The City of Centralia will start the leaf vacuuming service for City residents of Centralia as of Monday, October 16, 2023. The vacuuming service will last for a period of eight weeks ending on December 8, 2023. The service will follow routes as established in August 2012 (see website at www.cityofcentralia.org for map). The usual landscape waste and limbs will continue to be collected every week in approved paper bags.
The following are simple rules that the City asks each resident to follow to make the process as smooth as possible:
1. Please rake your leaves to within four feet of the curb but do not place leaves on the street or in the gutter as they will clog the storm drains. This is typically the area between the sidewalk and the curb.
2. Please do not place leaves behind or near obstacles such as mailboxes, trees, hedges, fences, etc. If there are any obstacles preventing your leaves from being picked up, they will not be picked up.
3. Please avoid parking vehicles in front of piles of leaves on the day that they are to be collected. The vacuum trucks require a minimum of forty-five feet of curb access to safely operate. If a vehicle blocks access to the leaves, they will not be picked up.
4. Please do not mix trash, yard waste such as limbs, weeds, grass or any other material with the leaves. Yard waste mixed with leaves causes safety concerns and equipment malfunction. These items should be placed in approved paper bags for weekly collection or bundled properly.
Leaf collection will begin at 6:00 a.m. and will end by 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Leaves must be ready for vacuum by 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled day. If your leaves are not picked up on the regularly scheduled day (due to severe weather, equipment malfunction or a holiday) they will be picked up the following day or as soon as possible. The City of Centralia is committed to making this process successful and ensuring that a quality service is provided. If you have any concerns, feel free to call Centralia Public Works Department at 618-533-7640.
