Hubbard leaves

Staff report

hubbard

City officials want residents to be patient about having their leaves picked up and have asked that people not put yard waste and large branches in the piles.

“Please put out only leaves,” said services director Dan Livingston.

He said chunks of wood destroy the impellers in the city’s leaf vacuum machines.

The city still operates vacuums while most other communities have switched to using bags, Livingston said.

But people raking their leaves into the streets creates problems, he said.

“Wet leaves on a street aren’t a very good combination,” said Mayor John Darko.

Livingston said people should rake the leaves to the ends of their lawns.

Darko also said his office is getting calls from people who are upset their leaves haven’t been picked up.

“We have two crews that pick up the entire city, and they have to empty the trucks,” said Darko. “But we’re going to get to everybody.”

Leaf pickup continues for the next four weeks.