OK.......for those of you that I've replied to personally, please indulge
the repeat. This seems like a broad enough topic that LOTS of Inquiring
Minds Want to Know!
1. The Big Fall Sweep. It takes Public Works about a month to get through
all of the alleys and streets in the City for fall leaves. We typically
start the sweep around October 23 (coincidentally when we are buttoning up
most of our construction work--we use the same dump trucks for both). We
have lots of varieties of trees in Minneapolis---and as folks have noted,
they don't all fall at the same time. We also have a love-hate relationship
with Mother Nature---sometimes she has the leaves drop early---and we have
late snows, so all the leaves can be picked up. Sometimes she holds the
leaves late, and brings the snow early, and we get few of the leaves. She
NEVER lets us know her intentions in advance. We try to let residents know
our intentions---we put a flier in the September/October Utility bills, post
the streets, I did a gig on the City cable program with Kent Robbins, etc.
This is one area where it is very difficult for us to please everybody, but
the folks in Street operations really do try!
2. It is ILLEGAL, per City Ordinance, to sweep leaves into the streets--not
to mention a hazard to Public Safety when Mother Nature dumps an inch of
rain, and the leaves plug up the storm drains, not to mention the water
pollution concerns. Again, we have tried to get the word out, it was
addressed in the flier in the Utility Bills (above), I mentioned it on the
Cable show, and the Park Board worked with a Scout Troop to drop fliers in
some neighborhoods. I would be very open to other ideas that you have for
getting the word out better. I'd be happy next year, if you please remind
me, to give you some extra copies of the flier we put in the Utility Bill to
pass around your neighborhood----that would actually be specific, and
tactful!
It is difficult to do enforcement on this, since the leaves are in the
streets (hopefully) for such a short period of time that an Inspector may
not be in that area on that day. Inspections, who has the responsibility
for enforcing this, has been very responsive on a complaint basis--I've
found them super for special requests like that.
3. This, the week of November 13, is the LAST WEEK for yard waste
collections by Solid Waste and Recycling crews!!!!!! We advertised this in
our fall flier, it's on our phone message, on the Web site, was on the flier
in the Utility Bills. We realize that everyone has NOT seen the end date,
and we realize that some folks just can't get their end-of-year yard work
done by this week. THEREFORE, we offer yard waste vouchers, year round, to
the yard waste drop off that the City contracts with, off University at
Malcolm. Just call us at 673-2917, and if you're a City Solid Waste and
Recycling Customer, we'd be happy to send you a voucher. These are for a
specific week, so think about your schedule before you call. Also, the
vouchers are good for the branches and brush that you don't want to bundle
or cut in three foot lengths, your Christmas tree if you want it composted
(we will pick them up with regular garbage otherwise). Each customer can
obtain 4 yard waste vouchers per year--although I'm a soft touch for a
special situation.
Sorry for the length---2 in 2 days. If you have any specific questions or
concerns, I'd be happy to try to address them-----you know the e-mail, and
the landline is 673-2433.
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