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Fall leaves on the ground with a rake - Elena Elisseeva licensed from Deposit Photos
Kettering, Ohio – Halloween has come and gone, and Fall is rapidly turning towards winter. Leaves have been falling and covering the ground in Kettering.
Fortunately, for Kettering residents, the City of Kettering helps solve the Fall leaf problem. Each fall, Kettering runs a curbside leaf collection program to help residents get rid of all the falling leaves. This year's Fall leaf collection program started October 18, 2021.
But time is running out. Crews are currently wrapping up another pass through the City. But collection services end the week of November 29, 2021, so residents only have a couple of weeks left to get those leaves ready for pick up.
Kettering asks residents to follow these guidelines:
1. Rake all leaves to the curb.
2. Do not rake leaves into the street or in any way obstruct traffic.
3. Make sure leaves are not under, between, or around parked cars.
4. Do not block storm drains or waterways.
5. Do not bag your leaves.
6. Do not rake anything except leaves to the curb for pick up. Leaf piles containing other debris will not be picked up by the City.
7. Rake early. Do not wait until City crews are near your district to rake leaves.
The City particularly cautions residents to make sure that you only have leaves at the curb for pickup. Branches, sticks, and other yard debris can clog the City’s machinery. The time needed to unclog the machinery throws crews off schedule. So the City will not pick up leaf piles that other debris mixed in. Residents should take all yard debris such as sticks, and branches to the Yard Debris Drop-Off Center located at 1840 Woodman Center Dr.
Kettering has divided the city into 11 leaf collection zones. Crews work through the zones in numerical order. As of Friday, November 12, 2021 crews were working in Zone 9 and expected to move into Zone 10. These zones are on the far Western edge of Kettering. Residents can find their collection zone at https://portal.ketteringoh.org/arcgis/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=292f88da706840dfbc69f48fc02d781a. Given the amount of time it takes crews to work through the 11 zones, crews probably only have time to make 2-3 more passes through the City before the program wraps up the week of November 29, 2021. So now is the time to get your leaves out for collection.
Kettering will provide daily updates regarding which leaf zones are scheduled for collection on that date. Residents can access the daily update by calling 937-296-3255, visiting the City’s website at https://www.ketteringoh.org/residential-leaf-collection-program/, visiting the City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CityofKetteringOhio, or by following the City on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kettering_oh.
Kettering collects the leaves for free, so your only cost is the time and energy spent raking the leaves to the curb. In fact, you just might benefit from the program, because the City says that leaves are “… taken to the City’s leaf composting center where leaves will be converted to mulch and compost, then offered free of charge to residents each spring.” The City believes that the Fall leaf collection and composting program is one of the “…most unique and highly valued services…” offered by Kettering.
