parks and on private lands including the towering oaks and maples native to the area.

Last year, Street Division crews collected 14,316 cubic yards of leaves. Three collection crews spent 4,498 hours hauling 971 truck loads of leaves to the City composting field on Yankee Road north of town. There the leaves are composted and recycled into Sylvan-Gro, a rich compost the City sells by the bushel.

The annual leaf collection began in mid-October with three collection crews following predetermined routes through the City. The first cycle took less than a week, but as more leaves are raked to the curb, each cycle through the City takes longer, two weeks or longer in mid-November.

The City crews load leaves raked to the curb onto city trucks using diesel powered leaf loader vacuum units. Grass clippings, sticks, flowers, plants, etc. can clog the leaf loaders and are not to be part of the leaf collection process. Set these items near the curb in paper bags, cardboard boxes or trash cans for the free green recycling collection by the Forestry Division between October 31^st and November 11^th on your regular green recycling day. During other weeks, grass clippings, plants, flowers, etc. should be placed in purchased City of Sylvania green recycling paper bags for pickup. Sticks can be bundled and set out for free collection on any green recycling pickup day.

Please do not pile leaves too far into the street – keep them up on the curb and lawn. Leaves can clog the storm drains and cause flooding. Every year, I see leaf piles pushed way out into the street causing the street to become dangerously narrow. And cars parked over dry leaves can start fires.

The Street Division crews will move as quickly as possible to collect all the leaves. If we have good weather and if it doesn't snow too much, the leaf collection will be completed by about December 9^th. But the weather doesn't always cooperate. Thanks for your patience. The Street Division crews are making their rounds and will be there soon.