Thanks Susan for the helpful info. From now on I will definitely work to
discourage my neighbors from raking leaves into the street. As a
suggestion, how about including the ordinance on the street sweep sign as
part of the educational process? Thanks again.
Returning to lurk mode.
Jan Pearson
Longfellow
At 12:08 PM 11/14/00 -0600, you wrote:
>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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>
>
