Joplin leaf pickup postponed

(From City of Joplin)

As previously announced, the City of Joplin had originally planned to start the annual residential leaf pick up program on November 17, however Mother Nature has not cooperated with our readiness, and most of the leaves have not yet fallen. Therefore, the City staff has decided to return to the traditional start date of the first Monday after Thanksgiving, December 1, to begin the leaf pick up program.

To address all areas of Joplin, the City utilizes several crews which start in outlying areas and work their way toward the center of Joplin.

A crew from the Street Department will start in the northeast section of town (Royal Heights/College View Addition areas) and another crew will start in the Silver Creek area. The Parks Department crew will start south of 32nd Street and west of Main Street. Crews will work toward the middle of town to complete the program. Weather permitting, this collection could take over one month.

Residents are reminded not to bag their leaves, but rather rake them to the curb. No tree limbs, brush or rocks should be included in the piles, please. The City asks that residents DO NOT rake leaves into the street, as they may clog the storm drains, and it could cause the City’s street sweeping truck to bypass that area. Please do not place leaf piles over water meters (manhole covers). Doing so may cause Missouri-American Water to estimate your water usage, instead of recording the exact amount for billing purposes.

For residents who wish to dispose of leaves now, bring them to the Joplin Compost Facility next to the Turkey Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant at 6937 Eddy Lane, which is west of the intersection of Eddy and North Peace Church Avenue. No brush, tree limbs, bags, or trash, please.

An alternative to leaf disposal is home composting. To create compost, simply put leaves, grass, and meat-free kitchen scraps in your compost bin. Keep it moist, and stir the mixture to speed up the decomposition process, and then harvest the finished compost from the bottom of the bin. Finished compost should be available in approximately two seasons and produces a free organic fertilizer.

Mary Anne Phillips, the City’s Recycling Coordinator, encourages the use of compost instead of non-organic fertilizers and chemicals on lawns and gardens. Compost can be tilled into the soil thus making the plants healthy and less susceptible to diseases and insects, which reduces the need for chemicals. Run off of chemical based fertilizers and pesticides can harm our water bodies.

The easiest alternative to leaf disposal is to rake the leaves onto the lawn and run over them with a mulching lawnmower!

Not-so-earth-friendly alternatives for leaf disposal include setting out bagged leaves for the regular weekly trash service or burning the leaves. In order to burn, citizens need to obtain a Burn Permit from any of the Fire Stations in the City or at the City’s Finance Department at City Hall. The permit costs $5 and is good for three consecutive days.

The Permits are available at the Fire Stations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven day per week. Please note there may be times when firefighters are not at the station to issue permits, due to the nature of their job. Fire Stations will only be able to accept payment by check or money order.

The Finance Department, located on the third floor of City Hall, 602 South Main, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The City Hall location will accept cash, check, debit, money order, or credit card payments for burn permits. Please note that City Hall will be closed November 27 and 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

No matter where the permit is obtained, residents must still inquire with the Joplin Fire Department about weather conditions and if burning is allowed on each day. Residents can obtain this information by calling 417-623-0403.

For more information about leaf pick-up call 417-624-0820 Ext. 501, or the Parks Department at 417-624-6937. For more information about burn permits and rules, contact the Joplin Fire Department at 417-623-0403 or go to www.joplinmofire.org.