City collects 460 tons of leaves and counting

Cape Girardeau's Public Works Department has picked up more than 460 tons of leaves in residential neighborhoods since October -- about 200 more tons than at the same time a year ago.

Mike Tripp, the city's solid-waste superintendent, said, "This year, it seemed like the leaves fell a lot sooner."

Tripp said better weather has helped.

"We've had only two days that we had to stop collecting leaves because of rain," he said.

Dryer leaves are easier for the city to vacuum with its automated, leaf-collection truck.

"We are almost a week ahead of schedule," Tripp said.

City crews have made 3,123 stops in city neighborhoods to collect leaves. In all, the city has hauled off 177 truckloads of leaves. The loads of leaves are dumped on city land on the south side of town, near the solid-waste transfer station.

The job isn't over yet.

The leaf-collection program is handled within seven zones. Crews have completed leaf collection in five zones and are working in the sixth zone. Leaf collection in the seventh zone on the city's west side is scheduled to begin next week and be completed by Dec. 19.

Tripp said crews then will begin going through the zones again, picking up remaining piles of residential leaves. That phase is scheduled to conclude by late March. Leaves may be picked up at the same residence several times over the course of the collection season, he said.

With the leaves piling up at the city's dump site, Tripp said the city for the first time will grind up the leaves next summer for use as mulch.

Mayor Harry Rediger said residents have reacted positively to the annual leaf-collection program.

Residents must rake their leaves to the curb for the city to collect them. City officials advise residents to refrain from raking leaves into the street or parking zones or in areas near fire hydrants, mailboxes, street signs or water-meter lids.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641