AS CITY OFFICIALS WEIGH THE FUTURE OF LEAF-PICKUP PROGRAM, CONSIDER MORE FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING

Aging equipment and other factors could mean the end of the leaf pickup program in Cape Girardeau that has been an autumn tradition since the 1960s. City officials must weigh the cost of the program and needed capital improvements carefully.

The most complaints are about the timing of the pickups in various sections of the city. The weather is so variable that some residents must rake long before all the leaves fall, and other residents must endure blowing mounds of leaves left to wait for city workers.

This should be part of the process in determining the future of the program. Is there a way to make the pickup program more flexible to better match the whims of nature? That would be an excellent improvement.