Leaf collection in Cape begins Oct. 5

The beginning of fall also means the beginning of leaf collection in Cape Girardeau.

Curbside collection begins Oct. 5 and continues through March.

Collection performed by the city's public works crews comes in three phases, with the first carried out through October. During that time, the automated leaf truck will travel the entire city and pick up leaves that have been raked to the curb. Once it has finished the circuit, the truck will start over again.

Phase 2 begins Nov. 2 and continues through Nov. 19 or until all routes have been completed. In this phase, the truck runs designated routes.

The collection schedule is determined by sectioning the city into seven zones. Setting routes and schedules for each zone is made more efficient by keeping track each year of how much time the truck spends in particular areas.

Assistant public works director Stan Polivick said the success of each leaf-collection season is determined in part by the crew's ability to communicate as they begin tackling each zone.

"Last year went really, really well, and part of that was good planning and personnel that really knew what they were doing," he said. "We can cover a lot of ground in a day with those guys, just because they're good at it."

Weather plays a key role in shaping leaf collection each fall. Icy conditions in 2013, for example, caused delays. Last year, crews benefited from better weather. By the time the snow and ice hit, collection was nearly complete, Polivick said.

This year's leaf collection will end with Phase 3, picking up at the conclusion of Phase 2 and running through March 25. The truck will run a continuous circuit throughout the city, similar to Phase 1.

Lessons learned year after year make each collection period run a little more smoothly, Polivick said. Not much has changed between last season and the coming one.

"We're keeping the zones basically the same. The dates are basically the same," he said.

Changes are usually minor, he said. For example, crews have started taking a more pre-emptive approach to truck maintenance.

"We've learned about some of the things that commonly break on that unit, the truck or the vacuum system, so the guys in the fleet shop have ordered a lot of those parts," Polivick said.

Having the added inventory means the time the truck is out of commission is reduced from days to hours.

More information about the leaf collection service and the Phase 2 route map is available at cityofcapegirardeau.org/leaf.

Other leaf-removal options include scheduling a Wednesday special pickup using compost bags sold at Schnucks, Food Giant and city hall or hauling leaves to the transfer station at 2500 S. Sprigg St. from Nov. 2 to Dec. 18. Residents also can mulch leaves by mowing over them.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

2500 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.