The City of DeKalb’s Loose Leaf Collection Program is in full swing.

The program requires residents rake their leaves to the curb, but not onto the actual street, as doing so could cause drain and sewage clogging.

Residents are highly encouraged to park off the street, because the result of parked cars in the street could mean the vacuum trucks may skip a house.

The program goes until Friday for residences in section one, which contains boundaries south of, and including, Lincoln Highway.

Residents who live in section two, which boundaries consist of any house north of Lincoln Highway, have this weekend to prepare all leaves. The vacuum trucks will be going through section two on Monday, Oct. 26 through Friday, Oct. 30.

The vacuum trucks run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for both sections.

During the whole month of November, the City of DeKalb will have crews alternating sections weekly to pick up more leaves.

Alternate options for leaf pick-up in the city of DeKalb will be curbside by Waste Management, and the normal garbage pick-up company on regular garbage pick-up days. The city and waste management want leaves in an open garbage can or yard waste bags. If leaves are put in plastic bags, they will not be collected.

Sycamore leaf program

The City of Sycamore is also offering a leaf pick-up program.

“[The program has been around for] at least 20 years, if not longer,” said Fred Busse, director of Public Works for Sycamore. “I do not remember the last time Sycamore has not picked up leaves.”

Unlike DeKalb, Sycamore is going to keep one vacuum machine in each of the two sections the entire time of pick-up operations.

“It prevents anyone from having to burn their leaves and produce un-needed smoke in the atmosphere,” Busse said.

Section two has a much wider range, consisting of any residences as far south as Bethany Road, but the dividing line between the two sections, Elmwood Avenue and as far north as Peace Road and west as Coltonville Road, has pick-up days from Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Oct. 30; Nov. 9 to the 13; and Nov. 23 to the 25.

Section one is considered as south as Bethany Road; west as Elmwood Avenue; east as the county line, running a line from State Road to Bethany Road; and north as State road. Section one has pick-up days from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, then the last round of pick-ups in section one are Nov. 16 to the 20.

The City of Sycamore does not have an exact time of when the trucks will run.
The City of Sycamore asks residents to avoid raking their leaves into the street but rather up to their curbs. Vehicles parked on the street will cause trucks to pass the house up.

Sycamore suggests not to wait until all your leaves have fallen before you rake. No leaves containing branches, rocks or animal waste will be picked up.

Waste Management is also the garbage company affiliated with the City of Sycamore and has the same rules as DeKalb, offering yard waste pick-up through the end of Nov. and asking all residents to have leaves in an open garbage can or a paper bag. There is a 50-pound weight limit to the bags of leaves, so take advantage of the the two leaf pick-up programs for the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore.

The program goes until Nov. 25.

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