COVID Impacts City Leaf Collection Program

To protect the health of Public Works employees, their families, and the larger community in the pandemic, the City will not be hiring the usual number of seasonal workers to assist with vacuum leaf collection this year and we anticipate a slower than normal response rate to removing leaf piles at the curb.

For this and for environmental reasons, we strongly encourage residents to mulch or compost all or most of the leaves in their yards. Leaves can also be bagged and collected on the Monday yard waste collection. The City will be offering vacuum leaf collection, but it will be less frequent than in past years.

This year’s collection will divide the City into three zones with one leaf collection vehicle per zone. The collection period will be extended from November 16 to December 31. This arrangement is expected to reach every street in a 3 to 4 week period. The length of time that a leaf pile will remain on the curb is likely to increase by an additional week or two.

Streets that receive collection on posted days (State Highway routes) will still receive two collections on the scheduled date as usual. The City explored other options, including canceling vacuum leaf collection this year and requiring all leaves residents wished to be collected to be bagged in paper bags, but that option does not work as well with available vehicles and staffing.

The City will be mailing the annual leaf collection notice this month and will have updated information on the City’s website. The Leaf Collection Hotline will remain available (301 891-7626) however, the City will not be able to provide collection as frequently as previously provided.

Residents should consider more environmentally beneficial alternatives for managing some or all of their fall leaves.