Free yard debris pickup starts Monday

Fall has fallen in the form of leaves that now blanket streets, sidewalks and yards all over the capital city - and has city street-sweeping operations working 12 hours a day to keep up.

A free yard debris pickup next week is another way Carson City tries to help property owners clean up the city and get ready for winter.

"It's a community service," said street operations chief Marnell Heinz. "It's also to help participate in a cleaner-looking city and to assist the people who aren't able to do it on their own."

Senior citizens or people on a fixed income who can't afford trash pickup benefit from the city's free program, Heinz said.

The city hauls off about 200 to 250 tons of leaves, branches and yard debris each year, or about 50 truck loads. Most of the haul comes from the west side, which is populated by trees many of which were planted in Carson's infancy, but pick up takes place all over the city.

Crews will start at 7:30 a.m. Monday morning and sweep across the city to pick up any bags left out by residents during free clean-up week.

No pickups will be made Tuesday because of the holiday.

Residents are asked to bag leaves and cut tree limbs to less than 6 feet long. Limbs should be tied in bundles. Materials to be picked up must be limited to vegetation, like leaves, limbs and prunings, and should not include household garbage, old appliances, furniture or lumber.

City crews will work their way through the city during the week.

Bags should be placed near the curb in plain view.

Call the street operations division at 887-2345 to schedule a pickup, though it is not required.